Lightning name their side to take on Gloucester-Hartpury

rugby players on the pitch

Loughborough Lightning will make six squad changes as they welcome Gloucester-Hartpury Women to Loughborough University this Saturday.

With Rachel Malcolm, Helen Nelson, Rhona Lloyd and Leah Bartlett on international duty Scotland camp this weekend, Lightning will make five changes to their starting line up that beat Sale Sharks in the season opener last week, 29-7.

Making their season debut for the side, Daleaka Menin will start at Prop and Georgia Bradley will take the starting shirt at 6. After a solid performance off the bench last week Isla Alejandro moves to wing and Ellen Ramsbottom transfers across into the 13 position.

The two sides have not met at Loughborough University since 2018 as last season the home leg of this fixture was cancelled.

The game, which will see Lightning host for the first time this season, will kick off at 2pm on the 1st XV pitch on Epinal Way.

Of the game this week, Head Coach Rhys Edwards commented; 

“Saturday is the second game of the Premier 15s and our first home game, which gives us a quick turn around and allows us to continue our progress from last week.

“We started pretty slowly against Sale Sharks, but by the end of the game we managed to get into our groove and finishing the game with a bonus point really highlighted how the girls problem solved on pitch.

“I am really keen that we start well this week as Gloucester-Hartpury pose a very different challenge to last week. As we know from previous seasons, they are a team that wants to play a positive high tempo brand of rugby and will challenge the way we play aswell. I think it will be an exciting, fast flowing affair from the start.”

Rhys added; 

“With certain international players away at camp we have made a couple of changes this week to the squad. The depth and competition in the squad is something we are really happy with and we see it as a great opportunity to get players game time early on in the season. “

Lightning’s kick-off is at 2pm, make sure you tune into our social media channels to keep up with all the action.

Lightning line-up 

  1. Detysha Harper
  2. Lark Davies
  3. Daleaka Menin
  4. Kat Hobson
  5. Anya richmond
  6. Georgia Bradley
  7. Becky Noon
  8. Morwenna Talling
  9. Ella Wrywas
  10. Helena Rowland
  11. Olivia Jones
  12. Emma Hardy
  13. Ellen Ramsbottom
  14. Isla Alejandro
  15. Abbie Brown

  16. Phoebe Andrews
  17. Katie Trevarthen
  18. Beyonce Fowler
  19. Rachael Woosey
  20. Amy Relf
  21. Jess Weaver
  22. Grace White
  23. Aine Staunton