Army players were back in their club ranks this weekend and getting wins both north and south of the border.
Bdr Bethan Dainton (RA) was a try scoring second half replacement for Harlequins Women as they turned on the style against bottom club DMP Durham Sharks.
With the top two teams Bristol and Saracens meeting earlier in the day, Harlequins needed a maximum haul to close the gap at the top of the Premier 15s table. They achieved this in style, securing the bonus point in 36 minutes and going on to score 40 more points in the second half to win 69-7.
Bdr Dainton came off the bench just shy of the hour mark and five minutes from time was sidestepping her way through the defensive line to open up a route to the whitewash.
Sgt Jade Mullen (AGC (SPS)) was another second half sub for Quins, the back also marking her return from training with Wales during the Autumn Internationals.
Gnr Senitiki Nayalo (RA) was a late injury withdrawal for Coventry, meaning he missed their win over Bedford, but Cpl Lewis Bean (Rifles) was fit to join Glasgow’s match day 23, coming off the bench with an hour gone in their United Rugby Championship win over the Dragons.
The Warriors were well in control at Scotstoun when Cpl Bean joined the action, leading 26-0, and the forwards put an added gloss on the scoreline eight minutes from time, setting up a try to make the final score 33-7.
Back in the Premier 15s, Capt Gemma Rowland (RA) was in the Wasps starting line-up which secured a much-needed maximum haul against Sale Sharks.
As with Harlequins, Wasps were seeking to maintain their place in the hunt for the semi-finals, but they were made to fight all the way by a Sale team which belied their 14-player status for long periods – a red card having been shown after 13 minutes.
Wasps led by just seven points at half-time, but kicked on after the break to secure the bonus point five minutes from the end. There was still time for SSgt Sarah Mitchelson (RLC) to make a brief cameo from the bench, Wasps winning 22-8.
Also on Saturday, LCpl Semesa Rokoduguni’s (Scots DG) winning habit in the Premiership against Northampton came to a shuddering halt at Franklin’s Gardens, as Bath were well beaten by a Saints outfit who continued their cutting edge from last week to score six tries on the way to a 40-19 win.
Bath did score three tries, but it was far from what they would have wanted ahead of next weekend’s Champions Cup opener away to Leinster.
Finally, LCpl Lloyd Wheeldon (3 Para) was also on the wrong side of the result, coming off the bench with 11 minutes to go in Doncaster Knights’ Championship loss to Cornish Pirates.
It was always going to be challenging for the Knights, who had made the long trip to Penzance to face a Pirates outfit which had seen off all comers at the Mennaye Field this season. And so it proved, despite Doncaster scoring the opening try, as the Pirates ran in 29 unanswered points to win 29-7.
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