Lightning strike to end their miserable streak
LOUGHBOROUGH Lighting produced a sensational all-round display to take home their third win of the season against Richmond.
Lightning had lost their last two matches, against Wasps and Darlington Mowden Park, and were in desperate need of a victory.
Head coach Rhys Edwards recalled Olivia Jones and England captain Sarah Hunter into the pack to try and combat the Richmond front eight.
Victoria Britland cancelled out the Lightning’s early try but Carys Williams, who was at the heart of everything good for the hosts, crossed on the stroke of half-time.
Williams’ score gave the Lightning a crucial sevenpoint advantage going into the break.
Britland then broke through the Loughborough defence to set up Katie Wallis to dot down in the corner to reduce the deficit to 12-10 after 55 minutes.
Florence Williams was needed to knock over a crucial penalty to ease any home nerves, and she did just that on 61 minutes to give the Lightning a fivepoint cushion as they went in search of their third win of the season.
And Natasha Jones was then able to find a gap and burrow her way over to assert the Lightning’s dominance with just 12 minutes to go.
There was still enough time for French international hooker Gaelle Mignot to pull a score back for Richmond only for Emma Hardy’s sensational run at the end securing the bonus point score for the East Midlands side.
Fifth-placed Richmond sit just three points above Loughborough after their defeat with the hosts level on points with Bristol Ladies.