Forward power order of the day for Lightning

LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning got their second Premier 15s season off to a stirring start with a hardfought victory over Richmond.

The Lightning pack was in muscular form in the first half and helped create a 17-0 half-time lead through two penalty tries.

Fly-half Katy DaleyMcClean, one of Loughborough’s marquee new signings, then added what turned out to be a pivotal three points from the tee.

Richmond rallied after the break and Emelie Hellgren got the visitors’ first try after a surging break from deep resulted in Alicia McComish drawing the last defender before playing the Swede in.

The comeback was quickly halted when Richmond’s Claire Phelps was handed a yellow card for jumping in to the maul and Lightning soon pressed home their advantage.

The score was swiftly brought up to 22-5 on the hour mark with England legend Sarah Hunter going over from short range after Loughborough used their numbers in the scrum to get the ball over the line.

It was soon a case of role reversal as Richmond secured a deserved penalty try of their own, which was swiftly followed by two Loughborough players being sent to the touchline for ten minutes.

With the wind in their sails, Richmond saw the chance to attack and the ball eventually fell kindly to Libby Povey to secure a last-ditch bonus point.

As the clock hit the 79thminute, Povey ran in from close-range to claim the losing bonus and push the hosts to the final seconds, despite falling just short of a memorable comeback.