Green stings Bears with last kick of the game

ELLIE Green’s last-gasp conversion secured Harlequins Ladies a thrilling draw with Bristol Bears at the Stoop in a match that wowed the crowd that stayed on for the second part of a double header.

It was the Bristol Bears who began the brighter, making their early pressure count as captain Amber Reed led by example to run over and open the scoring.

Quins replied with a try of their own six minutes later as Katy Mew dotted the ball down over the line. Emily Scott added the conversion to level the scores.

A superb team move from the Bears restored their lead as up to five players were involved in a series of neat exchanges and offloads which was finished off by full-back Merryn Doidge as she ran over the line to score.

Further tries from Mackenzie Carson and Elinor Snowsill saw the away side cement their dominant first-half performance and go in at the break leading 26-12.

Bristol managed to withstand the hosts’ attacking pressure for eight minutes after the restart, until Davinia Catlin found the key to unlock the Bristol backline.

Time seemed to be running out, however replacement Green added a try and conversion with four minutes left on the clock to restore a glimmer of Harlequins’ hope.

With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Quins managed to work their way over the Bristol try-line right at the death, as Lucy Packer slid over and Green added the points from the tee to rescue a draw and reward a persistent effort from the home side.