Lightning strike the Bears to maintain perfection
LOUGHBOROUGH Lightning continued their perfect start to the season as a strong second-half showing secured a bonuspoint victory over Bristol Bears.
Charlotte Pearce scored two tries out of six for Rhys Edwards’s side, with Olivia Jones, Jenny Maxwell, Natasha Jones and Cath O’Donnell also going over.
Lilly Stoeger-Goddard and Poppy Leitch dotted down for the visitors but it wasn’t enough to stop Bristol’s two-match winning run coming to an end.
After a quiet start, it was four-cap England international Pearce who brought the game to life, as her two tries – one of which Katy Daley-Mclean converted – left Loughborough with a 12-6 lead after 30 minutes; Elinor Snowsill booting a pair of Bears penalties in response.
Pearce’s first was particularly spectacular as a team move that started in the Lightning 22 saw Carys Williams make huge ground and offload to the supporting winger to score.
Stoeger-Goddard and Jones then exchanged tries to put the home side 17-11 up at the break, with both conversions going wide, but as the hour mark approached Bristol edged ahead when Leitch crossed and Snowsill converted.
Their joy was shortlived, however, as Loughborough regrouped and began to demonstrate why they’d won each of their opening four Premier 15 matches.
Maxwell restored their advantage with 15 minutes left as she dived in from close range, before player-of-the-match Jones and O’Donnell gave the final score an emphatic look. Daley-McLean made one of the conversions to ensure the game ended 36-18.