3 hours ago
3
Premiership Women's Rugby
Harlequins: (26) 52
Tries: Fleming, Wilcock, Penalty, Torley, Wythe, Pena, Konkel, Sims Cons: Pena 5
Loughborough Lightning: (28) 42
Tries: Westcombe-Evans, Calladine, Maude, Kabeya, Treder, Williams Cons: Kelter, Nelson 5
England World Cup stars Ellie Kildunne and Lucy Packer made a winning return to club rugby as Harlequins beat Loughborough Lightning in a stunning, 14-try Premiership Women's Rugby opener at the Stoop.
The match was the Red Roses' first league appearances since winning the World Cup across the road in Twickenham last month.
Both sides had sealed a bonus point with four tries apiece at the end of a breathless first half, with the visitors taking the slenderest of two-point leads into the break.
World Cup final player of the match Sadia Kabeya got the crowd on their feet with some bulldozing runs in the first half before scoring in the second.
Hannah Sims came off the bench to score the game-winning try which took Quins beyond 50 points in an electric start to the new PWR season, in which the hosts scored eight tries, Loughborough scored six and there were 13 different scorers.
It hasn't even been a month since the Red Roses triumphed over Canada in the World Cup final at Twickenham.
But three of the brightest stars from that side were on show in what was an amazing advert for the PWR, including world player of the year Kildunne.
The England full-back wasn't as central to Quins' success as she so often has been.
But her name brought up the loudest cheer as the teams were read out before the game and there were some jinking trademark runs from deep, as well as a neat pass to assist a vital try for Lauren Torley to score in the corner and give the hosts the lead for the first time in the match.
Club and country team-mate Lucy Packer was as dependable as ever at scrum-half.
Loughborough flanker Kabeya played an instrumental part in the game's opening try, charging through three challenges before she was eventually taken down, leaving Bo Westcombe-Evans free to score unchallenged.
She then got her name on the scoresheet in the second half to cap a fine return for the visitors.
Loughborough captain Daisy Hibbert-Jones described Kabeya as "vital" to the team when speaking to BBC Sport.
"She's a physical freak. Both sides of the ball, she's a hugely attacking threat, she's got power, she's got pace to get her through those line breaks.
"And defensively she's an absolute physical warrior. She's someone I love to play alongside and would hate to play against."
Harlequins: Kildunne; Torley, Pena, Parry, Wilcock; Tuima, Packer; Turani, Powell, Hanlon, McIntosh, Fleming, Wythe, Svoboda, Konkel
Replacements: Phillips, Sims, Delgado, Shirley, Brooks, Burgess, Cromack, Shillaker
Sin-bin: Svoboda [64]
Loughborough Lightning: Green; Mataitoga, Kelter, Morrall, Westcombe-Evans; Nelson, Brebner-Holden; Young, Calladine, Sagapolu, Boyd, Ives Campion, Hibbert-Jones, Kabeya, Lutui
Replacements: Treder, Williams, Belisle, Brody, Waudby, Maude, Brown, Scantlebury
Sin-bin: Maude [86]
Referee: Andy Wigley
