Gloucester Hartpury’s Nel Metcalfe believes the battle of the top of the table is yet to heat up ahead of their Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) clash against Saracens at the StoneX on Sunday.
The two teams are tied on 55 points each and almost 20 points ahead of third in a clear two horse race to finish the regular season top of the table.
Metcalfe expressed her belief on how she thinks there aren’t many other games like this one.
“I actually do feel like this is the best rivalry in the PWR right now and it can only get better.
“Both teams have been so successful this season and these are the games you want to be playing in against the top teams.”
The young winger will be up against fellow international quality in the backs, with the likes of Jess Breach and Alisha Corrigan expected to line up for the Londoners.
“I think they’ve got such quality in the back three, and I think that’s really exciting to go up against.” added the 21-year-old.
“So if we want to be challenging good teams you have to go up against the best of the best.
“As a player, it’s a really exciting opportunity, “
Jess Breach does what Jess Breach does! 🔥
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) March 16, 2025
What a start to this final!#PWRFinal | #GLOvSAR pic.twitter.com/kvEirAxyRY
The Circus do have a game in hand on the league leaders and the Gloucestershire camp see this as a great opportunity to go surpass their rivals and put themselves in a strong position come the play-offs.
“We want to be top of the table and we want to be winning these games.
“I’m hoping for an open game along with some exciting rugby, hopefully.”
There were eight forwards between the two sides picked for last year’s historic Rugby World Cup campaigns.
Maud Muir, Alex Mathews and Sarah Beckett were just some from the west country that featured for the red roses when they toppled Canada and Metcalfe is expecting another bruising encounter this time around.
Another rampaging prop try for @gloshartpury! 😮
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) February 14, 2026
Maud Muir with the superwoman stretch and finish after barreling through the Quins defence 💪
📺 @TNTSports & @DiscoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/9wmsHVuHJb
“You’re going to definitely have to front up physically as they are a strong side, but they’ve moved the ball around really well now as well,” said the Welsh international.
“So I think filling the field and really taking pride in those first collisions is going to be important.”
This match is also a rerun of last season’s PWR final in which the Circus ran out 34-19 victors at Saracens’ home ground in north London and the memory of that game still lives in the heads of the players.
“Things like that are in the back of people’s minds, however I think the important thing is to just, focus on the challenge ahead and this week, that’s Saracens.”
“So I think that has to be the sort of mindset, we go for and just enjoying the different challenge that they will bring on Sunday.”
