Premier 15s: Sale 14-48 Gloucester-Hartpury - visitors seal home semi-final

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Sarah Beckett was key to Gloucester-Hartpury beating Sale Sharks

Gloucester-Hartpury secured a Women's Premier 15s home semi-final for the play-offs courtesy of a 48-14 win at Sale Sharks.

Sarah Beckett scored three tries for the visitors, who made sure of top spot in the table with the victory.

Exeter Chiefs remain second after thrashing Wasps 82-7, with Kate Zackary running in three of their 12 tries.

But third-placed Saracens closed the gap to three points with a 48-38 win at home to Bristol Bears.

A fluctuating match was in the balance, with the score locked at 38-38, when Scottish winger Coreen Grant ran in a decisive 77th-minute try for defending champions Saracens. Holly Aitchison confirmed the win over fourth-placed Bristol with an 80th-minute penalty.

Grace Moore scored two of Saracens seven tries to be named player of the match, while England hooker Lark Davies took her tally to 18 tries for the season after touching down for two of Bristol's five.

Saracens play their final game of the regular season at Loughborough Lightning on Saturday, 3 June.

They will move up to second place in the table and claim home advantage in the semi-finals of the play-offs with victory, if Exeter fail to take maximum points from their final match at the league leaders.

Bristol are certain to finish fourth, whatever happens in the final weekend, and will play their semi-final at table-toppers Gloucester Hartpury.

The play-off semi-finals will take place on Saturday and Sunday, 10-11 June.

Elsewhere, fifth-placed Harlequins won 81-10 at DMP Sharks, while Loughborough Lightning's match at home to Worcester Warriors had to be postponed because of the lack of an available ambulance.