Report: Half-hour hattrick for Cokayne as Quins maul Bears at the Stoop
A half-hour hattrick for Amy Cokayne secured a commanding 48-14 victory for Harlequins Women over Bristol Bears Women, leapfrogging the visitors into 3rd in the Allianz Premier 15s table.
Three driving maul scores from Cokayne with further tries from Jade Konkel-Roberts and Bryony Cleall gave the hosts a colossal 29-0 lead at the break, Bristol looking out of sorts at the Stoop.
Three more tries from Chloe Edwards, Ellie Kildunne and Bella Mckenzie were answered by scores from Bristol’s Lark Davies and Grace White, the Quarters ending the year with five points and huge momentum to take them into 2023.
An upset last season saw Bristol Bears come away with a 5-24 victory when they visited the Stoop last October, a result Cokayne described as “horrible”. The hooker wasn’t prepared to let that happen again and her performance was certainly telling.
Fresh off her hattrick in the World Cup Final last month it took just five minutes for the Red Rose to find her way across the line, darting off the back of a driving maul to opening the scoring on 5 minutes.
Her second wasn’t too far behind, a more traditional drive seeing the Quarters move to 12-0 in the 17th minute.
Harlequins kept pressuring the Bears as the visitors struggled to put clean phases together. They looked slick with ball in hand, and just a few minutes later and it was the turn of Konkel-Roberts to take advantage of strong attacking play, crossing under the sticks in the 23rd minute.
The Quarters were cruising and were keen to show their typical attacking flair. Lucy Packer was welcomed back with seasonal glee by the Stoop crowd as she jinked down the left flank.
But it was down the right wing that Harlequins prospered once again. Some superb feet from Izzy Mayhew gave the Australian international space, storming past Bears defenders before being brought down just short off the try-line. Quick ball from the ruck and Cleall came in on the hard line, muscling over for the hosts bonus point try just after the half hour mark.
Bears continued to struggle to build phases, instead looking to exit and release pressure. However Quins still refused to give them breathing room, a Bristol box kick brilliant kept in play by a leaping Emily Scott, fullback Kildunne deftly finding the left corner.
Another lineout, another driving maul and Coykane completed her hattrick hero status in the 38th minute, the score moving to 29-0 as Tuima hit the upright with her conversion attempt.
The second-half started as first had ended with dominant Quins attacking phases. Chloe Edwards scored her try in the 45th minute, picking and carrying from the back of a five-metre ruck and giving Bristol no chance of stopping her.
The Bears looked to fight back. Some clean hands from the Bristol back created room for Courtney Keight to storm down the left flank, her offload just not quite able to find the hands of Reneeqa Bonner.
Shaunagh Brown, in her last appearance of her career, came so close to a score of her own in the 56th minute. Cokayne once again broke away powerfully from the maul, Brown picking quickly from the base and charging through Bears defenders. Cleary Bristol had not read the script however, Brown held just short of the line.
Bristol finally got themselves on the scoreboard with 15 minutes to go. A driving lineout led to a score for an England hooker but this time it was Lark Davies, crashing over in the right corner to blanch a humiliating score line.
But Harlequins came back again. Some beautiful hands between Lauren Torley and Kildunne eliminated straggling Bears defenders as they cruised up the left wing, Kildunne crossing for another score.
Bristol scored a consolation late on through Grace White, but Quins refused to give them the satisfaction. With the clock in the red Harlequins typically managed to squeeze one more try out the game, substitute Bella Mackenzie finishing sustained pressure on the Bears line to close out the game.
