England international Shaunagh Brown scored a late try as reigning Premier 15s champions Harlequins snatched a dramatic 21-18 victory over Gloucester-Hartpury.
Kelly Smith had given the West Country side an early lead before fellow Red Roses star Ellie Kildunne burst through a gap to cross against her old club, with Lagi Tuima converting.
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Smith bagged her second of the afternoon for Gloucester-Hartpury before Emma Sing added two penalties as the hosts took a commanding 18-7 lead into the interval.
But Harlequins responded after the restart as Sarah Bonar raced over the whitewash before Brown claimed the match-winning try in the 78th minute at the Alpas Arena.
Elsewhere, Bristol Bears maintained their unbeaten start to the season as they secured another bonus-point win with an impressive display against Sale Sharks at Shaftesbury Park.
Bears’ leading try-scorer Phoebe Murray scored her seventh of the season while Amy Coles, Hannah West and Simi Pam also dotted down before the half-time break.
Sharks responded after the interval and closed the gap through a Lauren Delany try but Wales international Siwan Lillicrap crossed to complete the 27-17 win for the Bears.
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England fly-half Zoe Harrison was the among the scorers as Saracens kept pace with the Bears at the top of the standings with their fourth bonus-point win of the new campaign.
Saracens saw off Worcester Warriors 34-5 as Lotte Clapp, Rachel Laqeretabua, Poppy Cleall and Katherine Evans all joined Harrison on the scoresheet at Sixways Stadium.
Meanwhile, recently retired Ireland international Claire Molloy returned to club action for Wasps as they went down 23-13 to Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.
Molloy played a key role in the opening try as Amy Wilson Hardy broke the deadlock for the visitors before Gabby Cantorna’s penalty cut Wasps’ lead to 5-3 at the break.
Cantorna and Flo Williams traded penalties early in the second half before Daleaka Menin powered over for Chiefs’ first try as the home side took the lead for the first time.
Harriet Millar-Mills was then sin-binned and Chiefs punished Wasps through Rachel Johnson’s try before Cantorna extended their advantage with another penalty on 73 minutes.
Wasps grabbed a consolation through Ellie Boatman but it was not enough to prevent Chiefs from backing up their impressive victory over defending champions Harlequins in Round 3.
Finally, Loughborough Lightning secured their first victory of the campaign in emphatic fashion as last season’s semi-finalists romped to a 59-0 victory against DMP Durham Sharks.
Lightning ran in nine tries as Megan Davey, Iona Antwiss, Isla Alejandro all crossed in the opening 30 minutes, with the visitors storming into a 31-point lead at the interval.
Detysha Harper, Georgina Tasker and England hooker Lark Davies also touched down as the East Midlands outfit returned to winning ways at the Darlington Arena.
