Ealing Trailfinders Women were edged by unbeaten Gloucester-Hartpury in a ten-try 33-27 thriller.
Tries from Liz Crake (2), Ella Amory, Vicky Laflin and Julia Schell were not enough against the reigning champions, who ran in five tries.
Trailfinders secured an important losing bonus point however in a valiant performance to keep them in 7th place in the PWR table.
Gloucester-Hartpury opened the scoring via Rachel Lund after a flowing move left a two on one down the left flank, and Lund was able to score with ease. The conversion was missed.
Trailfinders hit back emphatically through Crake, as she bundled over the whitewash after sustained pressure within the Gloucester-Hartpury 5m line. Rosie Inman missed the extras.
Gloucester-Hartpury then scored against the run of play as Lleucu George finished off a fine move orchestrated between herself and Cath Richards between the Trailfinders lines. George then converted her own try.
However, Trailfinders answered again as Crake scored her second try of the day in similar fashion to her first, powering over the gain line and grounding the ball impressively after some brilliant team play. Inman was unable to convert.
Momentum continued to swing in opposite directions after each score, as Gloucester-Hartpury took their turn to crash over the whitewash following a dominant rolling maul from the Trailfinders 22. George converted again.
Gloucester-Hartpury scored again just before half time, as their dominance at the scrum paid off and Sarah Beckett was able to drive over the line. George extended her impressive tally to leave the score 24-10 at half time.
The start to the second half was all Trailfinders, and eventually they made it count as a big turnover in the Gloucester-Hartpury 22 was finished off by Amory in slick style. Inman’s conversion crashed off the posts and missed.
Trailfinders continued in the ascendance, and a brilliant breakaway from Cristina Blanco off a scrum in Trailfinders own half set up Laflin to cruise in and score. Inman’s conversion effort missed.
Gloucester-Hartpury dampened a lively comeback as a looping pass allowed Natasha Hunt in to score. George continued with yet another accurate conversion. Schell scored the all-important final try in the last play of the game, setting up a huge kick for Ellie Green to secure the losing bonus point, and she did so in fine fashion, ending the game 33-27.
