'I don't go around people... I go through them' - Ilona Maher gets first Bristol Bears score with Jonah Lomu-esque try

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Ilona Maher scored her first Premiership Women's Rugby try for Bristol Bears as they beat rivals Exeter Chiefs 41-31, boosting their hopes of reaching the play-offs. The American sensation, a recent convert from sevens, produced a Jonah Lomu-esque try that saw her bulldoze her way through the Exeter defence having started in her own half. She said: "I don't go around them, I always go through."

Lomu-esque from Maher as American star gets first PWR try

Video credit: TNT Sports

Ilona Maher capped her first start for Bristol Bears with her first Premiership Women's Rugby try in their 41-31 win over Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park.

The derby win over rivals Chiefs sees Bristol boost their hopes of reaching the play-offs, with Maher playing a key part throughout the clash.

The American sevens sensation, who just a week ago lit up Ashton Gate to break the crowd record for a PWR regular-season match, scored her first try in just her second professional game of 15s.

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With the Bears already 33-19 up and Maher having been involved in several tries, she took matters into her own hands in the 55th minute and scored from her own half.

She sped past one opponent and bulldozed through another to score a Jonah Lomu-esque try, her first for Bristol.

"I don't know if it was any relief," she told TNT Sports. "It kind of felt a little bit like sevens, my team-mates did the work to put me through and I managed to get past a couple defenders and I thought 'Ah, this is sevens.'

"I think it's now going to be figuring out when I have people in front of me how do I get through them.

"I don’t go around people, that's never been my thing. I don't go around them, I always go through."

As a new convert from sevens, Maher is still finding her feet in the 15s game and her skillset will only develop the more time she has on the pitch.

She admitted that she was prouder of assisting Meg Varley's try, having made the rare act of sidestepping a player.

"I was most proud of that try-assist, I did a little a step there that I've never done before. I think I was most proud of the try-assist for sure.

"It's been so great. The team is literally so welcoming, and it's such a cool environment to learn in. They're always down to help me with every little thing. I think it's the best team I could have chosen.

"I'm learning every day. The way that the game is progressing is just so much better. I haven't played at this level yet and to get my feet wet in this is something that will really help me go into a World Cup and be the best for my team, Team USA."

'Bears roar in defiance!' - Maher's slick offload sees Varley go over in PWR thriller

Video credit: TNT Sports

It was also Maher's first taste of victory in a Bristol shirt after Gloucester spoilt her welcoming party the previous weekend.

"I feel good. It was a good time to see the little things that I have to work on. I think there are so many things that I am good at that I left that I can maybe do the next game. It's just about getting confident in it," she said.

"I think it was changing it from 'we need to win this game' to 'we want to win this game.' Yes we need to get to the top four, but we want to do that. We want to do that for our team to make it to the final, we want to do that for Bear Country. So I think that was more for ourselves, this was our desire."

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