England players Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya returned for their teams as Loughborough Lightning beat Harlequins 43-33 in Premiership Women’s Rugby.
Having travelled to the United Arab Emirates together, the Red Roses duo were stranded in Dubai last weekend after the Middle East conflict escalated.
The Women’s Rugby World Cup winners were back in action – on opposite sides -at Northampton’s Franklin’s Gardens on Friday, with full-back Kildunne scoring the opening try for Quins before Jade Konkel extended their lead.
Flanker Kabeya and Loughborough’s other World Cup winners Helena Rowland and Lilli Ives Campion started together for the first time since England’s triumph in September – but it was Bo Westcombe-Evans who stole the show with a hat-trick.
Tries from Lis Maude, Daisy Hibbert-Jones and a quickfire double by winger Westcombe-Evans gave Lightning a 24-14 lead at half-time.
Christine Belisle stretched the hosts’ lead after the break, before tries from Freya Aucken and Sarah Parry gave Harlequins hope.
But Westcombe-Evans completed her hat-trick and Carmela Morrall’s try meant Ella Cromack’s late score was merely a consolation.
Loughborough’s first win in six games moved them up two places from second-bottom to sixth, before the rest of the weekend’s fixtures. Quins remain fourth.