Hooker Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald scored a first-half hat-trick of tries and flanker Maisy Allen claimed two as Exeter Chiefs tightened their grip on third place in the Premiership Women’s Rugby table with a 47-14 win over Trailfinders Women.

The Chiefs ran in seven tries, with Moloney-MacDonald’s wife Claudia grabbing one off the wing too.

Prop Amy Rule was the Chiefs’ other try scorer, while Trailfinders crossed once in each half, through Alana Borland and Georgia Ponsonby.

All of Cliodhna Moloney-MacDonald’s tries came before the break, with Borland’s converted effort keeping Trailfinders in the hunt after the Ireland international’s opener in the fifth minute.

Rule pounced on a loose ball at a lineout early in the second half for a bonus-point clinching fourth try, before Ponsonby smashed over.

Claudia Moloney-MacDonald stretched the lead with her try on the hour and, after Allen’s two efforts late on, Chiefs confirmed their spot behind Gloucester-Hartpury and ahead of fourth-placed Harlequins.

Sale Sharks thrashed bottom-placed Leicester Tigers 62-3 to leapfrog Trailfinders into fifth.