'Great' start for unbeaten Gloucester-Hartpury

Dan Murphy took over as head coach at Gloucester-Hartpury this summer

New Gloucester-Hartpury head coach Dan Murphy says it has been "great" to start his tenure with maximum points from four wins - but that there is still much for his side to work on.

The three-time Premiership Women's Rugby champions beat Sale 40-24 at Kingsholm on Saturday to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table.

Gloucester-Hartpury now have a bye week before travelling to Ashton Gate to play Bristol Bears on Sunday, 30 November.

"We looked at this whole block as a challenge coming back together and it's great to come out of this with four bonus point wins," Murphy told BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"There's been some bits that have gone really well and some bits that we've needed to work on and we've now got a bit of breathing space with the down week to go and fix those."

Gloucester-Hartpury have averaged 40 points scored in their four PWR games so far, with an average of six tries in each.

Former England back Matt Banahan joined the staff as attack coach this summer and Murphy said the way the players have adapted to his ideas has been impressive.

"The biggest thing I'm pleased about is the buy in around the attack," Murphy said.

"Banners has come in this year and brought a refreshed attack - rugby's a very simple game, you run forwards, you pass backwards and you get closer to the line - but the buy in from the girls and our variety of tries is the really pleasing bit."

Full-back Mia Venner, meanwhile, said it was "exciting" that the players still do not feel they are at their best but have still taken four bonus-point wins.

"They [the coaches] have given us a lot to work on and a lot of things we can exploit within ourselves - how we can get better - because I don't think we're at our best yet, but that's only an exciting thing, to come away with 20 points and not be at your best," Venner said.