Ilona Maher celebrated her first start for Bristol by powering over for a try as part of an impactful display in a 41-31 victory against Exeter at Sandy Park.

Maher, the game’s most popular player on social media with more than eight million followers, ran over half the pitch and bumped off two tackles in a 55th-minute try made possible by her pace and power.

The United States sevens star also showed her value as a provider when she stepped off her wing to suck in three defenders before releasing Meg Varley to score the bonus-point try that keeps Bristol in contention for the Premiership Women’s Rugby play-offs.

“It felt like sevens a little bit. My team-mates did the work to put me through and I had to get through a couple of defenders. I thought ‘oh, this is sevens!’” Maher told TNT Sports.

“I don’t go around people, that’s never been my thing – ever! I don’t go around them, always go through. It’s really not natural for me.

“Now it’s going to be figuring out when I have three people in front of me, how do I get through them?

Maher won a bronze medal at last summer’s Olympics in Paris and has set her sights on winning a place in the USA squad that will compete in the World Cup, which is being hosted by England later this year.

A week ago she made her first appearance in 15s since 2021 when she stepped of the bench in a 40-17 defeat by Gloucester-Hartpury.