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SARACENS 28 - 20 EXETER CHIEFS

Twickenham - Saturday 28th May 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 23-6 Att: 76,109

HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

‪‎Saracens 0-0 ‪Chiefs 1m We have KO at Twickers, & Exeter must be a ghost town today!
‪‎Saracens 0-0 ‪Chiefs 2m Chiefs begin with a penalty for Sarries & Owen Farrell tees up already...
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 3m Obviously there is no doubt Faz will score the opening points
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 4m Sarries quickly on the attack again, but knock on & Chiefs fight back up to halfway
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 6m The Chiefs chant rebounds around the stadium as they have the 1st scrum on Sarries 10m 
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 7m Scrum goes against the head & Sarries clear for lineout inside the Chiefs' 22
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 9m Proficient lineout & Sarries are fast only 3m from tryline...penalty Sarries for offside
‪‎Saracens 3-0 ‪Chiefs 9m Sarries prevented from scoring but opt for the points in front of posts...
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs10m No chance of Faz missing from there... 
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 11m Chiefs eventually find their way over halfway for a moment but have man down inside 10m 
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 13 Sarries push back into Chiefs territory; opposition retaliate but it's a Sarries scrum
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 14m Saracens force play almost up to  Chiefs' 22 in the glorious sunshine...
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 15m Chiefs force Sarries back but fight back gives Sarries an attacking scrum outside 22 
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 16m Good scrum but time off with Sarries inside the 22 for injuries check
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 18m A Chiefs' defensive scrum in their 22 goes well for them & force Sarries outside 22 
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 19m But another scrum this time to the Euro Champions but they lose possession to Chiefs 
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 19m Another time out as teams faff around the Chiefs' 10m...
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 20m Chiefs' defensive scrum is reset & they win penalty for Maro Itoje infringing
‪‎Saracens 6-0 ‪Chiefs 21m Sarries pinged for bringing lineout down & kickable penalty to Chiefs
‪‎Saracens 6-3 ‪Chiefs 22m Gareth Steenson tees up from out wide inside 10m & opens the Chiefs' a/c
‪‎Saracens 6-3 ‪Chiefs 24m Saracens reply by charging into Chiefs' 22; Chiefs steal but not for long...
‪‎Saracens 6-3 ‪Chiefs 25m Sarries attack well but Mike Rhodes drops ball after Geoff Parling tackle
‪‎Saracens 6-3 ‪Chiefs 26m Sarries, however, not letting this go & penalty drawn from Chiefs in own 22
‪‎Saracens 9-3 ‪Chiefs 27m Unmissable kick from Faz & Saracens edge a little further ahead
‪‎Saracens 9-3 ‪Chiefs 29m Chiefs venture into the Sarries 22 just once...but it doesn't last a nano second
‪‎Saracens 9-3 ‪Chiefs 31m Sarries come back hard & fast & charge in the opposite direction unrelenting... 
‪‎Saracens 9-3 ‪Chiefs 33m Sarries attack from fairly deep in own half & make it close to the 22....
‪‎Saracens 9-3 ‪Chiefs 33m Recycle after recycle - Chiefs shut them down one after the other but can't hold out 
‪‎Saracens 14-3 ‪Chiefs 34m A sublime chip from Faz is collected by Duncan Taylor & he scores unhindered
‪‎Saracens 16-3 ‪Chiefs 35m A perfect simple conversion from Faz & Sarries are 16-3 up
‪‎Saracens 21-3 ‪Chiefs 37m Chiefs don't get a chance to take a breath before Chris Wyles slides in for a try 
‪‎Saracens 23-3 ‪Chiefs 38m Could be a tedious match to report on for Sarries scoring if they weren't so good! 
‪‎Saracens 23-3 ‪Chiefs 39m The restart takes Chiefs close to Sarries 22... 
‪‎Saracens 23-3 ‪Chiefs 40m Chiefs break the gainline & are into the 22 & need to come away with something... 
‪‎Saracens 23-3 ‪Chiefs 40m The clock ticks red but Wayne Barnes is playing advantage for the West Country boys 
‪‎Saracens 23-3 ‪Chiefs 40+1m Sarries give up a penalty in their 22 which is likely a no brainer for Steenson 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 40+2m Steenson doubles the score for Chiefs but they've a long way to come back after HT 

‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs HT T: Taylor, Wyles C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (3) | P: Steenson (3)

‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 41m Chiefs make a positive start as charge into the 22 but Sarries shut them down fast 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 42m Sarries clear the Chiefs back & the lineout goes their way...
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 43m Sarries maul is strong until the ball is pinched in the midfield...
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 44m But possession returns to the dominant side quickly & they head towards 22... 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 44m Sarries are turned again & forced up to halfway, but Chiefs struggle to break
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 45m A chink of space appears but Sarries promptly shut the Chiefs down & back over halfway 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 46m Ball finds touch & Chiefs have a defensive lineout outside their 22
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 47m lineout is good & Chiefs clear, but not far enough & Sarries back outside the 22
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 47m Chiefs front row replaced - Francis/Hepburn Yeandle for Williams/Moon/Cowan-Dickie 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 48m Chiefs Defensive scrum allows ball to be cleared but Sarries lineout on halfway...
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 49m Sadly, a kicking game ensues, ending with Sarries clearing from own 22 to halfway 
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 50m Chiefs come back, but that Sarries defence keeps them at bay for a while...
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 51m Chiefs Make it over the 22 but chucked backwards & pinged for knock on & fwd pass
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 52m George, Figallo & Wray for Brits, du Plessis & Rhodes
‪‎Saracens 23-6 ‪Chiefs 53m Sarries scrum does not go well & Chiefs set up 5m lineout...
‪‎Saracens 23-11 ‪Chiefs 53m Massive Chiefs drive & finally their time comes as Alec Hepburn scores in corner 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 54m Steenson adds extras & Chiefs are getting closer to getting back in game
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 56m Chiefs have the bit between their teeth & know this is not impossible...
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 57m Chiefs are again up to Sarries 22 & a penalty is awarded to the attacking side
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 58m Similar to last week, complacency has crept in to Sarries side in 3rd quarter...
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 59m Chiefs push hard but possession reversed in Sarries 22
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 60m Sarries penalty & defensive scrum after Barnes has word with Sarries front row 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 61m Apologies - forgot to add Steenson's conversion to score!
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 62m Horstmann & Short for Woodburn & Salvi before Sarries are on the attack
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 63m Sarries do well at scrum & herd collectively into Chiefs 22 before possession lost 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 64m Chiefs clear Sarries back - Sarries come back but play halted...
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 64m Chiefs player down surrounded by medics as teams regroup...
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 64m Don Armand goes off for HIA & Julian Salvi returns to field
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 65m Play resumes & Sarries scrum is lost to Chiefs as they clear play back to HW 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 66m Welsh & Lewis on for Parling & Chudleigh as Chiefs make ground into Sarries' half 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 67m Taylor down for Sarries & Francis for Chiefs as Sarries attack up to Chiefs 22 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 67m Play not halted for that, but a second later when all OK, then it is!
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 68m Barrington/Hodgson for Mako V/Faz | Cowan-Dickie/Campagnaro for Yeandle/Whitten 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 69m Sarries lose monumental opportunity in Chiefs' 22 & opposition inside Sarries 10m 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 71m Sarries haemorrhaging penalties as Chiefs set up lineout inside their 22 & win it 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 71m Wall of red & black may look impressive, but Chiefs know this is in their grasp... 
‪‎Saracens 23-13 ‪Chiefs 72m Sarries collapsing like dominoes while Chiefs are running circles round them... 
‪‎Saracens 23-18 ‪Chiefs 73m Excellent hands from Chiefs & a smart pass from Slade to ? to Nowell to score! 
‪‎Saracens 23-20 ‪Chiefs 74m Steenson converts & the Chiefs are in touching distance with 5 minutes to go... 
‪‎Saracens 23-20 ‪Chiefs 75m It took that for Sarries to wake up & smell the coffee...
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 76m Again, excellent hands put the ball to Alex Goode who stretches over tryline to score 
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 77m However, Charlie Hodgson fails in his last ever match & can't convert
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 78m From restart, Sarries win penalty just inside own half, & need to wind down clock
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 79m Sarries lineout inside the Chiefs 22 is good... 
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 80m Hodgson chips overhead & Ashton gets close but...
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 80m Barnes goes to TMO but doesn't look feasible from here...
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 80+1m It's not even close & Chiefs play on... 
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 80+2m Chiefs still in possession...we're still playing! Please end this!!!
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs 80+3m Finally the penalty goes to Sarries in the midfield & it's over
‪‎Saracens 28-20 ‪Chiefs FT Saracens - champions of England on top of Europe. Congratulations @Saracens! 

15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Duncan Taylor 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 1 Mako Vunipola 2 Schalk Brits 3 Petrus Du Plessis 4 Maro Itoje 5 George Kruis 6 Michael Rhodes 7 Will Fraser 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH:  16 Jamie George 17 Richard Barrington 18 Juan Figallo 19 Jim Hamilton 20 Jackson Wray 21 Neil De Kock 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Marcelo Bosch

SCORERS T: Taylor, Wyles, Goode C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (3)

15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 1 Ben Moon 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 3 Harry Williams 4 Mitch Lees 5 Geoff Parling 6 Dave Ewers 7 Julian Salvi 8 Don Armand BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Tomas Francis 19 Damian Welch 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Michele Campagnaro 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Yeandle, Nowell C: Steenson (2) P: Steenson (2)

Referee: Wayne Barnes Asst Referees: JP Doyle, Luke Pearce TMO: Sean Davey

 

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SF1
SARACENS 44 - 17 LEICESTER TIGERS

Allianz Park - Saturday 21 May 2016
KO: 12:30 HT: 31-0 Att: 9,932

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

‪‎Saracens v Tigers We're live from Allianz Park...
‪‎Saracens 0-0 Tigers 1m JP Doyle has blown the whistle for KO & Tigers make an electric start...
‪‎Saracens 0-0 Tigers 1m ...with Manu Tuilagi charging under the posts in less then 30 seconds! But to the TMO
‪‎Saracens 0-0 Tigers 1m But it's no try for being played on the floor previously...
‪‎Saracens 0-0 Tigers 2m Sarries quickly retaliate and force way into Tigers territory; attacking lineout
‪‎Saracens 5-0 Tigers 3m Lineout's good, ball goes wide, Chris Ashton sprints, comes back & Will Fraser scores
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 5m Farrell converts and it's lightning work from the Champions of Europe
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 7m Richard Wigglesworth grubbers thru for 22 drop out...
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 8m Billy Vunipola bundles into the Tigers half & they knock on swiftly
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 9m It's a Sarries scrum but engage prematurely...Tigers ball
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 11m Tigers tap & go and start to make headway into Sarries territory
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 13m Another knock on, this time from hosts so Tigers have advantage
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 13m Monster tackle from Maro Itoje on Dom Barrow...
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 14m Sarries battle their way out of trouble & force Tigers back over halfway
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 16m Trademark fancy footwork from Alex Goode is a tad too high for Chris Wyles
‪‎Saracens 7-0 Tigers 18m Tigers' defence being tested as Sarries are not allowing them over halfway...
‪‎Saracens 12-0 Tigers 19m And it's Wyles who plays poacher as he sprints round posts to score
‪‎Saracens 14-0 Tigers 20m Faz wastes no time adding extras to take a solid lead into he 2nd quarter
‪‎Saracens 14-0 Tigers 22m Time off as Tuilagi's first run out on an artificial pitch is shortlived...
‪‎Saracens 14-0 Tigers 23m Sarries scrum on Tigers 10m & quick hands allow Sarries to sprint...
‪‎Saracens 19-0 Tigers 24m Billy V draws in defenders & Goode to Ashy to corner to score try no. #3
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 26m It's an acute angle for the conversion but that doesn't faze Faz slightly...
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 27m Restart doesn't get Tigers to where they need; Sarries scrum in Tigers' 22
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 29m Tigers win a much needed penalty at scrum & clear to 10m...
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 30m But Sarries steal the throw in promptly...
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 31m Tigers wrestle ball back, momentarily sneak over halfway but Sarries force them back
‪‎Saracens 21-0 Tigers 32m But a penalty is gifted by Brendon O'Connor for offside in front of posts...
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 33m ...and from the 10m line, Faz makes light work of adding 3 more points
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 34m Tigers are not playing badly, Sarries are just on fire & can't be stopped!
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 35m Thacker has returned to the field after having 5 stitches fix him up
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 36m Sarries have a defensive scrum after Tigers finally make it into their half
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 37m But of course they waste no time in heading up to the Tigers' 22...
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 38m O'Connor disrupts play at the breakdown, slowing ball enough to clear Sarries
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 39m Tigers attacking scrum just outside Sarries 22 is strong, but not going fwd
‪‎Saracens 24-0 Tigers 40m Ball isn't quick enough at the 22 & Wyles intercepts & belts to the tryline!
‪‎Saracens 29-0 Tigers 40m TMO confirms it's all good & it's a 4th try for Saracens
‪‎Saracens 31-0 Tigers 40+1m Obviously Faz converts. Tigers are broken so far...Sarries...what can you say!

‪‎Saracens 31-0 Tigers HT T: Fraser, Wyles (2), Ashton C: Farrell (4) P: Farrell | -

‪‎Saracens 31-0 Tigers 40m The teams are back out & Tigers have just 40 minutes to perform a miracle...
‪‎Saracens 31-0 Tigers 41m They start well as Owen Williams offloads to Telusa Veainu who finds the tryline
‪‎Saracens 31-5 Tigers 42m The TMO adjudges there's no forward pass...maybe he's feeling generous!
‪‎Saracens 31-7 Tigers 43m Hmmm...anyway, Williams converts & Tigers are heading in right direction
‪‎Saracens 31-7 Tigers 44m Time off as injuries are checked after Sarries hand over kickable penalty
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 45m Williams adds another 3 points while Ghiraldini replaces Thacker again
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 46m Tigers lineout on halfway but Sarries steal it again; at breakdown penalty to Tigers
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 47m Williams tees up from in front of posts but on halfway...
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 48m The kick has the distance, but not the accuracy so score holds
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 49m Jamie George comes on for Schalk Brits as momentum is definitely Tigers' way
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 50m For all Fraser's hard work earlier, he's sent to the naughty step for 10...
‪‎Saracens 31-10 Tigers 51m Tigers are firmly camped in Sarries 22 & they ain't leaving without points
‪‎Saracens 31-15 Tigers 51m Tigers opt for 5m lineout & it goes well for Barrow to pounce on the tryline
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 52m Good conversion from Williams & this is game on. Wonder what Cockers said at HT!
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 54m So, 17 points in 14 minutes - brave work from Tigers here...
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 55m Marcelo Bosch replaces Duncan Taylor & Juan Figallo fro Petrus du Plessis
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 56m Sarries are up to Tigers' 22 & have a penalty which Faz tees up
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 57m It's a sharp angle & the ball drifts down, cleared by Tigers...
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 58m Looks like Sarries may have stolen it to score but no...5m scrum...
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 58m Knock on gives Tigers the put in but time off for changes...
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 58m Slater for Kitchener | de Kock for Wigglesworth
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 59m Tigers win penalty off scrum; Faz is down in immense pain after hit from Genge
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 60m Genge tackle's legal -just late. Charlie Hodgson comes on 1 last time to huge fanfare
‪‎Saracens 31-17 Tigers 61m Play wasn't actually halted til ref found a break even tho 2 medics on...
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 62m Hodgson arrives, takes the penalty, adds 3 points.
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 62m Meanwhile Jackson Wray has replaced Mike Rhodes
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 64m A kick thru from Tigers is chased by Niki Goneva but Wyles gets to it first
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 65m Penalty goes to Sarries & they shove Tigers back into own half
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 66m Will Evans returns from HIA so Fitzgerald back on bench
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 67 Sarries building momentum again as they venture further into Tigers territory
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 68m 22 lineout for Sarries but ball gets spilled...Tigers try to clear but turnover
‪‎Saracens 34-17 Tigers 69m It's a penalty to Sarries & Hodgson tees up from out wide outside 22...
‪‎Saracens 37-17 Tigers 70m Hodgson is bang on target while Richard Barrington on for Mako Vunipola
‪‎Saracens 37-17 Tigers 71m So, Tigers have less than 10 minutes to score at least 20 points...
‪‎Saracens 37-17 Tigers 72m Elegance personified from Ashy as he is pincered by 2 Tigers but slips thru
‪‎Saracens 42-17 Tigers 72m ...the narrow void, kicks ahead & flies over for 5th try - & a brace for him
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 73m Hodgson adds the extras, but I don't think Sarries are finished just yet...
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 75m 5 minutes to go & Sarries are deeply ensconced in the Tigers 22, 5m from tryline
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 76m It's a Tigers defensive scrum...which collapses, & the crowd's getting ancy
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 77m Quick ball from scrum but Lachlan McCaffrey spills in almost comedy fashion
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 78m Sarries fans enjoying 'Sweet Caroline' & singing along as they wait for end
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 79m Sarries lose 5m lineout as Ashy named Man of the Match...
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 79m ...but a moment later Sarries 5m scrum under the posts...
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 80m Scrum reset & the roar of heave goes up; almost stolen by Tigers > Ashy has it
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers 80+1m Tigers regain possession & run it out of their half, but it's all over.
‪‎Saracens 44-17 Tigers FT So it's Sarries in the Final again next Saturday..a week & half an hour to go

15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Duncan Taylor 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 1 Mako Vunipola 2 Schalk Brits 3 Petrus Du Plessis 4 Maro Itoje 5 George Kruis 6 Michael Rhodes 7 Will Fraser 8 Billy Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Richard Barrington 18 Juan Figallo 19 Jim Hamilton 20 Jackson Wray 21 Neil De Kock 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Marcelo Bosch

SCORERS T: Fraser, Wyles (2), Ashton (2) C: Farrell (4), Hodgson P: Farrell, Hodgson (2) Fraser

15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Telusa Veainu 13 Peter Betham 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Ben Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 Harry Thacker 3 Dan Cole 4 Dom Barrow 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Mike Fitzgerald 7 Brendon O'Connor 8 Lachlan McCaffrey BENCH: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini 17 Ellis Genge 18 Logovi'i Mulipola 19 Ed Slater 20 Will Evans 21 Jono Kitto 22 Tommy Bell 23 Adam Thompstone

SCORERS T: Veainu, Barrow C: Williams (2) P: Williams

Referee: JP Doyle Asst Referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys, Paul Dix TMO: Graham Hughes

 

 

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SF2
EXETER CHIEFS 34 - 23 WASPS

Sandy Park - Saturday 21 May 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 20-14 Att: 12,604

 

HERE’S HOW IT HAPPENED MINUTE BY MINUTE…

Chiefs v Wasps Is up next we are bringing you all the action from Sandy Park...
Chiefs v Wasps The teams are out, KO is on the way. Who will face Sarries at Twickenham?
Chiefs 0-0 Wasps 1m Wasps gather the ball from KO and send to touch for 1st lineout of the game
Chiefs 0-0 Wasps 2m Ball lost by Exeter but Wasps play the ball on the floor, penalty to Exeter
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 3m Steenson gets the 1st points of the game 
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 5m Exeter in possession, Chudley sends it long, gathered by Wade who kicks to touch 
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 6m Exeter back in possession, pushing towards the line from the 22
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 7m Dolman with a grubber kick through but Wade was there to collect
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 8m Mullan knocks it on, scrum to Chiefs which is reset immediately
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 9m Scrum goes down again. The rain is going to make it slippery under foot
Chiefs 3-0 Wasps 10m Scrum reset & goes down again, penalty to Chiefs, Steenson going for posts
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 11m And it goes over, 2 from 2 for Steenson 
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 12m A bit of aerial ping pong results in a lineout for Chiefs
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 13m Wasps manage to get a penalty following the maul, kicked to touch
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 14m Ball dropped at the lineout, scrum to Chiefs just short of own 22
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 15m Steenson gets his hands on a slippery ball and kicks to touch, Wasps lineout in Chiefs 22
Chiefs 6-0 Wasps 16m It looks like Wasps have a try from that lineout, driving maul and they are over
Chiefs 6-5 Wasps 16m Try awarded to Festuccia
Chiefs 6-7 Wasps 17m Gopperth gets the conversion by judging the wind perfectly
Chiefs 6-7 Wasps 18m Ball stripped from Wasps, they get the lineout but its not straight. Scrum Chiefs
Chiefs 6-7 Wasps 19m Slightly wonky put in at the scrum but it is allowed and Chiefs come away with it
Chiefs 6-7 Wasps 20m Chiefs pass it through the hands to Nowell but he is in touch as he crosses the line
Chiefs 6-7 Wasps 21m Chiefs have it again from a clearance kick 
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 17m And Whitten is over, Steenson converts, Chiefs are back in the lead
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 24m Wasps have possession through Haskell, just on own 10m line
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 25m Wasps have an advantage from a knock on
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 25m Advantage over and Chiefs get their hands on it but its in touch and Wasps have lineout 
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 17m Wasps keep possession from the lineout and play it through the hands on halfway
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 27m Launchbury looks to have been kicked in the head but we are playing on
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 29m Chiefs have turned it over, Ewers takes possession
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 29m Quite a bit of scrappy play by both teams, Chiefs knock it on & its scrum to Wasps 
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 30m Wasps get a penalty from the scrum and send it to touch for a lineout deep in Chiefs half 
Chiefs 13-7 Wasps 31m Wasps pushing for the line here through Robson
Chiefs 13-12 Wasps 31m Robson found a gap in the defence and goes over for a try
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 32m The conversion from Gopperth is good, Wasps back in front
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 33m Cowan-Dickie tackles Launchbury with no arms, penalty to Wasps kicked to touch
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 34m Robson makes a break with support from Wade but Wade gets tackled
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 34m Wasps knock it on, Chiefs back in possession, they kick it long
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 35m Piutau collects but Chiefs are there to put the pressure on
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 35m It looks like Chiefs have scored but did it go forward in the build up?
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 35m Yes, Nowell did knock it on which is a shame for Chiefs. No try
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 35m However, Wasps knocked it on 1st so it is scrum to Chiefs
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 35m Penalty to Chiefs at the scrum. lineout right in the corner
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 36m Chiefs are pushing for the line, just 1m out 
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 36m Ball goes loose but Chiefs had the penalty advantage, Steenson kicks to corner
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 37m Chiefs take lineout well, and get another penalty at the breakdown. Wasps have a warning 
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 38m Steenson goes to the corner again, Parling takes lineout & driving maul ensues
Chiefs 13-14 Wasps 38m Another penalty against Wasps means a penalty try to Chiefs & YC for Festuccia 
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 39m Steenson converts and Exeter take the lead into half time

Chiefs 20-14 Wasps HT T: Whitten, PT C: Steenson (2), P: Steenson (2) | T: Festuccia, Robson C: Gopperth (2) Festuccia

Chiefs 20-14 Wasps HT Teams are coming back on to the field ready for a huge 2nd half
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 40m Wasps are still a man short for the next 9 minutes
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 40m Wasps have possession, Gopperth kicks long & Chiefs send it back
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 42m Lots of aerial ball from both sides at the start of this 2nd half
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 43m Johnson is on for Halai whilst Wasps get the scrum
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 43m Not sure what was in the half time oranges but both teams seem a little scrappy
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 43m Penalty at the scrum to Wasps 
Chiefs 20-14 Wasps 45m Gopperth is going for the posts 
Chiefs 20-17 Wasps 45m Straight through the middle, Wasps back within 1 score & just 3m left on the bin 
Chiefs 20-17 Wasps Chiefs have the ball after the restart, passing through the hands again, 5m out
Chiefs 25-17 Wasps 47m Ewers has crossed the line and is awarded the try
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 47m Steenson judges the wind perfectly and gets the conversion
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 48m Salvi strips the ball from Wasps to retake possession but Wasps get it back
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 49m Gopperth sends the ball to touch gaining much needed ground for Wasps
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 49m Halai is back on, Festuccia is kept off following his sin bin, Johnson remains on 
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 50m Scrum to Wasps following a not straight lineout
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 51m Wasps get the penalty at the scrum & Gopperth is going for the posts
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 52m Gopperth gets another 3 for Wasps 
Chiefs 27-17 Wasps 52m Yeandle, Francs & Hepburn on for Cowan-Dickie, Moon & Williams
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 54m Wasps in possession, ball sent high & Chiefs gather it
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 55m Lots of kicks back 7 forth, someone has to do something soon other than kick
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 56m Nowell finally decides to run and not kick. The crowd are pretty happy by this
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 56m Back to kicking, Gopperth eventually sends it to touch deep in Chiefs half
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 57m Chiefs take the lineout well, driving maul from the catch
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 58m Steenson goes for a kick again, returned by Wasps. Nowell has the ball
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 59m Ewers makes a break but ball goes to touch 
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 59m Wasps lineout is taken well, Robson sends the ball high, gathered by Chiefs
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 60m Mullan has been replaced by McIntyre, Ewers replaced by Waldrom
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 60m Hill is on for Whitten
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 62m Penalty at the scrum for Wasps but Gopperth sends it too far
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 63m Another scrum, another warning for the forwards about movement
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 63m Wasps get the penalty from a Chiefs scrum. Gopperth gets this one right
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 64m Wasps have the lineout right on 5m 
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 64m Chiefs have turned it over. Sent to touch just right on the 22
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 66m Wasps get the ball from the lineout, Wasps are attacking hard & get a pen
Chiefs 27-20 Wasps 66m Wasps are going for the posts to close the gap if they can
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 67m Gopperth slots over another one as Hughes & Robson replaced by Jones & Simpson 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 67m Waldrom does his usual and just walks over the defence. Chiefs in possession 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 69m Steenson collects Gopperth's kick, goes to return it but chooses to run it
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 70m More aerial ping pong eventually ends in Gopperth kicking to touch
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 71m Wasps steal it at the lineout, they keep possession on the 22
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 71m Johnson knocks it on, Chiefs fans breath a sigh of relief as that was almost a try
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 72m Scrum to Chiefs deep in their own half 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 72m Simpson gets the ball, aims for Daley but it goes to Dolman who knocks it on
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 74m Launchbury has the ball, gets it to Gopperth but Exeter get their hands on it
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 75m Wasps back in possession but now back on halfway
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 76m Nowell rips the ball. Chiefs now have it, 4m to hold on
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 76m Chiefs still in possession just inside Wasps 10m line. 9 phases of play now 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 77m Wasps give away a penalty at a crucial moment. Is that the end of their chances? 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 78m Slade sends it to the corner, lineout on 5m line 
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 78m lineout results in a driving maul and a full moon from the Chiefs
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 79m Chiefs get over the line but they are held up, 5m scrum
Chiefs 27-23 Wasps 79m And a penalty try is awarded. That's it, Chiefs are heading to Twickenham!
Chiefs 34-23 Wasps 80m Steenson slots the conversion and the final whistle is blown!

15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 1 Ben Moon 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 3 Harry Williams 4 Mitch Lees 5 Geoff Parling 6 Dave Ewers 7 Julian Salvi 8 Don Armand BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Tomas Francis 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Thomas Waldrom 21 Dave Lewis 22 Sam Hill 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Whitten, PT (2) Ewers C: Steenson (4), P: Steenson (2)

15 Charles Piutau 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 1 Matt Mullan 2 Carlo Festuccia 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 4 Joe Launchbury 5 Bradley Davies 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 7 George Smith 8 Nathan Hughes BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Will Rowlands 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Rob Miller

SCORERS T: Festuccia, Robson C: Gopperth (2) P: Gopperth (3) Festuccia

Referee: Greg Garner Asst Referees: Tom Foley, Ross Campbell TMO: Stuart Terheege

 

 

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SEMESA ROKODUGUNI'S try double and a superb George Ford kicking display saw Bath Rugby surge to a 38-27 win over fierce rivals Leicester Tigers in an enthralling clash at the Rec. Richard Cockerill's side had already secured a 12th consecutive Aviva Premiership Rugby semi-final, but were caught napping by incisive Bath back-play - Rokoduguni racing over inside two minutes. And though George Ford slotted a penalty, the Tigers combined serious ballast up front with potent finishing in the backs as Fraser Balmain, Peter Betham and Mathew Tait all crossed - with prop Ellis Genge outstanding. Bath had nothing concrete to play for, but cemented ninth-place and put in an attacking performance that bodes well for next season and though Will Evans gave Tigers hope, Rokoduguni, Ollie Devoto, Jeff Williams and captain Francois Louw all scored for Mike Ford's side in the second-half .

A try-double from George North cemented Northampton Saints' place in next season's Champions Cup as they beat Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm, ending the home side's hopes of elite European rugby next season. The lead changed hands several times in a topsy-turvy first half, but Saints eventually ran out winners after keeping Gloucester scoreless in the second half. An early Greig Laidlaw penalty was cancelled out by George Pisi's try, but Gloucester hit back with tries from Lloyd Evans and Ross Moriarty before North's first effort narrowed the deficit just before half time. North had his second early in the second half, and a Stephen Myler penalty was enough to secure an eight-point win.

JACK NOWELL scored a hat-trick as Exeter Chiefs ran riot at the Stoop to book a home semi-final against Wasps. James Short, Nowell and Dave Ewers crossed in the first half before Danny Care responded just before half-time. But Exeter, who will host a Wasps side in the semi-finals they beat 24-3 just a week ago, raced out of the blocks after the break with a second Short try sandwiched between two Nowell scores. Further tries came through Will Chudley, Julian Salvi, Phil Dollman and a sublime Henry Slade, the outside centre an outlet all afternoon, while Kyle Sinckler and Winston Stanley grabbed Harlequins consolations. Ultimately it was a frustrating result for Conor O'Shea in his last home game in charge for Harlequins, who end the season seventh but can still qualify for the Champions Cup should they beat Montpellier in the Challenge Cup final.

SALE SHARKS booked their spot inside the top six at the expense of Harlequins, thanks to a battling 21-15 victory at Newcastle Falcons. The visitors led 15-10 at the interval with the boot of Danny Cipriani - in his final game for the club - separating the sides after Dave Seymour and Sam James' scores were cancelled out by Nili Latu's double. And despite Latu completing his hat-trick with his third try from the back of a maul early in the second period, two penalties from replacement Joe Ford edged Sale clear in a nervous finale.

WASPS did their job with a 38-12 bonus-point win over London Irish, but will still have to hit the road in the play-offs after Exeter Chiefs' resounding 62-24 victory at Harlequins. Dai Young's men went into the contest at the Ricoh Arena two points behind second-placed Chiefs, but it became evident early on that they would have to settle for third. But that did not stop Wasps ending the regular season in style courtesy of tries from Thomas Young, Charles Piutau, Christian Wade, Dan Robson, Josh Bassett and Ashley Johnson. Johnny Williams and Alex Lewington's tries in either half had given Irish hope, but Tom Coventry's men were unable to give their fans something to cheer about, having gone into the match already confined to bottom place.

CHRIS ASHTON crossed for a hat-trick as table toppers Saracens finished off their Aviva Premiership Rugby regular season in style with a comfortable win over Worcester Warriors. It was the perfect warm-up for next weekend's European Champions Cup final against Racing 92 as the league leaders - for the third time in the last four years - cruised to victory at Sixways. In addition to Ashton's treble, Saracens also saw Neil de Kock, Samuela Vunisa and Ben Ransom cross, while for Worcester it was a tough end to a promising first season back in the top flight. Andy Symons and Cooper Vuna (2) scored the tries for Dean Ryan's side, but Saracens proved too strong and will face Leicester Tigers in the semi-finals in a fortnight's time.

RESULTS

BATH RUGBY 38 - 27 LEICESTER TIGERS

Recreation Ground - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 10-19 Att: 13,315

BATH: 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 George Ford 9 Will Homer 8 David Denton 7 Francois Louw (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 Charlie Ewels 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 Kane Palma-Newport 19 Dom Day 20 Leroy Houston 21 Chris Cook 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Rokoduguni (2), Devoto, Louw, Williams C: Ford (5) P: Ford

TIGERS: 15 Mathew Tait 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Jack Roberts 11 George Catchpole 10 Owen Williams 9 Ben Youngs 8 Jordan Crane 7 Will Evans 6 Tom Croft 5 Sebastian de Chaves 4 ED SLATER (C) 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 1 Ellis Genge BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Greg Bateman 19 Dom Barrow 20 Laurence Pearce 21 Jono Kitto 22 Tommy Bell 23 George Worth

SCORERS T: Balmain, Betham, Tait, Evans C: Williams (2) P: Williams

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

GLOUCESTER 20 - 28 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Kingsholm - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 20-15 Att: 16,115

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Ollie Thorley 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Mark Atkinson 11 Elliott Creed 10 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Yann Thomas BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Nick Wood 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Gareth Evans 20 Lewis Ludlow 21 Callum Braley 22 Lloyd Evans 23 Jacob Rowan

SCORERS T: Lloyd Evans, Moriarty C: Laidlaw (2) P: Laidlaw (2) Savage

SAINTS: 15 Harry Mallinder 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Dylan Hartley 17 Campese Ma’afu 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 Ben Nutley 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 Sam Olver 23 James Wilson

SCORERS T: George Pisi, North (2) C: Myler (2) P: Myler (3)

Referee: JP Doyle

 

HARLEQUINS 24 - 62 EXETER CHIEFS

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 10-17 Att: 14,800

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 Winston Stanley 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Ross Chisholm 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Jack Clifford 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Charlie Matthews 4 George Merrick 3 Will Collier 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Sam Twomey 20 Mat Luamanu 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Joe Marchant

SCORERS T: Care, Sinckler, Stanley C: Nick Evans, Botica (2) P: Nick Evans

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Dave Lewis 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Harry Williams 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Alec Hepburn BENCH: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie 17 Ben Moon 18 Carl Rimmer 19 Geoff Parling 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ian Whitten 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Short (2), Nowell (3), Ewers, Dollman, Chudley, Slade, Salvi C: Steenson (6)

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 15 - 21 SALE SHARKS

Kingston Park - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 10-15 Att: 7,089

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 NILI LATU (C) 7 Dan Temm 6 Mark Wilson 5 Will Witty 4 Calum Green 3 Mike Cusack 2 Rob Hawkins 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Taione Vea 19 Kane Thompson 20 Richard Mayhew 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS T: Latu (3)

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 TJ Ioane 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Mark Easter 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Seymour, James C: Cipriani P: Cipriani, Ford (2)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

WASPS 38 - 12 LONDON IRISH

Ricoh Arena - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 21-7 Att: 16,902

WASPS: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Josh Bassett 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 Thomas Young 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Bradley Davies 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Edd Shervington 17 Tom Bristow 18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Sam Jones 21 Dan Robson 22 Jimmy Gopperth 23 Rob Miller

SCORERS T: Young, Siale Piutau, Wade, Robson, Bassett, Johnson C: Gopperth P: Jackson (2)

IRISH: 15 Greig Tonks 14 Alex Lewington 13 Fergus Mulchrone 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Theo Brophy Clews 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Joe Trayfoot 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Matt Symons 4 Elliott Stooke 3 Ben Franks 2 David Paice 1 Johnny Harris BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Leo Halavatau 18 Richard Palframan 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Rob McCusker 21 Darren Allinson 22 Chris Noakes 23 Ciaran Hearn

SCORERS T: Williams, Lewington C: Brophy Clews Treviranus, Narraway

Referee: Tom Foley

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 19 - 43 SARACENS

Sixways - Saturday 07 May 2016
KO: 15:30 HT: 14-29 Att: 9,722

 

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Andy Symons 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Luke Baldwin 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Sam Betty 5 Dan Sanderson 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Ryan Bower 18 James Johnston 19 Charlie Hewitt 20 Matt Cox 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Alex Grove

SCORERS T: Symons, Vuna (2) C: Heathcote (2)

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 Nick Tompkins 11 Chris Wyles 10 CHARLIE HODGSON (C) 9 Neil De Kock 8 Samu Vunisa 7 Kelly Brown 6 Jackson Wray 5 Jim Hamilton 4 George Kruis 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jamie George 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Titi Lamositele 18 Juan Figallo 19 Hayden Smith 20 Will Fraser 21 Ben Spencer 22 Tim Streather 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: de Kock, Ashton (3), Vunisa, Ransom C: Hodgson (5) P: Hodgson

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

 

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FOUR penalties from Greig Laidlaw saw Gloucester Rugby snatch a 12-11 win at Sale Sharks to inflict the hosts' first Aviva Premiership Rugby defeat at the AJ Bell Stadium this season and claim their only victory in Manchester since 2001. Laidlaw started at No.10 for the first time in three years and the Scotland captain proved to be the difference as his 77th-minute penalty secured the win when he made it four kicks from four on the night. Two Danny Cipriani penalties and Johnny Leota's try had seen Sale ahead, and Cipriani could have extended their 11-6 advantage further had he not missed the subsequent conversion with 25 minutes remaining. The defeat means fifth-placed Sale's European Champions Cup qualification hopes are no longer in their own hands, with Northampton Saints and Harlequins now in a position to potentially overtake Steve Diamond's men this weekend. While Gloucester kept their dreams of qualifying for European rugby's leading competition alive by moving to within three points of the top six, although Northampton and Quins now have a game in hand.

LEICESTER TIGERS booked their place in the Premiership Rugby semi-finals for the 12th successive season with a 31-17 bonus-point victory over Worcester Warriors. Tigers scored four tries at Welford Road to secure guarantee a top four finish with one round still to play. Tigers, who were made to fight for every inch by the Warriors, scored the opening try through Vereniki Goneva's interception on halfway. Warriors' Bryce Heem and Andy Symons converted tries ran the Tigers close in the first half. But Opeti Fonua scored his first Tigers' try and Telusa Veainu scored one of the tries of the season as Tigers turned around 21-17 ahead. The bonus-point was secured in the second-half through Will Evans's first try in Leicester colours while Owen Williams enjoyed a 100 per cent kicking record, while Worcester could not add to their first half points.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS mounted a superb second-half comeback to beat Bath Rugby at Franklin's Gardens, Stephen Myler landing the decisive conversion with just eight minutes remaining. Mike Ford's side looked set to claim their first win at Northampton since 2000, as two Jeff Williams scores inside the opening 20 minutes put them 14-0 up at the break. But Saints fought back with man-of-the-match Teimana Harrison scoring the first try before Mike Haywood popped up with just eight minutes remaining to register a vital five points. Myler - who had landed a penalty inbetween the tries - kept his nerve with the conversion that put his team ahead for the first time. The result sees Northampton move up to fifth, leapfrogging Sale Sharks and enhancing their chances of securing a top-six finish.

JACK NOWELL'S excellent finish capped a fantastic Exeter Chiefs' performance as they dominated Wasps 24-3 to move into second-place in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table and a step closer to a home semi-final. Dai Young's side did not make it into the Chiefs' 22 until the 75th minute in what was an extraordinary defensive performance from the West Country men to deny Wasps a 12th win in 13 Premiership fixtures. Olly Woodburn's outstanding try was the difference at half-time and while Chiefs played with considerable adventure, turning down several kickable penalties to wield their much-vaunted driving maul, they perhaps deserved a greater return on their territorial dominance than a 7-3 lead at the break. But that came in the second-half as Steenson nudged a penalty, while Nowell and Phil Dollman crossed to put the result beyond doubt - and with these sides likely to meet again in the semi-final, it was a huge statement from the Chiefs.

KYLE SINCKLER'S brilliant solo score and Charlie Walker's ten-minute brace sealed Harlequins' bonus-point 32-25 win over London Irish, moving Conor O'Shea's side back into the top six and ensuring the Exiles will finish bottom. Conor O'Shea's side rejuvenated their hopes of Champions Cup rugby next season, but 12th-placed Irish gave them a real scare after coming back from 19-3 down to lead 25-22 with 15 minutes remaining. Walker had crossed twice and Ross Chisholm added an exceptional third as O'Shea's men opened up in perfect conditions at the Madejski Stadium, a Theo Brophy Clews penalty the only consolation for Tom Coventry's side. Irish refused to capitulate and roared back with three tries of their own to a solitary Ben Botica penalty - captain Luke Narraway touched down from the back of Exiles' potent driving maul before Aseli Tikoirotuma and David Paice scored either side of half-time. Brophy Clews' penalty put Irish in a winning position, but a Nick Evans penalty and Sinckler's try denied them a fairy-tale comeback.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS gave Saracens a scare with a first half double from former Saracen, Marcus Watson, the visitors heading into the break with a 14-3 lead; Saracens only reply came from the boot of Charlie Hodgson. However, a second half comeback and Saracens booked themselves a home Aviva Premiership semi-final with a hard-fought 23-14 victory over the Falcons. Two tries from number 8 Jackson Wray put Saracens back in contention after the break, before Maro Itoje crossed to seal the victory for the North London club. Meanwhile, the legendary Namibian loose forward, Jacques Burger hung up his boots after seven years with Saracens, donning the number seven jersey for the final time in an emotional afternoon at Allianz Park.

RESULTS

SALE SHARKS 11 - 12 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

AJ Bell Stadium - Friday 29 April 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 6-6 Att: 7,352

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 TJ Ioane 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Mark Easter 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Leota P: Cipriani (2)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Rob Cook 13 Henry Trinder 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Ollie Thorley 10 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 9 Willi Heinz 8 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 Paul Doran-Jones 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Yann Thomas BENCH: 16 Luke Cole 17 Nick Wood 18 John Afoa 19 Ben Morgan 20 Gareth Evans 21 Callum Braley 22 Mark Atkinson 23 Lewis Ludlow

SCORERS P: Laidlaw (4)

Referee: Tom Foley

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 31 - 17 WORCESTER

Welford Road - Saturday 30 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 21-17 Att: 21,682

TIGERS: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Mathew Tait 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Sam Harrison 8 Opeti Fonua 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 ED SLATER (C) 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Ellis Genge 18 Dan Cole 19 Tom Croft 20 Will Evans 21 Ben Youngs 22 Tommy Bell 23 Matt Smith

SCORERS T: Goneva, Fonua, Veainu, Evans C: Williams (4) P: Williams

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Andy Symons 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Tevita Cavubati 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Donncha O’Callaghan 20 Sam Betty 21 Luke Baldwin22 Ryan Lamb 23 Dean Hammond

SCORERS T: Heem, Symons C: Heathcote (2) P: Mills

Referee: Greg Garner

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 15 - 14 BATH RUGBY

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 30 April 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 0-14 Att: 15,249

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Campese Ma’afu 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 Ben Nutley 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Harrison, Haywood C: Myler P: Myler

BATH: 15 Anthony Watson 14 Jeff Williams 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 8 David Denton 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 Charlie Ewels 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nick Auterac 18 Max Lahiff 19 Dominic Day 20 Leroy Houston 21 Will Homer 22 George Ford 23 Max Clark

SCORERS T: Williams (2) C: Priestland (2) Cook

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

EXETER CHIEFS 24 - 3 WASPS

Sandy Park - Sunday 01 May 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 7-3 Att: 12,407

 

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Don Armand 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Geoff Parling 4 Mitch Lees 3 Harry Williams 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Carl Rimmer 19 Damian Welch 20 Thomas Waldrom 21 Dave Lewis 22 Sam Hill 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Woodburn, Dollman, Nowell C: Steenson (3) P: Steenson

WASPS: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Bradley Davies 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Thomas Young 21 Craig Hampson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Rob Miller

SCORERS P: Daly

Referee: Matt Carley

 

LONDON IRISH 25 - 32 HARLEQUINS

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 01 May 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 15-22 Att: 9,016

 

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Fergus Mulchrone 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Theo Brophy Clews 9 Scott Steele 8 Tom Guest 7 Blair Cowan 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Matt Symons 4 Elliott Stooke 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Johnny Harris 18 Ben Franks 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Greig Tonks 23 Ciaran Hearn

SCORERS T: Narraway, Tikoirotuma, Paice C: Brophy Clews (2) P: Brophy Clews (2)

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Winston Stanley 11 Charlie Walker 10 Ben Botica 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Jack Clifford 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 3 Will Collier 2 Joe Gray 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Mat Luamanu 21 Karl Dickson 22 Nick Evans 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Walker (2), Chisholm, Sinckler C: Botica (2), Nick Evans P: Botica, Nick Evans Clifford

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 23 - 14 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Allianz Park - Sunday 01 May 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 3-14 Att: 9,744

 

SARACENS: 15 Ben Ransom 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil De Kock 8 Jackson Wray 7 Jacques Burger 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Maro Itoje 3 Titi Lamositele 2 Jared Saunders 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Schalk Brits 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Juan Figallo 19 Hayden Smith 20 Kelly Brown 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Nils Mordt 23 Nick Tompkins

SCORERS T: Wray (2), Itoje C: Hodgson P: Hodgson (2)

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Craig Willis 9 Michael Young 8 Mark Wilson 7 Dan Temm 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Taione Vea 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Rob Hawkins 17 Alex Rogers 18 Andrew Foster 19 Calum Green 20 Richard Mayhew 21 Ruki Tipuna 22 Tom Catterick 23 Tom Penny

SCORERS T: Watson (2) C: Willis (2)

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

 

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BATH RUGBY 32 - 26 SALE SHARKS

Recreation Ground - Friday 23 April 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 17-0 Att: 12,684

BATH RUGBY showed their fighting spirit to hold off a fierce Sale Sharks with a 32-26 bonus-point Aviva Premiership Rugby victory at the Rec. Ollie Devoto and Charlie Ewels crossed in the first half as Bath raced into a 17-0 lead, but Sale hit back at the start of the second. Two tries from Johnny Leota and Andrei Ostrikov got them right back in it, both converted by Danny Cipriani on his 100th Sharks appearance. But Bath were not to be beaten and Semesa Rokoduguni and Will Homer both went over to secure the bonus-point success. Still, TJ Ioane and Leota went over in the dying stages to at least pick up two bonus points in their battle for a top six spot.

BATH: 15 Rhys Priestland 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 GEORGE FORD (C) 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Guy Mercer 6 David Denton 5 Dave Attwood 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Dominic Day 20 Levi Douglas 21 Will Homer 22 Max Clark 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Devoto, Ewels, Rokoduguni, Homer C: George Ford (3) P: George Ford (2) Wilson

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 TJ Ioane 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Cameron Neild 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Brady

SCORERS T: Leota (2), Ostrikov, Ioane C: Cipriani (2), Joe Ford

Referee: Ian Tempest

†Rescheduled from Week 9

 

 

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OLLIE THORLEY'S debut try was enough to see Gloucester Rugby past Exeter Chiefs at Kingsholm and keep their hopes of a top-six Aviva Premiership Rugby finish alive. The first half ended pointless as both sides struggled with the slippery conditions, but Thorley's try and the ever reliable boot of Cherry and Whites captain Greig Laidlaw kept Chiefs at bay and dented their hopes of a home semi-final.

CHRISTIAN WADE scored six tries on his 100th Wasps appearance as Dai Young's men climbed into second-place in the standings with an astonishing 54-35 bonus point win over Worcester Warriors in a 14-try thriller at Sixways. Wade - who had just five tries for the season before the game began - moved onto 11 for the season and within two of Thomas Waldrom at the head of the Aviva Premiership Rugby charts. It was another stunning attacking performance from Young's men - they had secured their bonus point, and Wade his hat-trick, within 30 minutes - and though Warriors kept in touching distance on the scoreboard with six tries of their own, the Champions Cup semi-finalists looked a class apart.

CHRIS ASHTON crossed for a first-half double as Saracens all but secured a home Aviva Premiership Rugby semi-final with victory over Harlequins in front of 80,650 spectators at Wembley. Defeat for Quins effectively ends their chances of making the top four - all their points coming from the boot of Ben Botica. But it was the razor sharp Ashton - who scored two tries either side of a George Kruis score in the first half - that made the difference. Man of the match Alex Goode also impressed for Mark McCall's men who could not find a bonus point fourth try in the second half but stretch their lead at the top of the table to four points.

FREDDIE BURNS scored 20 points as Leicester Tigers claimed a 30-24 victory over Northampton Saints in a fiery East Midlands Derby at Franklin's Gardens. Tigers' win confirms Exeter Chiefs' first ever top four finish and leaves Saints seven points adrift of fourth-placed Leicester with two games remaining. Harry Thacker's superb individual score lit up a previously tight first-half before the excellent Teimana Harrison replied for Jim Mallinder's side, but a loose Luther Burrell off-load handed Niki Goneva an interception try that restored Tigers' advantage. A tighter second-half sprung to life when George Pisi muscled over, and Burns sealed victory when he finished a brilliant team move from Tigers, though Saints rallied superbly at the end.

SALE SHARKS boosted their hopes of a top-six finish thanks to bonus point 29-17 victory over Bath Rugby. The Sharks secured their third win on the bounce and denied Bath taking a losing bonus point away from the AJ Bell Stadium late on. The home side raced into a 17-6 lead courtesy of tries from Vardim Cobilas and Will Addison in the opening 20 minutes. But three penalties from George Ford and a second half Semesa Rokoduguni score brought Bath Rugby back to 17-17. But with Dominic Day seeing yellow in the final ten minutes, a driving maul from the Sharks saw David Seymour cross before Mark Easter secured the bonus point.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS' biggest attendance of the season to date saw them secure a vital victory over fellow Premiership strugglers London Irish. In total, 7,756 fans were at Kingston Park and they were not disappointed as Marcus Watson's try proved to be the difference between the two sides at the bottom of the table. For the Falcons, the win was their first in seven, having lost their previous six since beating Northampton Saints by a single point. The result leaves Irish seven points adrift of the Falcons with two rounds of the Aviva Premiership season still to play.

RESULTS

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 16 - 9 EXETER CHIEFS

Kingsholm - Friday 15 April 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 0-0 Att: 13,390

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Rob Cook 13 Billy Twelvetrees 12 Henry Trinder 11 Ollie Thorley10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Yann Thomas BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Nick Wood 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Elliott Stooke 20 Callum Braley 21 Willi Heinz 22 Elliott Creed 23 Jacob Rowan

SCORERS T: Thorley C: Laidlaw P: Laidlaw (3)

CHIEFS: 15 Lachlan Turner 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Mitch Lees 3 Harry Williams 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Carl Rimmer 19 Damian Welch 20 Dave Ewers 21 Dave Lewis 22 Michele Campagnaro 23 James Short

SCORERS P: Steenson (3) Nowell

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 35 - 54 WASPS

Sixways - Saturday 16 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 15-33 Att: 10,727

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Tom Biggs 13 Bryce Heem 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Jaba Bregvadze 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Niall Annett 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Sam Betty 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Hougaard, Vuna, Symons, van Velze, Heem, Kirwan C: Heathcote P: Mills

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Charles Piutau 12 Elliot Daly 11 Frank Halai 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 Thomas Young 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Bradley Davies 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Simon McIntyre 19 Will Rowlands 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Alex Lozowski 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Halai, Wade (6), Lozowski C: Daly (3), Jackson (3), Lozowski

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 22 - 12 HARLEQUINS

Wembley Stadium - Saturday 16 April 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 19-9 Att: 80,650

 

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 Duncan Taylor 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Jackson Wray 6 Michael Rhodes 5 George Kruis 4 Jim Hamilton 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 MAKO VUNIPOLA (C) BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Richard Barrington 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Hayden Smith 20 Samu Vunisa 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Owen Farrell 23 Nick Tompkins

SCORERS T: Kruis, Ashton (2) C: Hodgson (2) P: Farrell

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 Joe Marchant 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Tim Visser 10 Ben Botica 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Jack Clifford 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Sam Twomey 4 Charlie Matthews 3 Will Collier 2 Joe Gray 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 George Merrick 20 Mat Luamanu 21 Karl Dickson 22 Matt Hopper 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS P: Botica (4)

Referee: Greg Garner

 

NORTHAMPTON 24 - 30 LEICESTER TIGERS

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 16 April 2016
KO: 17:30 HT: 13-17 Att: 15,241

SAINTS: 15 Ahsee Tuala 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Stephen Myler 9 Tom Kessell 8 Teimana Harrison 7 TOM WOOD (C) 6 Courtney Lawes 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Campese Ma'afu 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 Ben Nutley 21 JJ Hanrahan 22 Harry Mallinder 23 Tom Collins

SCORERS T: Harrison, George Pisi C: Myler P: Myler (3), Hanrahan

TIGERS: 15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Telusa Veainu 13 Peter Betham 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Ben Youngs 8 Opeti Fonua 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Mike Fitzgerald 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Dan Cole 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Ed Slater 20 Tom Croft 21 Sam Harrison 22 Owen Williams 23 Adam Thompstone

SCORERS T: Thacker, Goneva, Burns C: Burns (3) P: Burns (3)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

SALE SHARKS 29 - 17 BATH RUGBY

AJ Bell Stadium - Sunday 17 April 2016
KO: 14:30 HT: 17-9 Att: 6,278

 

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 TJ Ioane 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 David Seymour 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Brady

SCORERS T: Cobilas, Addison, Seymour, Easter C: Cipriani (3) P: Cipriani

BATH: 15 Rhys Priestland 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 GEORGE FORD (C) 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Guy Mercer 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 Dominic Day 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nick Auterac 18 David Wilson 19 Charlie Ewels 20 David Denton 21 Amanaki Mafi 22 Will Homer 23 Kyle Eastmond

SCORERS T: Rokoduguni P: Ford (4) Day

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 13 - 6 LONDON IRISH

Kingston Park - Sunday 17 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-6 Att: 7,756

 

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Gonzalo Tiesi 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Mark Wilson 5 Sean Robinson 4 Calum Green 3 Taione Vea 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Mike Cusack 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Ally Hogg 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Chris Harris

SCORERS  T: Watson C: Delany P: Delany, Socino

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Andrew Fenby 10 Greig Tonks 9 Scott Steele 8 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 7 Blair Cowan 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Matt Symons 4 Will Lloyd 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Rob McCusker 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Aseli Tikoirotuma

SCORERS P: Tonks (2)

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

 

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SARACENS cemented their place at the summit of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table after a convincing 30-10 win over Bath Rugby at the Rec. Will Fraser and Mike Ellery scored first-half tries for the champions, who led 18-3 at the break, and on a tough night for Bath, full-back Anthony Watson was red carded early in the second half for taking out Alex Goode in the air. A minute later Chris Cook was sin-binned for a tip tackle, and down to 13 men Bath could not cope. Chris Ashton grabbed two tries on his return from suspension, but Bath showed some spirit with a try from Leroy Houston. In fact, Bath could have crumbled altogether but battled all the way in what was a hugely physical encounter. Still, Ashton's second wrapped up the bonus point and helped Saracens stretch their lead at the top of the table to eight points with three rounds to go. Bath meanwhile, are eight points behind sixth-placed Harlequins in the battle for a Champions Cup spot, although they have four matches left to close that gap.

THOMAS WALDROM and Olly Woodburn both bagged hat-tricks as Exeter Chiefs brought Worcester Warriors' fine recent run to an end with a bonus-point massacre at Sandy Park. After an unbeaten March in Aviva Premiership Rugby for Dean Ryan's Warriors - the Chiefs proved too strong in an eight-try victory that keeps them in second and looking good for a home semi-final. Waldrom, James Short and Woodburn all crossed in the first half for Rob Baxter's side - who have lost just once at their home ground since January of last year. The Warriors fought back before the break as Cooper Vuna and Andy Symons claimed quickfire scores. But after the interval the hosts turned the screw as Ollie Atkins went over before Waldrom and Woodburn racked up trebles to bring up a half century of points.

IN an electric match at The Stoop, Harlequins held off a second half Newcastle Falcons fight back to record a big 46-25 win at The Stoop. First half tries to Tim Visser, Jack Clifford and Joe Gray saw Quins head into the break comfortably ahead 21-6. A Joe Marchant score gave them the try bonus point early in the second spell before a stunning fight back saw the Falcons close the gap to 28-25. Harlequins held their nerve with two Ben Botica penalties easing the pressure. Visser then scored his second of the afternoon and Marland Yarde crossed in the 80th minute, to run out comfortable 46-25 winners in front of a delighted home crowd.

SALE SHARKS kept up their challenge of a top six finish with their first win at London Irish for ten years. Mike Haley's score late in the first half earned Sale a 13-8 half-time advantage, with the Exiles not taking their chances after Sean Maitland's early try - Greig Tonks missing three times from the tee. Johnny Williams' try did reduce the deficit to just one point after Danny Cipriani had kicked his third penalty of the game, but late tries from TJ Ioane and then Cipriani himself - who notched up 20 points in total - saw Sale to their second win on the bounce.

LEICESTER TIGERS staged a stunning fightback to overturn a 17-point deficit and beat Gloucester Rugby 35-30 at Welford Road on Saturday afternoon. Tigers scored five tries in a breathless Aviva Premiership encounter that swung one way and then the other in front of 22,223 spectators. Leicester raced into an early lead as Telusa Veainu and Manu Tuilagi scored a try each. But Gloucester hit back with a three-try salvo through Steve McColl, Henry Trinder and Paddy McAllister to stun Welford Road and take a 27-10 lead. But Tigers came out roaring in the second half. And with the home crowd in full voice Tuilagi crossed for his second then created a try for Peter Betham with a lovely back-of-the-hand pass. But it still needed a score from Vereniki Goneva to secure the win and equal Tigers' biggest comeback, which came against London Irish at The Twickenham Stoop in 1999 and away to Worcester Warriors earlier this season.

A brace from Rob Miller moved Wasps a step closer to the Aviva Premiership Rugby semi-finals as Dai Young's side eased past Northampton Saints at the Ricoh Arena. Miller's man-of-the-match performance kept the pressure on Exeter Chiefs but Wasps narrowly missed out on the all important fourth try and subsequent bonus point. The full-back's brace was supported added to by Jamie Cooper's effort in the dying minutes and kicks from the boots of Jimmy Gopperth and Elliot Daly sealed the victory as Saints could only muster two Stephen Myler penalties.

RESULTS

BATH RUGBY 10 - 30 SARACENS

Recreation Ground - Friday 01 April 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-18 Att: 13,518

BATH: 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Horacio Agulla 10 George Ford 9 Chris Cook 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Leroy Houston 20 David Denton 21 Guy Mercer 22 Will Homer 23 Rhys Priestland

SCORERS T: Houston C: Ford P: Ford Cook Watson

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Duncan Taylor 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Will Fraser 6 Michael Rhodes 5 George Kruis 4 Maro Itoje 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Richard Barrington 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Alistair Hargreaves 20 Kelly Brown 21 Neil De Kock 22 Mike Ellery 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Fraser, Ellery, Ashton (2) C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (2)

Referee: Greg Garner

 

EXETER CHIEFS 50 - 12 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Sandy Park - Saturday 02 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 17-12 Att: 11,168

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Damian Welch 4 Ollie Atkins 3 Moray Low 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Harry Williams 19 Mitch Lees 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Michele Campagnaro 23 James Short

SCORERS T: Short, Atkins, Waldrom (3), Woodburn (3) C: Steenson (2), Slade (3)

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Sam Betty 6 Carl Kirwan 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O’Callaghan 3 James Johnston 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga 18 Gareth Milasinovich 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Matt Cox 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Vuna, Symons C: Heathcote Johnston, Bregvadze, Kirwan

Referee: Tom Foley

 

HARLEQUINS 46 - 25 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 02 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 21-6 Att: 14,267

 

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 Joe Marchant 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Tim Visser 10 Ben Botica 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Jack Clifford 6 Chris Robshaw 5 James Horwill 4 George Merrick 3 Will Collier 2 Joe Gray 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Sam Twomey 20 Mat Luamanu 21 Karl Dickson 22 Matt Hopper 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Clifford, Gray, Marchant, Visser (2), Yarde C: Botica (5) P: Botica (2) Merrick

FALCONS: 15 Alex Tait 14 Marcus Watson 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Sinoti Sinoti 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Nili Latu 5 Calum Green 4 Mark Wilson 3 Taione Vea 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Sean Robinson 20 Simon Hammersley 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS T: Watson, Latu C: Delany (2) P: Delany (2) Robinson, Delany

Referee: Matt Carley

 

LONDON IRISH 15 - 30 SALE SHARKS

Madejski Stadium - Saturday 02 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 8-13 Att: 5,541

 

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Tom Fowlie 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Andrew Fenby 10 Greig Tonks 9 Scott Steele 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Matt Symons 4 Jebb Sinclair 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Rob McCusker 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Theo Brophy Clews 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Maitland, Williams C: Tonks P: Tonks

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Brian Mujati 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Eifion Lewis Roberts BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Magnus Lund 21 TJ Ioane 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Brady

SCORERS T: Haley, Ioane, Cipriani C: Cipriani (3) P: Cipriani (3) Briggs

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 35 - 30 GLOUCESTER

Welford Road - Saturday 02 April 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 13-27 Att: 22,223

 

TIGERS: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Ben Youngs 8 ED SLATER (C) 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Dan Cole 2 Harry Thacker 1 Logovi'i Mulipola BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Marcos Ayerza 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Sebastian de Chaves 20 Brendon O'Connor 21 Sam Harrison 22 Freddie Burns 23 Mathew Tait

SCORERS T: Veainu, Tuilagi (2), Betham, Goneva C: Williams (2) P: Williams (2)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Rob Cook 13 Henry Trinder 12 Mark Atkinson 11 Steve McColl 10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Gareth Evans 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Tom Savage 3 Paul Doran-Jones 2 Darren Dawidiuk 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Luke Cole 17 Yann Thomas 18 John Afoa 19 Elliott Stooke 20 Lewis Ludlow 21 Callum Braley 22 Ollie Thorley 23 Jacob Rowan

SCORERS T: McColl, Trinder, McAllister C: Laidlaw (3) P: Laidlaw (3)

Referee: JP Doyle

 

WASPS 28 - 6 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 03 April 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-3 Att: 17,422

 

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Craig Hampson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 Thomas Young 5 Bradley Davies 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Kearnan Myall 20 James Haskell 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Miller (2), Stevenson C: Gopperth (2) P: Gopperth, Daly (2)

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Harry Mallinder 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 Kahn Fotuali’i 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Teimana Harrison 6 TOM WOOD (C) 5 Christian Day 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Campese Ma’afu 18 Paul Hill 19 James Craig 20 Jon Fisher 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Tom Collins

SCORERS P: Myler (2)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

 

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SARACENS returned to the top of the Aviva Premiership table with a bonus point win over Exeter Chiefs at Allianz Park. Buoyed by the return of a number of players from Six Nations duty, Saracens put in a lively performance, showcasing attacking real attacking flair as well as their trademark defence to out play an Exeter side who came into the game as league leaders. Making his 200th appearance for the Club, Alex Goode crossed for the home side after 20 minutes after returning Scotland international Duncan Taylor’s searing break took the ball close to the Chief’s line before Billy Vunipola bagged Saracens second just after the half hour mark. Two Exeter penalties from Gareth Steenson made the score 12-6 to the home side at half time. Sarries were close to scoring again soon after the restart through Will Fraser but the ball was knocked out of the flanker’s grasp. A third try came for Saracens through man of the man Owen Farrell who sprinted away from the Exeter defence after a stunning offload from Schalk Brits. The bonus point would come when Neil de Kock, on for his 250th cap, offloaded to Jackson Wray who crossed over under the posts before fellow milestone man Chris Wyles bagged a try of his own with five minutes left in the game. Exeter crossed for their second of the day on 80 minutes to take the final score to 36-18.

BATH RUGBY snatched a thrilling 12-17 win over Gloucester Rugby in the second West Country derby of the season, thanks to two superb tries from winger Semesa Rokoduguni. It was Bath's third consecutive victory at Kingsholm, making them the first side to achieve that feat in the professional era. After trailing 9-7 at the break, Bath got the better of their rivals in the second half at Kingsholm thanks to a brilliant piece of footwork just three minutes from the end of what was a brutal, physical contest.

WORCESTER WARRIORS set a new Club record at Sixways as they recorded their fourth consecutive Aviva Premiership victory for the first time in their history, beating London Irish 12-6. On a wet day in Worcester, territorial rugby was the order of the day as running rugby proved nearly impossible. After a slow start, it was Warriors who took the lead through Tom Heathcote's penalty after 28 minutes before he doubled his side's advantage two minutes later. Heathcote put his side 9-0 ahead before Greig Tonks put Irish on the board with three points of his own. Heathcote and Tonks then exchanged late penalties before Irish knocked-on with their last attack of the game to ensure the four points stayed in Worcester.

DANNY CIPRIANI helped himself to 17 points against Leicester Tigers as Sale Sharks kept up their impressive home record in a match which was temporarily halted due to lightning. In an entertaining Aviva Premiership Rugby match which saw five tries, thunder and lightning and a 12-minute halt in proceedings, Cipriani capped off a fine man of the match display with the match-winning try on 70 minutes. His first-half break helped set up Cameron Neild for the game's opening try before his hack forward towards the touchline was skilfully gathered in by Will Addison for Nev Edwards to add a second before the break. But Leicester Tigers played their part in the match too, with tries for Tommy Bell and Vereniki Goneva helping to draw the sides level at 20-20 on 62 minutes - shortly after the match had been temporarily halted due to player safety with thunder and lightning overhead - before Cipriani had the last word despite late Tigers pressure.

WASPS continued their unbeaten run against Newcastle Falcons as two tries each for Dan Robson and Thomas Young helped them to a 34-20 win at Kingston Park. Unbeaten in their last five encounters with the Falcons going into the match, visiting Wasps maintained their impressive recent form in all competitions although it was far from an easy ride. Twice the Wasps stung their opponents with quick-fire back-to-back tries - George Smith and Robson in the first half - and then Young and Robson after the break. But each time Falcons managed to muster a response with Taione Vea going over in the first half and George McGuigan doing likewise in the second 40. But despite the hosts pushing hard for the final score, including Andy Goode stepping off the bench against his former club for his last game for Newcastle before retirement, they were unable to claw back the difference, with Young rounding off the afternoon late on for Wasps with his second.

HARRY MALLINDER'S last-gasp try gave Northampton Saints a vital bonus point 29-23 win over top-four rivals Harlequins at Franklin's Gardens. Jim Mallinder's men move into fourth place after claiming their seventh consecutive win against Harlequins and seriously dented Conor O'Shea's hopes of making the Aviva Premiership Rugby semi-finals with four rounds to go. Saints burst into life, scoring two first-half tries through Alex Waller and Courtney Lawes, but Harlequins went in 13-12 ahead at the break through Tim Visser's superb individual score and Ben Botica's boot. Jack Clifford scored immediately after half-time to give the visitor hope, but Northampton motored away through Ben Foden's wonderfully worked team try and Mallinder's late score. Quins had to be content with a losing bonus point.

RESULTS

SARACENS 36 - 18 EXETER CHIEFS

Allianz Park - Saturday 26 March 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 12-6 Att: 9,749

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Will Fraser 6 Jackson Wray 5 Maro Itoje 4 George Kruis 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Richard Barrington 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Alistair Hargreaves 20 Kelly Brown 21 Neil De Kock 22 Nick Tompkins 23 Mike Ellery

SCORERS T: Goode, Vunipola, Farrell, Wray, Wyles C: Farrell (3), Goode P: Farrell

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 Lachie Turner 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Dave Lewis 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Geoff Parling 3 Harry Williams 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Alec Hepburn BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Ben Moon 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Will Chudley 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Waldrom (2) C: Hooley P: Steenson (2)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 12 - 17 BATH RUGBY

Kingsholm - Saturday 26 March 2016
KO: 17:30 HT: 9-7 Att: 16,115

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 David Halaifonua 13 Bill Meakes 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Steve McColl 10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (cc) 8 Ross Moriarty 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Darren Dawidiuk 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Richard Hibbard 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Gareth Evans 21 Callum Braley 22 Mark Atkinson 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS P: Laidlaw (4)

BATH: 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 George Ford 9 Chris Cook 8 Guy Mercer 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dominic Day 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nathan Catt BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Amanaki Mafi 20 Levi Douglas 21 Jonathan Evans 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Horacio Agulla

SCORERS T: Cook, Rokoduguni, Douglas C: Ford

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 12 - 6 LONDON IRISH

Sixways - Saturday 26 March 2016
KO: 17:30 HT: 6-0 Att: 9,234

 

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ van Velze 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Matt Cox  21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Alex Grove

SCORERS P: Heathcote (4)

IRISH:15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Topsy Ojo 10 Greig Tonks 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 Blair Cowan 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Matt Symons 4 Elliott Stooke 3 Halani Aulika 2 Tom Cruse 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 David Paice 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Theo Brophy Clews 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS P: Tonks (2)

Referee: Greg Garner

 

SALE SHARKS 27 - 20 LEICESTER TIGERS

AJ Bell Stadium - Sunday 27 March 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 17-13 Att: 7,687

 

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Sammy Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 TJ Ioane 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 Magnus Lund 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Nield, Edwards, Cipriani C: Cipriani (3) P: Cipriani (2) Taylor

TIGERS: 15 Tommy Bell 14 Mathew Tait 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Owen Williams 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Ben Youngs 8 JORDAN CRANE (C) 7 Tom Croft 6 Laurence Pearce 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Dan Cole 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Ellis Genge 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Sebastian de Chaves 20 Opeti Fonua 21 Sam Harrison 22 Peter Betham 23 Telusa Veainu

SCORERS T: Bell, Goneva C: Williams (2) P: Burns, Williams Pearce

Referee: Tom Foley

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 20 - 34 WASPS

Kingston Park - Sunday 27 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-15 Att: 6,725

 

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Mark Wilson 5 Sean Robinson 4 Calum Green 3 Taione Vea 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Mike Cusack 19 Ally Hogg 20 Sinoti Sinoti 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Andy Goode 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS  T: Vea, McGuigan C: Delany (2) P: Delany (2)

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Josh Bassett 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Sam Jones 7 George Smith 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Phil Swainston 19 James Cannon 20 Nathan Hughes 21 Craig Hampson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Smith, Robson (2), Young (2) C: Gopperth (3) P: Gopperth

Referee: JP Doyle

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 29 - 23 HARLEQUINS

Franklin's Gardens - Sunday 27 March 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 12-13 Att: 15,249

 

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Courtney Lawes 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Campese Ma’afu 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 Sam Dickinson 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 JJ Harrahan 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Waller, Lawes, Foden, Mallinder C: Myler (3) P: Myler

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Charlie Walker 13 Joe Marchant 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Tim Visser 10 Ben Botica 9 Danny Care (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Jack Clifford 5 James Horwill 4 George Merrick 3 Will Collier 2 Joe Gray 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Mat Luamanu 20 Chris Robshaw 21 Karl Dickson 22 Matt Hopper 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Visser, Clifford C: Botica (2) P: Botica (3)

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

 

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TOM HOMER'S nerves of steel gave Bath Rugby back-to-back wins for the first time in this season's Aviva Premiership Rugby, with Mike Delany seeing one drop-goal attempt slip wide and another two charged down in a grandstand finish at the Rec against Newcastle Falcons. Semesa Rokoduguni's brilliant quick-fire double saw the hosts into the break ahead, though  Newcastle dominated the first-half with Rob Vickers' early score. And despite there being no tries after the break, the Bath crowd were treated to a thrilling second-half and Homer sent over two penalties in the last ten minutes to win it, with Delaney's four second-half penalties not enough for the Falcons.

WYNAND OLIVIER and GJ van Velze both struck in a Worcester Warriors first-half blitz as Dean Ryan's men dented Harlequins' top-four hopes at the Twickenham Stoop. The Warriors claimed a third consecutive win for the first time since 2007 and now sit eight points clear of eleventh-placed Newcastle Falcons after Dean Richards' men loss to Bath Rugby last night. Olivier burst through some soft Quins defending to open the scoring for Ryan's side and van Velze profited from Henry Cheeseman's loose pass to run over for their second, while Quins could only reply through five Ben Botica penalties. Conor O'Shea's men remain two points behind fourth-placed Northampton Saints and face an uphill battle to clinch knockout rugby.

EXETER CHIEFS moved top of the table for a few hours at least as a second-half fightback inspired by England international, Henry Slade saw off Northampton Saints at Sandy Park. Prior to kick-off, the Chiefs had the best home record in Aviva Premiership Rugby, having picked up 32 league points from their eight fixtures at Sandy Park, and they showed exactly why as they fought back from a 12-3 half-time deficit. Saints scored two tries in the opening 40 minutes; Lee Dickson touched down in the corner, while Ken Pisi scored just before the break, before Olly Woodburn replied for the Chiefs after the break. Gareth Steenson kicked five penalties for Exeter to secure the win, but it was the imagination and creativity of Slade behind the scrum that caught the eye for the Chiefs.

TWO tries in the first five minutes sent Wasps on their way to another bonus point victory as they scored five tries against Sale Sharks and ensured that they keep a firm hold on third place in the Premiership. Wasps dominated from start to finish, eventually outscoring the visitors by five tries to two. 25-0 ahead at the break and Sale only came into the game after Jake Cooper-Woolley’s second-half yellow card. While he was in the sin bin they scored two tries, to reduce the gap to 13 points, before Wasps made the game safe with tries through Jimmy Gopperth and Christian Wade.

RELENTLESS unity and passion were the key ingredients for London Irish as they secured a precious 23-18 victory over Gloucester to close the gap on Newcastle Falcons at the foot of the Aviva Premiership table. The visitor’s kept toe to toe with Irish until half time, and even took the lead in the 55th minute, but Blair Cowan’s decisive try 10 minutes from time ensured the spoils for Irish in front of a crowd of just under 18,000. The Exiles’ superiority in the scrum was evident throughout the afternoon, their dominance earning a series of penalties which put the Cherry and Whites on the backfoot. London Irish’s game management, coupled with nerves of steel won the day and sparked scenes of jubilation at full-time.

LEICESTER TIGERS moved back into the Aviva Premiership top four with a 21-13 victory over defending champions Saracens at Welford Road. On a day when 22,282 fans showed their respects for Seru Rabeni, his former team Tigers secured a victory that lifted them back into the play-off places. Man-of-the-match Freddie Burns scored 16 of the points, including the opening try early in the second half as a moment of individual skill open a well-marshalled Sarries defence. Vereniki Goneva added a second to finish off excellent work by Owen Williams and Sam Harrison. Sarries, who dropped to second in the league, threatened to claim a losing bonus point as Alex Goode converted his own try and then landed a penalty to bring the visitors to within five points. But Burns's late drop goal sealed the victory and moved Tigers up to fourth in the table with five rounds left to play.

RESULTS

BATH RUGBY 21 - 19 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Recreation Ground - Friday 18 March 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 12-7 Att: 12,811

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Jeff Williams 10 Ollie Devoto 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Francois Louw 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dominic Day 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nathan Catt 18 Henry Thomas 19 Charlie Ewels 20 Guy Mercer 21 Jonathan Evans 22 Max Clark 23 Horacio Agulla

SCORERS T: Rokoduguni (2) C: Homer P: Homer (3) Louw Thomas

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Giamba Venditti 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Mike Delany 9 Sonatane Takulua 8 Nili Latu 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Mark Wilson 5 Calum Green 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Taione Vea 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Sean Robinson 20 Ally Hogg 21 Michael Young 22 Craig Willis 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS T: Vickers C: Delany P: Delany (4) Lawson

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

HARLEQUINS 15 - 21 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 19 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 9-18 Att: 12,955

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Charlie Walker 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Henry Cheeseman 10 Ben Botica 9 Karl Dickson 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Mat Luamanu 5 Sam Twomey 4 JAMES HORWILL(C) 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Owen Evans 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 James Chisholm 21 Tito Tebaldi 22 Joe Marchant 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

SCORERS P: Botica (5)

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Sam Betty 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Olivier, van Velze C: Heathcote P: Heathcote (3)

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

EXETER CHIEFS 20 - 12 NORTHAMPTON

Sandy Park - Sunday 20 March 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 3-12 Att: 9,822

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Dave Lewis 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Don Armand 6 Dave Ewers 5 Geoff Parling 4 Ollie Atkins 3 Harry Williams 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Carl Rimmer 19 Lewis Stevenson 20 Julian Salvi 21 Will Chudley 22 Sam Hill 23 Lachie Turner

SCORERS T: Woodburn P: Steenson (5)

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Harry Mallinder 11 Ahsee Tuala 10 JJ Hanrahan 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Jonathan Fisher 7 Jamie Gibson 6 Teimana Harrison 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Paul Hill 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Tom Wood 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 Stephen Myler 23 James Wilson

SCORERS T: Dickson, Pisi C: Hanrahan Haywood

Referee: Greg Garner

 

WASPS 39 - 12 SALE SHARKS

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 20 March 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 25-0 Att: 12,823

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Charles Piutau 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 Thomas Young 6 SAM JONES (C) 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Tom Bristow 18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Alex Rieder 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Piutau, Miller, Johnson, Gopperth, Wade C: Gopperth (3), Jackson P: Gopperth (2) Cooper-Woolley, Bristow

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Brady 13 Jonny Leota 12 Mark Jennings 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Magnus Lund 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Jonathan Mills 3 Brian Mujati 2 Neil Briggs 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Cameron Neild 17 James Flynn 18 Ciaran Parker 19 TJ Ioane 20 Viliami Fihaki 21 James Mitchell 22 Joe Ford 23 Sam James

SCORERS T: Seymour, Briggs C: Cipriani Leota

Referee: Dean Richards

 

LONDON IRISH 23 - 18 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 20 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-10 Att: 17,752

 

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Topsy Ojo 10 Greig Tonks 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 Blair Cowan 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Matt Symons 4 Will Lloyd 3 Halani Aulika 2 Tom Cruse 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 David Paice 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Jebb Sinclair 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Theo Brophy Clews 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERST: 'Aulika, Cowan C: Tonks (2) P: Tonks (3)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Tom Marshall 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Henry Trinder 10 James Hook 9 Callum Braley 8 Lewis Ludlow 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Nick Wood BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Tom Savage 20 Gareth Evans 21 Harry Randall 22 Mark Atkinson 23 Rob Cook

SCORERS T: Ludlow, Trinder C: Hook P: Hook (2) Marshall, Thomas, Savage

Referee: Matt Carley

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 21 - 13 SARACENS

Welford Road - Sunday 20 March 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 6-3 Att: 22,282

TIGERS: 15 Tommy Bell 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Owen Williams 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Jono Kitto 8 JORDAN CRANE (C) 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Mike Fitzgerald 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Logovi'i Mulipola 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Ellis Genge 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Tom Croft 20 Opeti Fonua 21 Sam Harrison 22 Matt Smith 23 Telusa Veainu

SCORERS  T: Burns, Goneva C: Burns P: Burns (2) DG: Burns Mulipola

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Mike Ellery 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Nils Mordt 9 Neil de Kock 8 Jackson Wray 7 Kelly Brown 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Alistair Hargreaves 4 Jim Hamilton 3 Juan Figallo 2 Schalk Brits 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Dave Porecki 17 Titi Lamositele 18 Petrus Du Plessis 19 Hayden Smith 20 Will Fraser 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Nick Tompkins 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Goode C: Goode P: Goode (3) Mordt, Ellery

Referee: JP Doyle

 

 

---

HARLEQUINS returned to winning ways against struggling Bath Rugby in Aviva Premiership Rugby 35-28 thanks to a two-try showing from flyer Charlie Walker and all-star performance from Nick Easter. Conor O'Shea's side had slumped to a lowly eighth position during the Six Nations after a poor run of results but a masterful showing in the loose from veteran Easter and the clinical finishing of Walker set up the much-needed win.

LEICESTER TIGERS returned home from Coventry's Ricoh Arena empty-handed after losing 36-24 to Wasps. Tigers scored three tries in defeat but despite heavy late pressure, were unable to score the try that would have given them try and losing bonus points. Instead, Wasps scored three tries in 16 minutes either side of half-time to secure their bonus point and, effectively, the game. Charles Piutau was at the heart of things for Wasps, scoring two tries, while Christian Wade, Frank Halai and Nathan Hughes also scored. Tigers threatened to take two match points out of the game when Telusa Veainu's try was added to four minutes from time by Vereniki Goneva. But they were unable to make late pressure pay as Wasps saw out the win to move above Tigers in the table.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS overcame a slow start at Franklin's Gardens as a pair of quickfire tries shortly after the break led them to a bonus-point victory over Sale Sharks. Saints began the day sixth in the table, slipping behind Harlequins the previous evening, but preserved their push for the top four. Only Wasps can boast a better run of league form than Jim Mallinder's side but that momentum was not evident early on, Bryn Evans crossing over as Sale opened up an 11-point lead. However, Mike Haywood hit back shortly before the break and the damage was done after it, Ken Pisi and Tom Collins each dotting down in quick succession to turn the game on its head. And JJ Hanrahan went over late on to wrap up maximum points and ensure Sale would remain eighth in the table.

BRYCE HEEM scored two tries as Worcester Warriors took another step towards survival with a 28-20 win over Gloucester Rugby at Sixways. After beating Newcastle Falcons last week, Worcester flew out of the blocks with an early score from Heem, and he added a second before half-time. When Niall Annett crossed early in the second half, there looked to be no way back for Gloucester, and despite James Hook's try, the home side were able to see it out.

GARETH STEENSON set a new league points scoring record for Exeter Chiefs as they overcame a determined Newcastle Falcons side to record a 32-17 bonus points win at Sandy Park and surge to the top of the table. The fly-half, who ended the day with 12 points, passed Tony Yapp's existing record of 1,526 points in the second half to set a new record of 1,532 on a day also notable for the return from a broken leg of England centre Henry Slade. Newcastle refused to lay down and it took tries from Thomas Waldrom, Phil Dollman, Sam Hill and Elvis Taione to see them off in an exciting second half after the sides had gone in at the break tied at 3-3.

ALEX GOODE scored 19 of Saracens' 26 points as they came from behind to beat London Irish 26-16 in the first-ever Premiership game on American soil. In a groundbreaking move the game was taking place at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, home of the New York Red Bulls. London Irish were the nominal home side and after hosting the New York Jets at their Hazelwood training base before their NFL game at Wembley last year, the NFL franchise had returned the favour by allowing Irish to use the facility in the build-up to the clash. It appeared to pay dividends in the first half as Irish led by six at the break, 13-7 thanks to an Alex Lewington try with Goode scoring Saracens' try. But the England full-back took over kicking duties in the second half and pushed Saracens ahead to move them back to the top of the table, leaving Irish eight points behind Newcastle at the bottom after Nick Tompkins' late try that completed the win.

RESULTS

HARLEQUINS 35 - 28 BATH RUGBY

Twickenham Stoop - Friday 11 March 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 21-6 Att: 14,800

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Charlie Walker 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Henry Cheeseman 10 Ben Botica 9 Karl Dickson 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Mat Luamanu 5 JAMES HORWILL (C) 4 George Merrick 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Owen Evans 18 Will Collier 19 Sam Twomey 20 James Chisholm 21 Tito Tebaldi 22 Joe Marchant 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

SCORERS T: Sloan, Walker (2), Horwill C: Botica (3) P: Botica (3) Horwill, Twomey

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Ollie Devoto 9 Chris Cook 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dominic Day 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nathan Catt 18 David Wilson 19 Leroy Houston 20 Guy Mercer 21 Jonathan Evans 22 Max Clark 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Mafi, Williams, Rokoduguni C: Homer (2) P: Homer (3) Cook

Referee: Dean Richards

 

WASPS 36 - 24 LEICESTER TIGERS

Ricoh Arena - Saturday 12 March 2016
KO: 13:45 HT: 22-10 Att: 22,241

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Charles Piutau 12 Siale Piutau 11Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Sam Jones 7 George Smith 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Edd Shervington 17 Matt Mullan18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Nathan Hughes 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Alex Lozowski 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Wade, Piutau (2), Halai, Hughes C: Gopperth (3), Lozowski P: Gopperth

TIGERS: 15 Mathew Tait 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Matt Smith 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Jono Kitto 8 Ed Slater 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Dom Barrow 4 Mike Fitzgerald 3 Logovi'i Mulipola 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Michael Van Vuuren 17 Ellis Genge18 Fraser Balmain 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Mike Williams 21 George Tresidder 22 Owen Williams 23 Telusa Veainu

SCORERS T: Betham, Veainu, Goneva C: Burns (3) P: Burns

Referee: Greg Garner

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 26 - 11 SALE SHARKS

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 12 March 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 7-11 Att: 14,337

 

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Tom Collins 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Paul Hill 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Ethan Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Alex Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Jon Fisher 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Haywood, Ken Pisi, Collins, Hanrahan C: Myler (3) George Pisi

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 TJ Ioane 7 David Seymour 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Magnus Lund 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Evans P: Cipriani, Arscott Evans

Referee: JP Doyle

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 28 - 10 GLOUCESTER

Sixways - Saturday 12 March 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 15-10 Att: 10,124

 

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O’Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Sam Betty 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Heem (2) Annett C: Heathcote (2) P: Heathcote (3)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 David Halaifonua 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ross Moriarty 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Nick Wood BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Lewis Ludlow 21 Callum Braley 22 Henry Trinder 23 Steve McColl

SCORERS T: Meakes, Hook C: Hook (2) P: Hook (2) Moriarty

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

EXETER CHIEFS 32 - 17 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Sandy Park - Saturday 12 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-3 Att: 9,170

 

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Henry Slade 12 Sam Hill 11 Ian Whitten 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Lewis Stevenson 3 Harry Williams 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Carl Rimmer 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Dave Ewers 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Waldrom, Dollman, Hill, Taione C: Steenson (3) P: Steenson (2)

FALCONS: 15 Alex Tait 14 Giamba Venditti 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Sinoti Sinoti 10 Mike Delany 9 Sonatane Takulua 8 Nili Latu 7 Will Welch 6 Mark Wilson 5 Callum Green 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Mike Cusack 2 George McGuigan 1 Alex Rogers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Ben Harris 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Richard Mayhew 20 Ally Hogg 21 Michael Young 22 Andy Goode 23 Tom Penny

SCORERS T: Takulua, Latu C: Delany (2) P: Delany Welch

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

LONDON IRISH 16 - 26 SARACENS

Red Bull Arena, NJ - Saturday 12 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 13-7 Att: 14,811

 

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Topsy Ojo 10 Greig Tonks 9 Scott Steele 1 Tom Smallbone 2 Tom Cruse 3 Halani Aulika 4 Matt Symons 5 Elliott Stooke 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 7 Blair Cowan 8 Rob McCusker BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Will Lloyd 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Darren Allinson 22 Theo Brophy Clews 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Lewington C: Tonks P: Tonks (3)

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 4 Mike Ellery 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Nils Mordt 9 Ben Spencer 8 Jackson Wray 7 Jacques Burger 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Hayden Smith 3 Juan Figallo 2 Jared Saunders 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 David Porecki 17 Titi Lamositele 18 Petrus Du Plessis 19 Alistair Hargreaves 20 Kelly Brown 21 Neil De Kock 22 Nick Tompkins 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Goode, Tomkins C: Spencer, Goode P: Goode (4)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

 

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WORCESTER WARRIORS leapfrogged Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table after Craig Willis' late missed conversion saw the visitors record a rare away victory at Kingston Park. In a closely fought battle between two teams at the wrong end of the table, Falcons looked to have snatched the win when Rob Vickers crossed on his 200th appearance on 72 minutes. But Willis, taking on kicking duties in place of Andy Goode who had already departed the pitch, was off target with his kick and the Falcons were unable to find another breakthrough in the remaining minutes. It meant Worcester, who scored a try in each half through Dewald Potgieter and Bryce Heem, moved up to tenth after completing the double over their opponents this season.

WILL ADDISON'S second-half try ensured Sale Sharks continued their unbeaten run at home and condemned Harlequins to their fifth Premiership defeat in six games. Tim Visser's try saw Quins - the last side to beat Sale at home - leading 13-9 at the break, but scores from TJ Ioane and Addison in the second half gave the home side the unassailable advantage. Joe Ford started in place of Danny Cipriani, and slotted four kicks from four for 11 points, before the England international fly-half came on to kick another eight points from the tee, meaning Sam Egerton's late try was no more than a consolation.

GLOUCESTER RUGBY held on after Greig Laidlaw's second-half penalty to record their first victory against an in-form Wasps since September 2012. The Cherry & Whites - who were hit with three first-half injuries - got off to a fast start after a Laidlaw penalty and a converted try from Richard Hibbard with 17 minutes gone. Jimmy Gopperth responded from the tee before Christian Wade's explosive effort levelled the scores early in the second half, but Gloucester kept firm after Laidlaw struck again in the 55th minute. The visitors pushed but, at the death, Gopperth was off-target with an attempted drop-goal to the delight of Kingsholm.

MATT BANAHAN went over for a first-half double as Bath Rugby put their patchy recent form behind them to record a comfortable bonus-point victory over London Irish. Bath had lost five of their last six Premiership matches heading into the clash but Banahan's two tries, in addition to scores from Semesa Rokoduguni and Leroy Houston, ensured a 25-17 triumph as the home crowd left the Rec happy. Three Theo Brophy-Clews penalties was all the Exiles could muster until the 79th minute when a Greig Tonks three-pointer and an Alex Lewington try brought them within eight points but Tonks' last-gasp conversion hit the post as they missed out on a losing bonus point. The loss means they still sit bottom of the Aviva Premiership table, eight points adrift of 11th-placed Newcastle Falcons, while the search for a second away win in the past 12 months goes on.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS produced a fine display as they saw off leaders Saracens 20-15 at Allianz Park to move back into the top four. Northampton scored the only try of the first half, with Stephen Myler the man to cross but two penalties from Ben Spencer, and another from the impressive Alex Goode gave Saracens a 9-7 half-time lead. Lee Dickson went over early in the second half for his fifth try in four games, to give Saints the lead once more, with the sides trading penalties thereafter as Saracens tried to come back, but failed to catch up.

LEICESTER TIGERS weathered a second-half storm to notch their second bonus-point victory on the spin, at the expense of high-flying Exeter Chiefs. A penalty try and scores from Manu Tuilagi - who impressed in his bid to earn a spot in England's next Six Nations squad - Peter Betham, and Adam Thompstone all before the 50-minute mark were ultimately enough for the hosts. But Exeter made them work for it, and it was a nervy final 20 minutes for the Tigers after Dave Lewis and Ian Whitten both dotted down in response, before Kai Horstmann's last-gasp score earned them a bonus point of their own.

RESULTS

NEWCASTLE 14 - 15 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Kingston Park - Friday 04 March 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 6-7 Att: 6,353

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Andy Goode 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Callum Chick 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Juan Pablo Socino

SCORERS T: Vickers P: Goode (3) Watson

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Dewald Potgieter 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Jaba Bregvadze 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Niall Annett 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Sam Betty 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Potgieter, Heem C: Heathcote P: Heathcote van Velze

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

SALE SHARKS 29 - 23 HARLEQUINS

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 05 March 2016
KO: 14:30 HT: 9-13 Att: 7,562

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Tom Arscott 10 Joe Ford 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 TJ Ioane 5 Andrei Ostirkov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Brian Mujati 2 Neil Briggs 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts BENCH: 16 Tommy Taylor 17 Ross Harrison 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Cameron Neild 21 Peter Stringer 22 Danny Cipriani 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Addison, Ioane C: Cipriani, Ford P: Cipriani (2), Ford (3)

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 Matt Hopper 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Ben Botica 9 Tito Tebaldi 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Mat Luamanu 5 JAMES HORWILL (C) 4 George Merrick 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Owen Evans 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 James Chisholm 21 Sam Egerton 22 Joe Marchant 23 Charlie Walker

SCORERS T: Egerton, Visser C: Botica (2) P: Botica (3)

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 13 - 10 WASPS

Kingsholm - Saturday 05 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-3 Att: 13,766

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Henry Purdy 10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 8 Ross Moriarty 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Lewis Ludlow 21 Callum Braley 22 Billy Burns 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS T: Hibbard C: Laidlaw P: Laidlaw (2)

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Charles Piutau 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Edd Shervington 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Bradley Davies 20 Sam Jones 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Wade C: Gopperth P: Gopperth

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

BATH RUGBY 25 - 17 LONDON IRISH

Recreation Ground - Saturday 05 March 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 20-9 Att: 13,500

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Ollie Devoto 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Matt Banahan 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dominic Day 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Beno Obano 18 David Wilson 19 Stuart Hooper 20 Leroy Houston 21 Guy Mercer 22 Jonathan Evans 23 Horacio Agulla

SCORERS T: Banahan (2), Rokoduguni, Houston C: Priestland P: Priestland

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Topsy Ojo 10 Theo Brophy Clews 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 6 Ian Nagle 5 Elliott Stooke 4 Matt Symons 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Blair Cowan 21 Darren Allinson 22 Greig Tonks 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Lewington P: Brophy Clews (3), Tonks

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 15 - 20 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Allianz Park - Saturday 05 March 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 9-7 Att: 9,877

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Mike Ellery 13 Duncan Taylor 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Nils Mordt 9 Ben Spencer 8 Jackson Wray 7 Kelly Brown 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Hayden Smith 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jamie George 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer 18 Juan Figallo 19 Alistair Hargreaves 20 Jacques Burger 21 Neil De Kock 22 Marcelo Bosch 23 Nathan Earle

SCORERS P: Spencer (3), Goode (2) Spencer

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Tom Collins 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Victor Matfield 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 James Craig 20 Sam Dickinson 21 Tom Kessell 22 JJ Harrahan 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Myler, Dickson C: Myler (2) P: Myler (2)

Referee: Tom Foley

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 31 - 27 EXETER CHIEFS

Welford Road - Sunday 06 March 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 17-6 Att: 20,173

 

TIGERS: 15 Tommy Bell 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Jono Kitto 8 ED SLATER (C) 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Dom Barrow 4 Mike Fitzgerald 3 Logovi'i Mulipola 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Mike Williams 21 George Tresidder 22 Owen Williams 23 Telusa Veainu

SCORERS T: PT, Tuilagi, Betham, Thompstone C: Burns (4) P: Burns Barro

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Matt Jess 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Dave Lewis 8 Don Armand 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Geoff Parling 4 Ollie Atkins 3 Tomas Francis 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Moray Low BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Harry Williams 19 Lewis Stevenson 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Will Chudley 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Lewis, Whitten, Horstmann C: Steenson (3) P: Steenson (2) Parling, Jess

Referee: Matt Carley

 

 

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DANNY CIPRIANI'S last-gasp conversion attempt of a Tom Arscott try went wide but Sale Sharks preserved their unbeaten home record in Aviva Premiership Rugby this season following a see-saw draw with Saracens. Sharks had raced into a 17-point lead from the off, with Sam James, Johnny Leota and Arscott all crossing in the opening quarter. But Saracens stormed back with 22 unanswered points to complete the half - Chris Wyles notching a try-double after Jim Hamilton's effort. Then, after Cipriani's three penalties had given Sale the advantage, Nick Tompkins and Mike Ellery took advantage of two Sharks mistakes to put league leaders Saracens ten points ahead. However, Cipriani was left counting the costs of his missed conversions - scoring just one of five attempts - as TJ Ioane and Arscott tries made for a grandstand finish.

TOM COLLINS scored a wonderful hat-trick as Northampton Saints saw off a stubborn Worcester Warriors challenge 38-18 at Franklin's Gardens. The win pushes Northampton up into the top four but they were pushed for much of the game, and were trailing 12-15 at half time with two tries apiece but the difference being a Heathcote penalty. However a strong finish with four more tries, including Collins' hat-trick score, proved too much for Worcester, eventually going home empty-handed despite a good performance.

TOM SAVAGE climbed off the bench to wrap up a bonus point as Gloucester Rugby recorded a convincing victory over Newcastle Falcons. Newcastle came into the game off the back of home wins against Leicester Tigers and Northampton Saints but they are still searching for an away victory this season. Their hopes of changing that suffered a blow with the news that fly-half Andy Goode was a late withdrawal and they looked to be reeling from that loss as Gloucester flew out the traps at Kingsholm. Billy Meakes was first to cross over, before James Hook and Ross Moriarty each followed suit before the break. That left Newcastle with a mountain to climb and the hosts - beaten just once at Kingsholm in any competition since October - ensured they never looked like bridging the gap. Nor did the Cherry & Whites look likely to score an all-important fourth try, however, until Savage powered his way over late on.

GARETH STEENSON passed the 1,000-point milestone for Exeter Chiefs as they narrowly defeated Bath Rugby to close the gap on Saracens at the top of the table. With Saracens having been held to a 36-36 draw at Sale Sharks 24 hours earlier, Rob Baxter's men led throughout against Bath thanks to the boot of Steenson. But tries either side of the interval for the visitors made it a nervous finish for the home faithful, before Kai Horstmann crossed at the death to seal it.

ADAM THOMPSTONE grabbed a double as Leicester Tigers snapped their three-game losing run with a seven-try mauling of London Irish on Sunday. The Tigers moved back into the top four in the table with a comfortable win at Welford Road while Irish stay rooted to the foot of the standings. Scores from Thompstone, Harry Thacker, Lachlan McCaffrey and Jono Kitto had wrapped up the bonus point before half time. After the interval Tom Croft, Jean de Villiers - on his first start for the club - and Thompstone completed the rout although the Exiles did manage three second-half scores of their own through David Paice, Joe Trayfoot and Andy Fenby but it was too little too late. The Exiles are still yet to take a single point from an away league game this season and the Tigers had not lost four in a row in the league since 2004.

WASPS marched back into the top four of the table with a six-try win over Harlequins at the Ricoh Arena. Dai Young's side scored three tries in each half, with Jimmy Gopperth enjoying a fine afternoon with the boot, to push Wasps up to third in the table. Three converted tries to just one unconverted from Luke Wallace was the difference at halftime between the sides in front of an almost 15,000-strong crowd. All Quins could muster with so many first choice players away on England duty was one more try from Charlie Walker, as the homeside added theirs from Young, Siale Piutau and Macken.

RESULTS

SALE SHARKS 36 - 36 SARACENS

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 27 February 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 17-22 Att: 15,824

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Tom Arscott 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 TJ Ioane 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: James, Leota, Arscott (2), Ioane C: Cipriani P: Cipriani (3)

SARACENS: 15 Ben Ransom 14 Mike Ellery 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 Nick Tompkins 11 Chris Wyles 10 CHARLIE HODGSON (C) 9 Ben Spencer 8 Jackson Wray 7 Jacques Burger 6 Kelly Brown 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Hayden Smith 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jared Saunders 1 Titi Lamositele BENCH: 16 Dave Porecki 17 Richard Barrington 18 Juan Figallo 19 Kieran Low 20 Michael Rhodes 21 Henry Taylor 22 Nils Mordt 23 Nathan Earle

SCORERS T: Hamilton, Wyles (2), Tompkins, Ellery C: Hodgson, Spencer (3) P: Hodgson

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 38 - 18 WORCESTER

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 27 February 2016
KO: 14:45 HT: 12-15 Att: 14,246

 

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 Luther Burrell 12 Harry Mallinder 11 Tom Collins 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Victor Matfield 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Sam Dickinson 20 Jon Fisher 21 Tom Kessell 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 George Pisi

SCORERS T: Mallinder, Collins (3), Dickson, George Pisi C: Myler (3), Hanrahan

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Dewald Potgieter 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Jaba Bregvadze 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Niall Annett 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Phil Dowson 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Rapava-Ruskin, Olivier C: Heathcote P: Heathcote (2)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

GLOUCESTER 32 - 6 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Kingsholm - Saturday 27 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 25-6 Att: 11,095

 

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Henry Purdy 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Lewis Ludlow 7 Jacob Rowan 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Tom Savage 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Callum Braley 22 Billy Burns 23 Henry Trinder

SCORERS T: Meakes, Hook, Moriarty, Savage C: Hook (2), Twelvetrees C: Hook (2), Twelvetrees P: Hook

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Giamba Venditti 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Andy Goode 9 Sonatane Takulua 8 Ally Hogg 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Richard Mayhew 5 Mark Wilson 4 Calum Green 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Todd Clever 21 Michael Young 22 Craig Willis 23 Juan Pablo Socino

SCORERS P: Willis (2)

Referee: Dean Richards

 

EXETER CHIEFS 26 - 17 BATH RUGBY

Sandy Park - Sunday 28 February 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 16-7 Att: 12,612

 

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Dave Lewis 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Don Armand 6 Dave Ewers 5 Geoff Parling 4 Jonny Hill 3 Harry Williams 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Alex Brown 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Will Chudley 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Whitten, Horstmann C: Steenson (2) P: Steenson (4)

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Adam Hastings 9 Chris
Cook 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 Francois Louw 6 Leroy Houston 5 Dominic Day 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nick Auterac 18 David Wilson 19 Charlie Ewels 20 Matt Garvey 21 Guy Mercer 22 Jonathan Evans 23 Max Clark

SCORERS T: Mafi (2) C: Homer (2) P: Homer Lahiff

Referee: Greg Garner

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 47 - 20 LONDON IRISH

Welford Road - Sunday 28 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 26-3 Att: 23,173

 

TIGERS: 15 Mathew Tait 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Manu Tuilagi 12 Jean de Villiers 11 Telusa Veainu 10 Freddie Burns 9 Jono Kitto 8 ED SLATER (C) 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Dom Barrow 4 Mike Fitzgerald 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Michael van Vuuren 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Logovi'i Mulipola 19 Mike Williams 20 Laurence Pearce 21 Sam Harrison 22 Tommy Bell 23 Vereniki Goneva

SCORERS T: Thompstone (2), Thacker, McCaffrey, Kitto, Croft, de Villiers C: Burns (5), Bell

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Fergus Mulchrone 11 Andrew Fenby 10 Theo Brophy Clews 9 Scott Steele 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan 6 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 5 Elliott Stooke 4 Will Lloyd 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jerry Sexton 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Darren Allinson 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Johnny Williams

SCORERS T: Paice, Trayfoot, Fenby C: Geraghty P: Brophy Clews

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

WASPS 42 - 10 HARLEQUINS

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 28 February 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 21-5 Att: 14,638

 

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Charles Piutau 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Alex Rieder 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Cooper-Woolley, Wade, Hughes, Young, Siale Piutau, Macken C: Gopperth (5), Lozowski

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 Winston Stanley 12 Harry Sloan 11 Charlie Walker 10 Ben Botica 9 Tito Tebaldi 8 Mat Luamanu 7 Luke Wallace 6 James Chisholm 5 JAMES HORWILL (C) 4 George Merrick 3 Adam Jones 2 Rob Buchanan 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Beau Robinson 21 Sam Egerton 22 Tim Swiel 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Wallace, Walker

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

 

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MARLAND YARDE'S late try and fierce defending saw Harlequins kick their three-game losing streak in Aviva Premiership Rugby with victory over Leicester Tigers. A late reshuffle to Leicester's starting XV meant the unveiling of former South Africa captain Jean de Villiers - in the centres alongside Manu Tuilagi - and a first Premiership Rugby start for 20-year-old Bryant. Nothing separated the two sides at the break after Oli Bryant and Ben Botica had kicked three penalties apiece. And just as it looked like Harlequins pressure would tell - with Botica slotting two early penalties in the first-half - Leicester hooker Harry Thacker finished off a fine converted try. Botica struck from the tee to restore Harlequins lead however, before Yarde seemingly made the result sure. Replacement Freddie Burns then scored a penalty to ensure Leicester came away with a losing bonus point, but only late, desperate Harlequins defence, led by the heroic Luke Wallace, made sure of the win.

CHARLIE HODGSON added 20 points to Ben Ransom's early try as Saracens bounced back from last weekend's humbling home defeat to edge past Gloucester Rugby. Saracens welcomed a Gloucester side seeking a third straight win for the first time since 2012. They made a flying start, as Ransom crossed over inside the opening five minutes, but the hosts were forced to dig in, playing for an hour with just 14 men after Schalk Brits was red carded. However, Hodgson added six penalties to his early conversion to keep the Cherry & Whites at bay who only managed four penalties from James Hook, ensuring Saracens finished the weekend as Aviva Premiership Rugby leaders.

FRANCOIS HOUGAARD crossed for a try on debut as Worcester Warriors claimed their first win in 2016 but they had to hold off a Sale Sharks comeback at Sixways. With no win since round four in Aviva Premiership Rugby, the Warriors hit the ground running on Saturday as Carl Kirwan and Hougaard both went over in the first half. Dave Seymour gave the Sharks a foothold before the break but the accurate place kicking of Warriors stand-off Tom Heathcote was in stark contrast to Danny Cipriani who had a tough day from the tee. Tommy Taylor's try straight after half-time trimmed the lead again but Chris Pennell hit straight back for the home side to put them 31-13 to the good. Sharks full-back Mike Haley then crossed twice in the final 20 minutes to claim the consolation of a four-try bonus point but Cipriani's four missed conversions meant the Warriors victory was secured. The Sharks have won their last six matches in all competitions - their best run since 2007, with their only defeat in their last four away games coming at Exeter on Boxing Day.

A try in each half from Frank Halai set Wasps on their way to a 24-18 win over Bath Rugby at the Rec and into the Aviva Premiership Rugby play-off places. The Kiwi winger was at his predatory best, while Simon McIntyre also crossed in the second half although they could not manage the fourth try and a bonus point. Tom Homer pulled Bath back with a second half try, but the loss leaves Bath's play-off hopes in tatters, with 14 points now separating them from the top four, although a late try from Amanaki Mafi at least allowed them to pick up a losing bonus point.

EXETER CHIEFS closed the gap on Saracens at the top of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table with a comeback win over London Irish at the Madejski Stadium. London Irish led 7-6 at the break thanks to a try from Ofisa Treviranus, but the boot of Gareth Steenson kept Exeter in contention. And they began to take control of the game in the second half with a try from Dave Lewis as well as three more penalties from Steenson. Despite a try from Topsy Ojo against the run of play, Exeter were able to see out the win and close the gap on leaders Saracens to just four points. Meanwhile London Irish remain bottom of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table on a weekend when both Worcester Warriors and Newcastle Falcons were victorious.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS recorded back-to-back Aviva Premiership Rugby victories for the first time this season as they held off Northampton Saints' second-half charge to win 26-25 at Kingston Park. Buoyed by beating Leicester Tigers last time out, Kingston Park were treated to another fine display from the Falcons as they climbed back up tenth in the table. Scores from Alex Tait and Chris Harris, as well as the boot of Andy Goode, saw the hosts go in at half-time 20-11 ahead, with the Saints on the board through a converted Jamie Gibson try and a Stephen Myler penalty. Goode stretched the Falcons' lead after the restart with two penalties, before two Lee Dickson tries, both converted by replacement JJ Hanrahan, brought Northampton to within a point of their hosts with ten minutes remaining. But Newcastle held firm, winning a lineout against the throw to secure the win.

RESULTS

HARLEQUINS 25 - 19 LEICESTER TIGERS

Twickenham Stoop - Friday 19 February 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 9-9 Att: 14,800

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 Winston Stanley 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Ben Botica 9 Tito Tebaldi 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Mat Luamanu 5 Charlie Matthews 4 JAMES HORWILL (C) 3 Adam Jones 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 George Merrick 20 James Chisholm 21 Sam Egerton 22 Tim Swiel 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: Yarde C: Botica P: Botica (6)

TIGERS: 15 Mathew Tait 14 Peter Betham 13 Jean de Villiers 12 Manu Tuilagi 11 Telusa Veainu 10 Oli Bryant 9 Sam Harrison 8 Laurence Pearce 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Tom Croft 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 ED SLATER (C) 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Logovi'i Mulipola 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Jordan Crane 21 Jono Kitto 22 Freddie Burns 23 Matt Smith

SCORERS T: Thacker C: Burns P: Bryant (3), Burns

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 25 - 12 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Allianz Park - Saturday 20 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 13-6 Att: 8,432

 

SARACENS: 15 Ben Ransom 14 Mike Ellery 13 Duncan Taylor 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Jackson Wray 7 Will Fraser 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Hayden Smith 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Rhys Gill BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Titi Lamositele 18 Juan Figallo 19 Jacques Burger 20 Kelly Brown 21 Ben Spencer 22 Nils Mordt 23 Marcelo Bosch

SCORERS T: Ransom C: Hodgson P: Hodgson (7) Barritt Brits

GLOUCESTER: 15 Billy Burns 14 Charlie Sharples 13 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 12 Mark Atkinson 11 Steve McColl 10 James Hook 9 Callum Braley 8 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Nick Wood BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Dan Murphy 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Tom Savage 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Willi Heinz 22 Henry Trinder 23 Rob Cook

SCORERS P: Hook (4)

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 31 - 23 SALE SHARKS

Sixways - Saturday 20 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 21-8 Att: 7,156

 

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Francois Hougaard 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Dewald Potgieter 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O’Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Jaba Bregvadze 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Niall Annett 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Phil Dowson 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Kirwan, Hougaard, Pennell C: Heathcote (2) P: Heathcote (4) Schonert

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 JOSH BEAUMONT (C) 7 David Seymour 6 Cameron Neild 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Eifion Lewis Roberts BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Brian Mujati 19 Magnus Lund 20 Mark Easter 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Seymour, Taylor, Haley (2) P: Cipriani Haley

Referee: Greg Garner

 

BATH RUGBY 18 - 24 WASPS

Recreation Ground - Saturday 20 February 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 6-8 Att: 13,322

 

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Leroy Houston 5 Dominic Day 4 Charlie Ewels 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Beno Obano 18 Henry Thomas 19 Matt Garvey 20 Guy Mercer 21 Jonathan Evans 22 Jeff Williams 23 Max Clark

SCORERS T: Homer, Mafi C: Homer P: Priestland (2)

WASPS: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Frank Halai 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith (C) 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 Bradley Davies 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Tom Bristow 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 James Cannon 20 Alex Rieder 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Jimmy Gopperth 23 Rob Miller

SCORERS T: Halai (2), McIntyre P: Daly, Jackson, Gopperth Young

Referee: Tom Foley

 

LONDON IRISH 15 - 22 EXETER CHIEFS

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 21 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 7-6 Att: 5,892

 

IRISH: 15 Andrew Fenby 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Fergus Mulchrone 12 Johnny Williams 11 Ciaran Hearn 10 Theo Brophy Clews 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 6 Ofisa Treviranus 5 Elliott Stooke 4 Matt Symons 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Ian Nagle 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Darren Allinson 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Christian Lewis-Pratt

SCORERS T: Treviranus, Ojo C: Brophy Clews P: Brophy Clews Paice, Nagle

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodbury 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Jonny Hill 3 Moray Low 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Tomas Francis 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Michele Campagnaro

SCORERS T: Lewis C: Steenson P: Steenson (5)

Referee: Dean Richards

 

NEWCASTLE 26 - 25 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Kingston Park - Sunday 21 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 20-11 Att: 7,218

 

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Andy Goode 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg%u200B 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Mark Wilson 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Josh Furno 20 Nili Latu 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Juan Socino

SCORERS T: Tait, Harris C: Goode P: Goode (4)

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Jamie Elliott 13 Luther Burrell 12 Harry Mallinder 11 James Wilson 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Tom Kessell 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 George Pisi

SCORERS T: Gibson, Dickson (2) C: Hanrahan (2) P: Myler (2)

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

 

---

SIMON HAMMERSLEY and Adam Powell grabbed first-half tries as Newcastle Falcons completed their first Aviva Premiership Rugby victory over Leicester Tigers in almost seven years. March 2009 was the last time Leicester tasted defeat against the Falcons - winning 11 straight league meetings since - and Alex Tait and Tom Croft were the only two to feature both on that day and on Friday night at Kingston Park. Newcastle, who came so close to toppling Wasps on the road last weekend, opened up an 11-point lead at the break after tries from Hammersley and Powell. They had caught cold a Leicester side low on confidence following their 10-3 defeat to Sale Sharks last time out, but the Tigers unsurprisingly staged a fightback. Laurence Pearce appeared off the bench and dotted down midway through the second half, but a missed conversion left them nine points adrift of Newcastle. And it was a gap Leicester would never bridge, as the Falcons climbed off the bottom of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table in style.

SALE SHARKS held off a ferocious Exeter Chiefs comeback to extend their unbeaten home record this season with a 23-17 win at the AJ Bell Stadium. Sale dominated the first half and crossed three times to lead 17-0 as they looked to build on their excellent home form. Johnny Leota, Nev Edwards and Mike Haley, in fortuitous circumstances, all went over in a fantastic opening 40 minutes. However the second half belonged to the Chiefs, with converted scores from Jack Yeandle and Dave Lewis, but improved kicking from Danny Cipriani after the break was just enough to keep the visitors at a safe distance.

JAMES HOOK made sure there was no way back for Harlequins after the Wales international scored 18 points in the first half to hand Gloucester Rugby victory at Kingsholm. The two sides could not be separated at Big Game 8 in December - in a thrilling 39-39 draw at Twickenham - but Hook's third-minute try here set the tone for a fine afternoon for Gloucester. England No.8 Ben Morgan also completed a fine move and, allied to Hook's kicking, the Cherry and Whites entered the break 23-6 to the good. Harlequins shored things up but with three minutes remaining Steve McColl rubbed salt in their wounds, as the visitors fell to their third Premiership defeat in a row.

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS moved to within two points of the top four with a convincing five-try victory over London Irish. The Exiles had slipped to the foot of the table the previous evening, courtesy of Newcastle Falcons' impressive victory over Leicester Tigers. And despite coming into the game off the back of a morale-boosting victory over Worcester Warriors last time out - and beating Northampton earlier in the season - they were well beaten at Franklin's Gardens. The Saints raced into a 21-0 lead at the break, James Craig and Alex Waller scoring either side of a penalty try, while Jamie Elliott and man-of-the-match Lee Dickson added second-half scores. David Paice pulled one back for the Exiles late on but there was no hope of a fightback and they will finish the weekend bottom of the pile.

BATH RUGBY held on by the skin of their teeth as Tom Homer's boot secured victory at Worcester Warriors. Dean Ryan's side came close in the final ten minutes through penalty attempts from Ryan Mills and Tom Heathcote, but the Warriors should have been out of sight after a dominant first half. Bath, with 19-year-old son of Scotland legend Gavin Hastings starting his first Premiership game at fly-half, started brightly through Homer's penalty, only for Worcester to roar back into contention. Dean Ryan's side went in 14-6 ahead at half-time after dominating for large periods and their first score came when ex-Bath man Heathcote's pass unlocked the defence and allowed Chris Pennell to put in Cooper Vuna. Former Ireland and Lions lock Donncha O'Callaghan then powered over in the corner before Homer struck back with three points for Mike Ford's men. Ford's side looked more like last season's Premiership finalists in the second half as tries from Jonathan Evans and another Homer penalty gave them a lead they refused to relinquish.

WASPS moved into the top four after a magical eight-try showing handed them a 64-23 triumph over league leaders Saracens at Allianz Park. The visitors were fantastic as they raced into a 19-0 lead inside ten minutes, had the four-try bonus point wrapped up midway through the first half and notched a fourth consecutive league win for the first time since the 2012-13 season. Nathan Hughes was a constant thorn in Sarries' side as he, Charles Piutau and Dan Robson all scored two tries while Thomas Young and Jimmy Gopperth also crossed the whitewash for Wasps. Brad Barritt and Jim Hamilton did dot down for Saracens but that couldn't stop them slipping to just a second loss of the season and ended their run of nine consecutive victories over the visitors.

RESULTS

NEWCASTLE 26 - 14 LEICESTER TIGERS

Kingston Park - Friday 12 February 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 20-9 Att: 6,207

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Marcus Watson 10 Andy Goode 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Bobby Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Kensuke Hatakeyama 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Alesana Tuilagi 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Juan Pablo Socino

SCORERS T: Hammersley, Powell C: Goode (2) P: Goode (3), Willis

TIGERS: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Peter Betham 13 MATHEW TAIT (C) 12 Matt Smith 11 Gonzalo Camacho 10 Freddie Burns 9 Sam Harrison 8 Jordan Crane 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Mike Fitzgerald 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Leonardo Ghiraldini 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Greg Bateman 19 Sebastian De Chaves 20 Laurence Pearce 21 Jono Kitto 22 Oli Bryant 23 Jack Roberts

SCORERS T: Pearce P: Burns (3)

Referee: Greg Garner

 

SALE SHARKS 23 - 17 EXETER CHIEFS

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 13 February 2016
KO: 14:30 HT: 17-0 Att: 4,236

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Johnny Leota 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Mark Easter 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Magnus Lund 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS T: Leota, Edwards, Hayley C: Cipriani P: Cipriani (2) Harrison

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Jonny Hill 3 Moray Low 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Harry Williams 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Yeandle, Lewis C: Steenson (2) P: Steenson Short

Referee: Andrew Small

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 28 - 6 HARLEQUINS

Kingsholm - Saturday 13 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 23-6 Att: 12,782

GLOUCESTER: 15 Billy Burns 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Billy Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Steve McColl 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Dan Murphy 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Jeremy Thrush 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Callum Braley 22 Mark Atkinson 23 Rob Cook

SCORERS T: Hook, Morgan, McColl C: Hook (2) P: Hook (3)

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 Matt Hopper 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans (C) 9 Tito Tebaldi 8 Mat Luamanu 7 Dave Ward 6 Luke Wallace 5 James Horwill 4 George Merrick 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Joe Gray 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 James Chisholm 17 Owen Evans 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Ben Botica 21 Calum Waters 22 Winston Stanley 23 Tim Swiel

SCORERS P: Nick Evans (2) Chisholm

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 35 - 7 LONDON IRISH

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 13 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 21-0 Att: 15,227

 

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Jamie Elliott 13 Luther Burrell 12 Harry Mallinder 11 James Wilson 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Tom Kessell 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 George Pisi

SCORERS T: Craig, PT, Alex Waller, Elliott, Dickson C: Myler (5) Gibson, Hanrahan

IRISH: 15 Andrew Fenby 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Fergus Mulchrone 12 Johnny Williams 11 Ciaran Hearn 10 Shane Geraghty 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 Luke Narraway 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Will Lloyd 4 Matt Symons 3 Halani 'Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Ian Nagle 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Darren Allinson 22 Theo Brophy-Clews 23 Dom Waldouck

SCORERS T: Paice C: Geraghty 'Aulika

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 14 - 16 BATH RUGBY

Sixways - Saturday 13 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 14-6 Att: 8,618

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Andy Symons 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Luke Baldwin 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Carl Kirwan 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O’Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Na’ama Leleimalefaga 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Dewald Potgieter 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ryan Mills

SCORERS T: Vuna, O'Callaghan C: Heathcote (2)

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Max Clark 12 Matt Banahan 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Adam Hastings 9 Niko Matawalu 8 Amanaki Mafi 7 Guy Mercer 6 Leroy Houston 5 Tom Ellis 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Beno Obano 18 David Wilson 19 Charlie Ewels 20 Dominic Day 21 Matt Garvey 22 Jonathan Evans 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Evans C: Homer P: Homer (3) Clark

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 23 - 64 WASPS

Allianz Park - Sunday 14 February 2016
KO: 16:00 HT: 16-31 Att: tbc

SARACENS: 15 Marcelo Bosch 14 Mike Ellery 13 Nick Tompkins 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Ben Spencer 8 Samu Vunisa 7 Jacques Burger 6 Michael Rhodes 5 ALISTAIR HARGREAVES (C) 4 Jim Hamilton 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Rhys Gill 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Hayden Smith 20 Will Fraser 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Nils Mordt 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Vunisa, Hamilton C: Hodgson (2) P: Hodgson (3) Hargreaves

WASPS: 15 Charles Piutau 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Siale Piutau 11 Josh Bassett 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 GEORGE SMITH (C) 6 Thomas Young 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Matt Mullan 18 Phil Swainston 19 Will Rowlands 20 Alex Rieder 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Jimmy Gopperth 23 Rob Miller

SCORERS T: Siale Piutau (2), Young, Robson (2), Hughes (2), Gopperth C: Gopperth (6) P: Gopperth (2), Daly, Lozowski

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

 

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JAMES HOOK booted all 15 points as Gloucester Rugby beat Bath Rugby for the first time in six attempts to move into the Aviva Premiership Rugby top six. Bath's losing streak now stands at six games in all competitions as they still seek a first win of 2016 but Gloucester ensured they didn't become the first team to lose six consecutive West Country derbies in the fixture's storied history by digging in at the Rec. The hosts dominated up front in the first 40 minutes but Dom Day's unconverted effort was their only try of the half as the Gloucester defence held the deficit to 8-3 at the break. And Hook took over in the second half, kicking four further penalties to see his side home and up to fifth in the Aviva Premiership Rugby standings.

BEN FODEN scored a dramatic late try to lead Northampton Saints to their first Aviva Premiership Rugby victory since New Year's Day - inflicting a first home defeat on Harlequins in any competition this season in the process. In a frantic first half visitors Saints took the lead three times, centre Luther Burrell setting up a try for Christian Day and scoring another. Those two tries and the boot of Stephen Myler gave Northampton a 17-14 lead at half-time, the hosts getting on the scoreboard through tries for George Merrick and Ross Chisholm, with fly-half Nick Evans kicking both conversions. In a tighter second half Evans added two penalties to JJ Hanrahan's one before the Kiwi's replacement, Ben Botica, looked to have won the hosts the game with a 72nd-minute three-pointer. But Botica failed to find touch with time up and when Saints got the ball into Foden's hands, and he won them the game as Quins suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time this

ANDY GOODE was left to regret a hat-trick of first-half misses from the tee as Newcastle Falcons were narrowly beaten by his former club Wasps. Goode and Jimmy Gopperth traded one penalty apiece in the first half, though the Newcastle fly-half had missed his first two kicks at goal. Nili Latu crossed over after the break to put the Falcons, who moved off the bottom of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table with victory over Harlequins last time out, ahead - but Goode's missed conversion left the hosts just five points adrift. Wasps were left frustrated on more than one occasion in their search for a try, with two chalked off by the officials, but fought their way back into the lead courtesy of a pair of Gopperth penalties. And Newcastle ran out of opportunities to hit back and secure what would have been just their second away win in Aviva Premiership Rugby since October 2013.

JOSH BEAUMONT crashed over in the second half to settle a tight affair as Sale Sharks beat Leicester Tigers at Welford Road for the first time in eight years. In truth Sale could have won by a bigger margin if not for Danny Cipriani's miscues from the tee, missing five from six penalties amid blustery conditions. A penalty apiece from Cipriani and Freddie Burns were the only scores until the 61st minute, as Sale finally turned the screw through captain Beaumont. Cipriani - who was his usual effervescent self in open play - converted and despite a barrage of late Leicester pressure, the hosts' 100 per cent record at home in Aviva Premiership Rugby this season came to an end. Sale had not won on the road in the league this year, but Tigers suffered two late blows ahead of the match when Telusa Veainu and Tom Youngs dropped out of the starting XV - to be replaced by Gonzalo Camacho and Leonardo Ghiraldini respectively.

CHARLIE HODGSON'S late penalty helped Saracens avenge their double defeat to Exeter Chiefs last season and stretch their lead at the top of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table. James Short's intercept try for the Chiefs in the first half looked for a long time like it would be enough to keep the Chiefs' 15-match home winning streak. But a Samuela Vunisa score just before the interval and three Hodgson penalties in the second half, the last of which came in the 74th minute, gave Mark McCall's troops the victory.

CIARAN HEARN'S superb first-half try set London Irish on their way to a key victory over Worcester Warriors. The Exiles moved off the bottom of the table after dominating Worcester for much of the match, though the visitors kept the scoreline tight until the closing stages. Hearn's fine chip-and-chase was the least they deserved at half-time, before Shane Geraghty and Ryan Mills traded penalty to see Irish go in 10-3 up at the break. Yellow cards for Bryce Heem and Donncha O'Callaghan did not help Warriors' cause either, though the former redeemed himself with a 46th-minute try. But Fenby's try, and then a late Geraghty penalty, kept the Exiles ticking over despite Val Rapava Ruskin going over for Worcester in between.

RESULTS

BATH RUGBY 11 - 15 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Recreation Ground - Saturday 05 February 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 8-3 Att: 13,104

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Dan Bowden 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Francois Louw 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dominic Day 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nathan Catt 18 Henry Thomas 19 Charlie Ewels 20 Tom Ellis 21 Alafoti Fa’osiliva 22 Niko Matawalu 23 Max Clark

SCORERS T: Day P: Homer (2)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Billy Burns 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Steve McColl 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Jacob Rowan 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Nick Wood 18 Nicky Thomas 19 Elliott Stooke 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Callum Braley 22 Mark Atkinson 23 Ross Moriarty

SCORERS P: Hook (5) Savage

Referee: Matt Carley

 

HARLEQUINS 23 - 27 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 06 February 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 14-17 Att: 14,800

 

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 Matt Hopper 12 Harry Sloan 11 Charlie Walker 10 NICK EVANS (C) 9 Tito Tebaldi 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Mat Luamanu 5 James Horwill 4 George Merrick 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Rob Buchanan 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Owen Evans 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Dave Ward 21 Calum Waters 22 Ben Botica 23 Tim Swiel

SCORERS T: Merrick, Chisholm C: Nick Evans (2) P: Nick Evans (2), Botica Tebaldi

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 Luther Burrell 12 Harry Mallinder 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Tom Kessell 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 James Wilson

SCORERS T: Day, Burrell, Foden C: Myler (2), Hanrahan P: Myler, Hanrahan Wood

Referee: Greg Garner

 

WASPS 9 - 8 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Ricoh Arena - Saturday 06 February 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-3 Att: 12,392

 

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Brendan Macken 12 James Downey 11 Josh Bassett 10 JIMMY GOPPERTH (C) 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 Thomas Young 6 Alex Rieder 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Gaskell 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Edd Shervington 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Matt Mullan 18 Phil Swainston 19 James Cannon 20 George Smith 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Siale Piutau

SCORERS P: Gopperth (3)

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Adam Powell 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Giovanbattista Venditti 10 Andy Goode 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Richard Mayhew Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Marcus Watson

SCORERS T: Latu P: Goode Venditti

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 3 - 10 SALE SHARKS

Welford Road - Saturday 06 February 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-3 Att: 22,737

 

TIGERS: 15 Tommy Bell 14 Peter Betham 13 Mathew Tait 12 Matt Smith 11 Telusa Veainu 10 Freddie Burns 9 Sam Harrison 8 Jordan Crane 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Mike Fitzgerald 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Fraser Balmain 2 TOM YOUNGS (C) 1 Logovi'i Mulipola BENCH: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Greg Bateman 19 Ed Slater 20 Tom Croft 21 Jono Kitto 22 Gonzalo Camacho 23 Jack Roberts

SCORERS P: Burns

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 JOSH BEAUMONT (C) 7 TJ Ioane 6 Cameron Neild 5 Andrei Ostrikov 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Jonathan Mills 20 David Seymour 21 Peter Stringer 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS T: Beaumont C: Cipriani P: Cipriani

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

EXETER CHIEFS 11 - 14 SARACENS

Sandy Park - Sunday 07 February 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 11-5 Att: 12,450

 

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Ollie Atkins 3 Moray Low 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Harry Williams 19 Lewis Stevenson 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Max Bodilly

SCORERS T: Short P: Steenson (2)

SARACENS: 15 Ben Ransom 14 Mike Ellery 13 Nick Tomkins 12 Brad Barritt (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Samu Vunisa 7 Kelly Brown 6 Jackson Wray 5 Jim Hamilton 4 Hayden Smith 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Rhys Gill 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Maro Itoje 20 Jacques Burger 21 Ben Spencer 22 Nils Mordt 23 Nathan Earle

SCORERS T: Vunisa P: Hodgson (3)

Referee: Tom Foley

 

LONDON IRISH 20 - 13 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 07 February 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 10-3 Att: 5,837

 

IRISH: 15 Andrew Fenby 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Fergus Mulchrone 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Shane Geraghty 9 Scott Steele 8 Rob McCusker 7 Luke Narraway 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Will Lloyd 4 Matt Symons 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Ian Nagle 20 Tom Guest 21 Darren Allinson 22 Johnny Williams 23 Theo Brophy-Clews

SCORERS T: Hearn, Fenby C: Geraghty (2) P: Geraghty (2) Paice

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Luke Baldwin 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Matt Cox 6 Phil Dowson 5 Tevita Cavubati 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 James Johnston 19 Dan Sanderson 20 Marco Mama 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Andy Symons

SCORERS T: Heem, Rapava P: Mills Heem, O'Callaghan

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

 

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WASPS moved up to fifth in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table with a convincing 24-11 win over Northampton Saints at Franklin's Gardens with the first match of the weekend. Coming into the game off the back of their impressive victory over Leinster at the Ricoh Arena, Wasps continued their fine form with a blistering opening 40 minutes. Three tries from Dan Robson, Rob Miller and Josh Bassett gave them a commanding 24-3 lead at the break, leaving Franklin's Gardens stunned. And while Northampton recovered to have the better of the second half in tricky conditions, they never really threatened a comeback, slipping to a first home loss to Wasps in over a decade. The only disappointment for Dai Young will be his side's failure to pick up a try-bonus point, but they closed the gap on the top four and the play-off places.

NEV EDWARDS continued his run of try-scoring form with a double at the AJ Bell Stadium as Sale Sharks eased past London Irish, 38-10. Sale - beaten just once on home soil in Aviva Premiership Rugby in the last 12 months - held a slender lead at the break, after an Exiles penalty try followed scores for Brian Mujati and TJ Ioane. Sam James got the second half off to a flying start with the home side's third try before Edwards, who had scored four in his last three games in all competitions, crossed over twice in the space of seven minutes. And Sam Tuitupou rubbed some salt into the Exiles' wounds with a sixth try ten minutes from time.

TOMMY BELL's last-gasp conversion of Logovi'i Mulipola's try gave Leicester Tigers a dramatic 19-18 victory over Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm. Freddie Burns' struggles from the kicking tee appeared to have cost the Tigers the game against his former club, the homeside leading 15-7 at the break. But with Ben Morgan in the sin bin, the Tigers made their man advantage count late on as the impressive Mathew Tait got free and fed Mulipola. That was the Tigers' third try of the match but they still needed Bell - who took over the kicking duties following the withdrawal of Burns - to hold his nerve. Earlier two quickfire Gloucester tries from James Hook and Morgan looked to have been enough for the home side but the Tigers came back through Marcos Ayerza and Telusa Veainu's scores. And in the final moments it was Mulipola who ended Gloucester unbeaten home run that stretched back to November in all competitions and keep the Tigers third in Aviva Premiership Rugby.

SARACENS remain unbeaten at home this season after Maro Itoje's late show undid a fine defensive performance from Bath Rugby. Rhys Priestland had scored two penalties and converted an early Tom Homer try at the break, whilst the hosts had a perfectly decent try disallowed for an alleged forward pass; if there was ever a time to defer to the TMO. But Saracens proceeded to chip away at the visitors’ 13-point lead after the interval. Charlie Hodgson struck twice from the tee before coming up inches short of crossing the whitewash, but ferocious Bath defence was eventually undone by Itoje. The 21-year-old lock, sent back to Saracens by England coach Eddie Jones last week, powered deep into Bath territory before Schalk Brits crossed and Hodgson converted to level the scores. Former England fly-half Hodgson struck a further two penalties, the first after smart work from Itoje at the breakdown, condemning Bath to a sixth league defeat in nine games. But it had taken Saracens' biggest ever comeback in Aviva Premiership Rugby, after scoring 19 unanswered points, in a match that at half would have been the perfect cure for chronic insomnia. Bath did, however, come away with their fourth losing bonus point to keep away from the bottom three in the table.

NEWCASTLE FALCONS mounted a spectacular fightback against Harlequins to snatch a fourth successive Kingston Park victory on Sunday. Rob Vickers was the hero with a try three minutes from time, the prop profiting from a series of pick and go drives near the Harlequins tryline. Andy Goode added the conversion in a killer contribution from the veteran stand-off, who had earlier slotted three well-taken penalties to draw the sides level. Such late drama seemed inconceivable when Newcastle raced into a 10-0 lead, dominating the opening half but conceding a try to Charlie Walker on 38 minutes which cut their half time lead to three points. Quins then surged 19-10 up thanks to a blistering third quarter with a brace for Walker and a third try from Dave Ward, before Newcastle spurred into action in a comeback which sent Kingston Park berserk, subjecting Quins to their biggest defeat of the season, previously only narrowly beaten by the Chiefs and the Tigers.

THE Aviva Premiership leading try scorer, Thomas Waldrom, spearheaded Exeter Chiefs' bonus-point win at Worcester Warriors that closed the gap on Saracens at the top of the table. Exeter Chiefs maintained their lofty status with a powerful second half performance saw them to victory over Worcester Warriors. Having netted first half tries through James Short and Ian Whitten, one of which was converted by Gareth Steenson, Rob Baxter’s side were unable to shake off the Worcester shackles. Four first half penalties from Tom Heathcote ensured the two turned round all level at 12-apiece and although the Scotsman added a fifth kick early in the second half, it was scant reward as the Devonians finally kicked into gear. No.8 Waldrom -the forward who has convinced himself he’s a back- burrowed over from close range for his 28th try in 41 Exeter appearances, before Don Armand wrapped up the bonus point with the fourth touchdown. Steenson rounded proceedings off for the visitors kicking the remainder of their points to set-up a mouth-watering first versus second battle against Saracens at Sandy Park in Week 11.

RESULTS

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 11 - 24 WASPS

Franklin's Gardens - Friday 29 January 2016
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-24 Att: 14,889

SAINTS: 15 Harry Mallinder 14 Jamie Elliott 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Tom Collins 10 Stephen Myler 9 Tom Kessell 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Teimana Harrison 6 Tom Wood 5 Victor Matfield 4 Michael Paterson 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mike Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Matt Williams 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 James Craig 20 Christian Day 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 James Wilson

SCORERS T: Dickinson P: Myler (2)

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Frank Halai 13 Brendan Macken 12 James Downey 11 Josh Bassett 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 GEORGE SMITH (C) 6 Alex Rieder 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Gaskell 3 Jake Cooper Woolley 2 Edd Shervington 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Phil Swainston 19 James Cannon 20 Thomas Young 21 Jamie Stevenson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Robson, Miller, Bassett C: Gopperth (3) P: Gopperth Hughes

Referee: Thomas Foley

 

SALE SHARKS 38 - 10 LONDON IRISH

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 30 January 2016
KO: 14:30 HT: 12-10 Att: 6,461

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Will Addison 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 2 Tommy Taylor 3 Brian Mujati 4 Bryn Evans 5 Andrei Ostrikov 6 TJ Ioane 7 DAVID SEYMOUR (C) 8 Josh Beaumont BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Ross Harrison 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Cameron Neild 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Tom Arscott

SCORERS T: Mujati, Ioane, James, Edwards (2), Tuitupou C: Cipriani (3), Ford

IRISH 15 Sean Maitland 14 Topsy Ojo 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Shane Geraghty 9 Brendan McKibbin 1 Tom Court 2 David Paice 3 Halani Aulika 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 5 Will Lloyd 6 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Conor Gilsenan 8 Luke Narraway BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Johnny Harris 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Rob McCusker 21 Scott Steele 22 Theo Brophy Clews 23 Andrew Fenby

SCORERS T: PT C: Geraghty P: Geraghty

Referee: Greg Garner

 

GLOUCESTER 18 - 19 LEICESTER TIGERS

Kingsholm - Saturday 30 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 15-7 Att: 16,115

 

GLOUCESTER: 15 Steve McColl 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Billy Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 David Halaifonua 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Jacob Rowan 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 Paul Doran-Jones 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Nick Wood 18 Nicky Thomas 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Matt Kvesic 21 Greig Laidlaw 22 Billy Burns 23 Mark Atkinson

SCORERS T: Hook, Morgan C: Hook P: Hook (2)

TIGERS: 15 Tommy Bell 14 Peter Betham 13 MATHEW TAIT (C) 12 Matt Smith 11 Telusa Veainu 10 Freddie Burns 9 Sam Harrison 1 Marcos Ayerza 2 Greg Bateman 3 Fraser Balmain 4 Dom Barrow 5 Graham Kitchener 6 Mike Fitzgerald 7 Tom Croft 8 Lachlan McCaffrey BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Logovi'i Mulipola 19 Sebastian de Chaves 20 Jordan Crane 21 Jono Kitto 22 Gonzalo Camacho 23 Jack Roberts

SCORERS T: Ayerza, Veainu, Mulipola C: Burns, Bell

Referee: JP Doyle

 

SARACENS 19 - 13 BATH RUGBY

Allianz Park - Saturday 30 January 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 0-13 Att: 10,000

 

SARACENS: 15 Ben Ransom 14 Duncan Taylor 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Richard Wigglesworth 1 Richard Barrington 2 Schalk Brits 3 Petrus Du Plessis 4 Maro Itoje 5 Jim Hamilton 6 Michael Rhodes 7 Jacques Burger 8 Jackson Wray BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Hayden Thompson-Stringer 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Hayden Smith 20 Kelly Brown 21 Ben Spencer 22 Nils Mordt 23 Nick Tompkins

SCORERS T: Brits C: Hodgson P: Hodgson (4)

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Dan Bowden 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 1 Nick Auterac 2 Rob Webber 3 Henry Thomas 4 Charlie Ewels 5 Dominic Day 6 Matt Garvey 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 8 Leroy Houston BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Tom Ellis 20 Guy Mercer 21 Alafoti Fa’osiliva 22 Jonathan Evans 23 Max Clark

SCORERS T: Homer C: Priestland P: Priestland (2) Wilson

Referee: Dean Richards

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 26 - 19 HARLEQUINS

Kingston Park - Sunday 31 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-7 Att: 6,539

 

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Giamba Venditti 10 Craig Willis 9 Michael Young 1 Rob Vickers 2 Scott Lawson 3 Taione Vea 4 Mark Wilson 5 Sean Robinson 6 Will Welch 7 Nili Latu 8 Ally Hogg BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Eric Fry 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Richard Mayhew 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Andy Goode 23 Adam Powell

SCORERS T: Lawson, Vickers C: Willis, Goode P: Willis, Goode (3)

HARLEQUINS: 15 Ross Chisholm 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Charlie Walker 10 NICK EVANS (C) 9 Tito Tebaldi 1 Mark Lambert 2 Rob Buchanan 3 Will Collier 4 James Horwill 5 Charlie Matthews 6 Luke Wallace 7 Dave Ward 8 Mat Luamanu BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 George Merrick 20 James Chisholm 21 Calum Waters 22 Ben Botica 23 Tim Swiel

SCORERS T: Walker (2), Ward C: Nick Evans (2)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

WORCESTER 15 - 30 EXETER CHIEFS

Sixways - Sunday 31 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 12-12 Att: 8,215

 

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Luke Baldwin 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 2 Niall Annett 3 Nick Schonert 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 5 Darren Barry 6 Phil Dowson 7 Marco Mama 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Ryan Bower 19 James Johnston 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Matt Cox 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Andy Symons 23 Dean Hammond

SCORERS P: Heathcote (5)

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Michele Campanaro 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 1 Alec Hepburn 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 3 Tomas Francis 4 Jonny Hill 5 Geoff Parling 6 Don Armand 7 Julian Salvi 8 Thomas Waldrom BENCH: 16 Luke Cowan-Dickie 17 Ben Moon 18 Alex Brown 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Sam Hill

SCORERS T: Short, Whitten, Waldrom, Armand C: Steenson (2) P: Steenson (2)

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

 

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A free-scoring Thomas Waldrom took his tally to six Aviva Premiership Rugby tries for the season as Exeter Chiefs preserved their superb home record with victory over Gloucester Rugby. Waldrom scored a quickfire double in the first half to help Exeter motor out of sight, and the No.8's try-line exploits are another timely reminder to England boss Eddie Jones with the Six Nations looming. As for Exeter, since losing 26-25 to the Cherry and Whites on January 3 last year - Chiefs 100th game in the Premiership - the Devon side have won 14 matches in all competitions at Sandy Park. And Rob Baxter's men were never going to let that record slip after recording their seventh win from their opening nine Premiership games. For Gloucester, who went into the game five games unbeaten in all competitions, it is now just one away win from their last ten league fixtures. But the visitors only had themselves to blame for an error-strewn first half which the Chiefs took full advantage of.

THE boot of Ben Botica finally condemned 14-man Saracens to their first defeat of the season as Harlequins ran out 29-23 winners after a sensational contest at the Stoop. In progressively sodden conditions, Quins remarkably led 15-14 at the interval despite Saracens dominating the opening 20 minutes, twice fighting back with tries from Rob Buchanan and Jack Clifford cancelling out Neil de Kock and Billy Vunipola's efforts. After Owen Farrell put the visitors ahead early in the second period with two penalties, he and Botica exchanged kicks from the tee until Rhys Gill saw red for a dangerous tackle on George Lowe, though Petrus du Plessis was just as complicit. And Kiwi fly-half, Botica held his nerve to send Quins clear as they made their extra man count, with James Horwill also crossing in the dying moments, going to hero from zero for his churlish first  half yellow card which took out England Rugby’s George Kruis. Lock Kruis had been stretchered off from being knocked out cold, but post match was reported as just concussed, with no other serious injuries. Quins clinched only their second victory in the last 15 matches against Mark McCall's side, and managed to inflict three tries on the North Londoners who so far this season had conceded only 8 tries in 12 weeks of rugby across all tournaments.

FLYHALF Freddie Burns held his nerve at the death, kicking Leicester Tigers to a narrow victory over Northampton Saints in a thrilling East Midlands Aviva Premiership Rugby derby at Welford Road. The Tigers had led 21-0 at one stage in the first half with three converted tries, however a spirited Saints fight-back had the scores level at 27-27 with time almost up. But a late penalty conceded by Courtney Lawes allowed replacement Burns to seal the win for the hosts from straight in front. The Tigers made a pre-match statement in naming Manu Tuilagi on their bench in place of Vereniki Goneva, while Dylan Hartley was replaced by Matt Williams in Saints' replacements. Leicester also welcomed back England front-row duo Tom Youngs and Dan Cole, while Owen Williams started at fly-half for the first time since December 12.

SHANE GERAGHTY's second-half introduction injected life into London Irish but the hosts were made to stave off a spirited Newcastle Falcons comeback before completing a crucial victory. After a first 40 which saw Irish fly-half Chris Noakes slot two penalties, Alex Lewington collected Geraghty's kick-off and raced over in an explosive start to the second half. And moments later Geraghty lofted the ball skywards for Topsy Ojo to collect and dot down for his first try since March 2014. The replacement fly half converted both and just five minutes into the half, Irish secured their 20 points. Falcons replied with a try from Nili Latu, and another from Marcus Watson, converted by Andy Goode to add to his earlier penalty resulting from David Paice’s sin binning for a high tackle; Goode was making his first appearance returning to rugby having retired after signing a contract with London Irish. But the missed penalty and conversion by the visitors was the difference, and the Falcons had to return to the North East with just a losing bonus point.

FRANK HALAI's last-gasp try set Wasps on course for a crucial 32-22 victory over Worcester Warriors in a thrilling encounter at the Ricoh Arena. Trailing 13-0 in the first half, and then by nine points heading into the last ten minutes, Wasps showed their resolve to come back, with Halai, a last-minute inclusion, finishing on the left after good work from Rob Miller. And Wasps rubbed salt into the wounds with a fourth try in the final seconds from Sailosi Tagicakibau to seal an improbable bonus point, cruelly denying Worcester anything in the process.

RESULTS

BATH RUGBY P-P SALE SHARKS

Recreation Ground - Friday 08 January 2016
KO: P-P

 

EXETER CHIEFS 19 - 10 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Sandy Park - Saturday 09 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 19-0 Att: 12,600

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Olly Woodburn 13 Jack Nowell 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Ollie Atkins 3 Tomas Francis 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Alec Hepburn BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Ben Moon 18 Moray Low 19 Jonny Hill 20 Kai Horstmann 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Michele Campagnaro

SCORERS T: Waldrom (2), Woodburn C: Steenson (2)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Henry Purdy 10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 Nicky Thomas 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Nick Wood BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Dan Murphy 18 Paddy McAllister 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Ross Moriarty 21 Willi Heinz 22 Billy Burns 23 Mark Atkinson

SCORERS T: Sharples C: Burns P: Laidlaw

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

HARLEQUINS 29 - 23 SARACENS

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 09 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 15-14 Att: 14,800

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Ross Chisholm 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Jack Clifford 7 Luke Wallace 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Charlie Matthews 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Rob Buchanan 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Seb Adeniran-Olule 18 Joe Gray19 George Merrick 20 Harry Sloan 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Charlie Walker

SCORERS T: Buchanan, Clifford, Horwill C: Evans P: Evans, Botica (3) Horwill

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 Duncan Taylor 11 Mike Ellery 10 Owen Farrell 9 Neil de Kock 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Will Fraser 6 Jackson Wray 5 George Kruis 4 Jim Hamilton 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 JAMIE GEORGE (C) 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Rhys Gill 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Maro Itoje 20 Jacques Burger 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Nick Tompkins

SCORERS T: de Kock, Billy Vunipola C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (3) Gill

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 30 - 27 NORTHAMPTON

Welford Road - Saturday 09 January 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 21-10 Att: 25,849

TIGERS: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Peter Betham 13 Mathew Tait 12 Matt Smith 11 Adam Thompstone 10 Owen Williams 9 Ben Youngs 8 Lachlan McCaffrey 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Mike Fitzgerald 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Sebastian de Chaves 3 Dan Cole 2 TOM YOUNGS (C) 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Laurence Pearce 20 Tom Croft 21 Sam Harrison 22 Freddie Burns 23 Manu Tuilagi

SCORERS T: Smith, McCaffrey, Williams C: Williams (3) P: Burns (3) Cole

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Jamie Elliott 13 George North 12 Luther Burrell 11 Tom Collins 10 JJ Hanrahan 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Teimana Harrison 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Victor Matfield 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Paul Hill 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Matti Williams 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Christian Day 20 Tom Wood 21 Tom Kessell 22 Stephen Myler 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Harrison, North, Gibson C: Hanrahan (2), Myler P: Hanrahan, Myler

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

LONDON IRISH 20 - 15 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 10 January 2016
KO: 13:00 HT: 6-0 Att: 5,558

 

IRISH: 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Luke Narraway 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Will Lloyd 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 3 Ben Franks 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Halani Aulika 19 Joe Trayfoot 20 Blair Cowan 21 Darren Allinson 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Lewington, Ojo C: Geraghty (2) P: Noakes (2) Paice

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Craig Willis 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Paddy Ryan 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Alex Rogers 18 Taione Vea 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Todd Clever 21 Jamie Booth 22 Andy Goode 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS T: Latu, Watson C: Goode P: Goode

Referee: JP Doyle

 

WASPS 32 - 22 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 10 January 2016
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-13 Att: 13,040

 

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Joe Simpson 8 Sam Jones 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Kearnan Myall 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Edd Shervington 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Phil Swainston 19 Bradley Davies 20 Guy Thompson 21 Dan Robson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Myall, Thompson, Halai, Tagicakibau C: Gopperth (3) P: Gopperth (2)

WORCESTER: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Tom Biggs 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Andy Symons 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Ryan Mills 9 Charlie Mulchrone 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Sam Betty 6 Matt Cox 5 Tevita Cavubati 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Ryan Bower 18 Gareth Milasinovich 19 Darren O'Shea 20 Marco Mama 21 Luke Baldwin 22 Tiff Eden 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS T: Vuna C: Symons P: Symons (5) Cox

Referee: Matt Carley

 

 

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NORTHAMPTON SAINTS ended Exeter Chiefs' six-match winning run in Aviva Premiership Rugby with an 8-3 victory in front of a modern day record crowd of more than 15,000 at Franklin's Gardens. Saints had previously lost four of their seven Aviva Premiership Rugby matches this season but they managed to nullify the division's in-form team, second-placed Exeter. Mike Haywood's try in the opening quarter and a penalty from JJ Hanrahan was enough for victory, although Gareth Steenson's late penalty did maintain Exeter's record of scoring in every one of their Aviva Premiership Rugby matches. Northampton moved to within two points of the play-offs, as Exeter's losing bonus point lifted them to within a point of leaders Saracens - who play Leicester Tigers in their game in hand on Saturday.

A dominant second-half display from Gloucester Rugby ensured London Irish could not take a second Premiership scalp in as many weekends. The Exiles, who clinched a thrilling 25-23 victory over Northampton Saints last time out, opened up a 14-6 half-time lead at a sold-out Kingsholm, thanks to tries from Ciaran Hearn and Alex Lewington. James Hook kicked the hosts into a narrow lead after the break as the Gloucester pack - inspired by Kiwi lock Jeremy Thrush - took command of the contest. Matt Kvesic then scored off the back of a rolling maul to give Gloucester some breathing space and Billy Burns struck shortly after appearing off the bench to wrap things up.

CRAIG WILLIS slotted two late penalties to secure Newcastle Falcons their first Premiership victory of the season and lift them off the foot of the table. The Falcons - who had not beaten Bath Rugby at Kingston Park since 2003 - scored their only try through Rob Vickers in the first half and led 13-8 at half-time in miserable conditions. Mike Ford's Bath side - runners up last year - had taken the lead early on through Guy Mercer's try and despite falling behind re-established the lead in the second half thanks to the boot of Rhys Priestland. But the 20-year-old Willis- wayward from the tee for much of the match - held his nerve late on to give director of rugby Dean Richards something to smile about and secure a famous win.

LEICESTER TIGERS entered this game hopeful of a first win at Allianz Park only for the Saracens forwards to blow them away, earning a hat-trick of penalty tries as the visitors ended the day on the wrong end of a 26-6 defeat. It was the first time in Aviva Premiership history a side had notched a penalty try treble, with Jamie George grabbing the other score from close range as Sarries secured the bonus point and extended their unbeaten run this season. Leicester, who started the game third in the table and on a three-game winning streak, were undermined by injuries to England stars Tom Croft (head knock) and skipper Ed Slater (tweaked knee) in the first half and had no answer to Sarries' power after the break. But Head Coach Richard Cockerill made no excuses in the match post mortem, admitting Saracens had out-played them hanging them a rotten start to the new year, and his Tigers were woefully poor, with those handed the opportunity to start and make their mark, perform in lack-lustre fashion. Saracens remain unbeaten in both the Premiership and Europe.

SALE SHARKS pulled away at the death thanks to Danny Cipriani's eagle-eyed kicking, as they ended their four-game winless streak with a dogged victory over Wasps. In conditions hardly favourable to running rugby, this was a war of attrition that Cipriani settled at the end by keeping his cool with a penalty and then a drop-goal in the last five minutes against his former club. Wasps, who have now suffered three consecutive defeats in the league following their fine run in Europe, took a 6-3 half-time lead in thanks to Jimmy Gopperth's penalty and an Elliot Daly drop-goal. Cipriani also notched a penalty before missing a drop-goal in the first half, but atoned for his error by notching 12 further points after the break in an all-action display.

CHARLIE WALKER's double helped Harlequins climb to third in the table but they had to hold off a stirring Worcester Warriors comeback at Sixways on Sunday. Walker and Luke Wallace went over for first-half scores for the visitors - who have not lost to Worcester since February 2005 - and when the winger bagged his second soon after the break Quins looked home and hosed leading 24-3. But three Warriors tries in the second half from Marco Mama, a penalty try and Phil Dowson closed the gap to four points and Conor O'Shea's side had to cling on in the end. The visitors' cause was not helped by yellow cards to both George Lowe and Jamie Roberts, but in the end they just about merited their victory and leapfrog Leicester Tigers in the table. For Dean Ryan's troops defeat keeps them down in tenth in the table but they claim a losing bonus point as consolation and become the first team in Quins' last eight matches to deny the Londoners a four-try bonus point.

RESULTS

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 8 - 3 EXETER CHIEFS

Franklin's Gardens - Friday 01 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 8-0 Att: 15,430

SAINTS: 15 BEN FODEN (C) 14 Tom Collins 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 JJ Hanrahan 9 Kahn Fotuali'i 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Teimana Harrison 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Victor Matfield 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Paul Hill 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Dylan Hartley 17 Ethan Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Christian Day 20 Michael Paterson 21 Lee Dickson 22 Stephen Myler 23 Harry Mallinder

SCORERS T: Hayward P: Hanrahan

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Michele Campagnaro 12 Ian Whitten 11 Olly Woodburn 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Tom Johnson 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Carl Rimmer 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Ben White 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 James Short

SCORERS P: Steenson

Referee: JP Doyle

 

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 27 - 14 LONDON IRISH

Kingsholm - Saturday 02 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 6-14 Att: 16,115

 

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Henry Purdy 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 Nicky Thomas 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Nick Wood BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Dan Murphy 18 Paddy McAllister 19 Ben Morgan 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Greig Laidlaw 22 Billy Burns 23 Mark Atkinson

SCORERS T: Kvesic, Burns C: Hook P: Hook (5)

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan 6 Luke Narraway 5 Will Lloyd 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 3 Ben Franks 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Halani Aulika 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Scott Steele 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Topsy Ojo

SCORERS T: Hearn, Lewington C: Noakes (2) Lewington

Referee: Tom Foley

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 19 - 14 BATH RUGBY

Kingston Park - Saturday 02 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 14-8 Att: 7,075

 

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Craig Willis 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Ally Hogg 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Jon Welsh 2 George McGuigan 1 Tom Dunn BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Paddy Ryan 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Todd Clever 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Tom Catterick 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS T: Vickers C: Willis P: Willis (4)

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Horacio Agulla 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Niko Matawalu 8 David Denton 7 GUY MERCER (C) 6 Leroy Houston 5 Charlie Ewels 4 Matt Garvey 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Rob Webber 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Dominic Day 20 Francois Louw 21 Jonathan Evans 22 George Ford 23 Anthony Watson

SCORERS T: Garvey P: Priestland (3) Thomas

Referee: Matt Carley

 

SARACENS 26 - 6 LEICESTER TIGERS

Allianz Park - Saturday 02 January 2016
KO: 15:15 HT: 7-6 Att: 10,000

 

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 BRAD BARRITT (C) 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Will Fraser 6 Michael Rhodes 5 George Kruis 4 Maro Itoje 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Rhys Gill 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Jim Hamilton 20 Jackson Wray 21 Neil De Kock 22 Owen Farrell 23 Duncan Taylor

SCORERS T: PT (3), George C: Hodgson (2), Farrell

TIGERS: 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Gonzalo Camacho 13 Mathew Tait 12 Seremaia Bai 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Sam Harrison 8 Laurence Pearce 7 Tom Croft 6 ED SLATER (C) 5 Graham Kitchener 4 Dom Barrow 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Harry Thacker 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Dan Cole 19 Mike Fitzgerald 20 Lachlan McCaffrey 21 Ben Youngs 22 Owen Williams 23 Adam Thompstone

SCORERS P: Burns (2) Cole

Referee: Greg Garner

 

SALE SHARKS 15 - 9 WASPS

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 02 January 2016
KO: 17:30 HT: 3-6 Att: 7,619

 

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Josh Beaumont 7 David Seymour 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Cameron Neild 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 Mark Easter 21 Peter Stringer 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS P: Cipriani (4) DG: Cipriani

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Frank Halai 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Charles Piutau 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Joe Simpson 8 Sam Jones 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 James Gaskell 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Edd Shervington 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Phil Swainston 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Thomas Young 21 Dan Robson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS P: Gopperth (2) DG: Daly

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 20 - 24 HARLEQUINS

Sixways - Sunday 03 January 2016
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-17 Att: 9,035

 

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Marco Mama 6 Matt Cox 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Ryan Bower 18 Gareth Milasinovich 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Sam Betty 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Tom Biggs

SCORERS T: Mama, PT, Dowson C: Mills P: Heathcote

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Charlie Walker 13 George Lowe 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Ross Chisholm 10 Nick Evans 9 Danny Care (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Charlie Matthews 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Dave Ward 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Owen Evans 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 George Merrick 20 Jack Clifford 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Harry Sloan

SCORERS T: Walker (2), Wallace C: Nick Evans (3) P: Nick Evans Lowe, Roberts

Referee: Andrew Small

 

 

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LONDON IRISH's first Aviva Premiership Rugby victory under Tom Coventry could not have arrived in more dramatic fashion after a last-gasp converted penalty try ended a rollercoaster victory over Northampton Saints. Irish, who had lost all of their previous six games, earned a penalty try from referee Ian Tempest with two minutes to go, and Shane Geraghty's successful conversion secured a 25-23 victory. Northampton had looked set to claim the spoils after Kahn Fotuali'i put last season's table-toppers ahead for the first time in the match. But after Jamie Gibson was sin-binned with four minutes to go, they cracked under Irish pressure. It sparked much merriment at the Madejski as Irish celebrated a shock success that gets them up and running this season. They had surged into a 15-3 lead, with Luke Narraway and Sean Maitland scoring, but Northampton responded through Ken Pisi and George North before Fotuali'i put them in front. Irish were to have the final say though, meaning Northampton have now won just three of their opening seven league games.

JAMES SHORT bagged a bonus-point to help settle a helter-skelter game against Sale Sharks in favour of Exeter Chiefs, who remain on course in after winning their sixth league game of the season. Chiefs crossed through Thomas Waldrom and Will Chudley in the first half but Danny Cipriani's eagle-eyed kicking, allied to Will Addison's score, meant the teams went in at half-time on ten points apiece. Josh Beaumont then nudged the visitors ahead early in the second half, but back came Chiefs via the impressive Chudley and Gareth Steenson, who was not at his most accurate from the tee, nevertheless came through with an important penalty. Then Short, denied by the TMO before the break, gave Exeter breathing room - Steenson's conversion took the game out of a score's reach and Tom Johnson added gloss to the win.

LEICESTER TIGERS were denied a try-bonus point but battled to a 22-10 victory over Newcastle Falcons to continue their fine Premiership run this season. Newcastle made the better start and led 10-0 early on thanks to a try from Nili Latu, but they could not build on that platform and eventually came away with nothing. Despite blowing a couple of great chances, Leicester did draw level by half-time, taking advantage of Falcons losing two men to the bin to cross through Telusa Veainu. With the sides level at 10-10 at the break, Tigers flew out of the blocks in the second half, with a try from Peter Betham, before Laurence Pearce sealed the win late on.

SARACENS start 2016 on top of the table after Duncan Taylor and Owen Farrell's one-two punch in the second half broke Wasps' resolve. Mark McCall's side, still unbeaten both domestically and in Europe this season, enjoyed the better of the exchanges before the break but only led 6-3 at half time through two Farrell penalties to Jimmy Gopperth's one. Wasps threatened upon the restart and got back onto level terms, but Farrell and Taylor combined exquisitely for the two quickfire tries on the hour that ultimately settled the game. Frank Halai hit back but it was too little too late for Wasps, who nevertheless became the first side to score a try against Saracens at home to this season.

BATH RUGBY moved back into the top half of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table with a hard-fought 21-14 win over Worcester Warriors at the Rec. First-half scores from Ollie Devoto and Horacio Agulla allowed Bath to open up a 15-11 lead at the break, with Cooper Vuna crossing for the visitors. And the second half was much tighter with defences dominating as two Rhys Priestland penalties proved enough for the win.

NICK EVANS failed with a last-gasp drop goal attempt as Harlequins and Gloucester Rugby could not be separated in a thrilling ten-try game at Twickenham. Gloucester led 17-15 at half-time thanks to tries from Jeremy Thrush and James Hook, with Harlequins replying through scores for Marland Yarde and Danny Care. And this see-saw affair continued after the break as two Henry Trinder interception tries and scores for Nick Easter and Ross Chisholm in reply saw the sides locked at 29-29 after an hour. Shortly afterwards Laidlaw nudged the Cherry and Whites back in front with a penalty before Cook scored a superb solo try to put Gloucester in control heading into the final ten minutes. But an Evans penalty and conversion from a second Chisholm score saw the teams locked at 39-39 apiece heading into the closing stages, the Kiwi No.10 just 5” wide with a drop goal attempt with seconds left as they could not be separated. Both sides came away with three points on the table, 2, each for the draw and another for the bonus point tries.

RESULTS

LONDON IRISH 25 - 23 NORTHAMPTON

Madejski Stadium - Saturday 26 December 2015
KO: 14:30 HT: 15-8 Att: 9,842

 

IRISH: 15 Sean Maitland 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Johnny Williams 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan 6 Luke Narraway 5 Will Lloyd 4 MATT SYMONS (C) 3 Ben Franks 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Jimmy Stevens 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Halani 'Aulika 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Joe Trayfoot 21 Scott Steele 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Narraway, Maitland, PT C: Noakes, Geraghty P: Noakes (2) Tikoiratuma

SAINTS: 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 Kahn Fotuali’i 8 Teimana Harrison 7 Jamie Gibson 6 Courtney Lawes 5 Christian Day 4 Michael Paterson 3 Paul Hill 2 DYLAN HARTLEY (C) 1 Ethan Waller BENCH: 16 Mikey Haywood 17 Alex Waller 18 Gareth Denman 19 Victor Matfield 20 Sam Dickinson 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Tom Collins

SCORERS T: Ken Pisi, North, Fotuali'i C: Meyer P: Myler (2) Gibson

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

EXETER CHIEFS 33 - 17 SALE SHARKS

Sandy Park - Saturday 26 December 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-10 Att: 12,425

 

CHIEFS: 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Don Armand 5 Geoff Parling 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Carl Rimmer 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Tom Johnson 21 Dave Lewis 22 Will Hooley 23 Michele Campagnaro

SCORERS T: Waldrom, Chudley (2), Short, Johnson C: Steenson P: Steenson, Hooley

SHARKS: 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Josh Beaumont 7 TJ Ioane 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Bryn Evans 4 Jonathan Mills 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Cameron Neild 17 Eifion Lewis-Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 Mark Easter 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Addison, Beaumont C: Cipriani (2) P: Cipriani Haley

Referee: Dean Richards

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 22 - 10 FALCONS

Welford Road - Saturday 26 December 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-10 Att: 21,564

 

TIGERS: 15 Mathew Tait 14 Telusa Veainu 13 Peter Betham 12 Matt Smith 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Freddie Burns 9 Ben Youngs 8 Laurence Pearce 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 ED SLATER (C) 4 Dom Barrow 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Harry Thacker 1 Logovi'i Mulipola BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Matias Aguero 18 Dan Cole 19 Sebastian De Chaves 20 Opeti Fonua 21 Sam Harrison 22 Tommy Bell 23 Seremaia Bai

SCORERS T: Veainu, Betham, Pearce C: Burns (2) P: Burns Balmain

FALCONS: 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Belisario Agulla 12 Chris Harris 11 Marcus Watson 10 Craig Willis 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Ally Hogg 5 Sean Robinson 4 Mark Wilson 3 Jon Welsh 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Taione Vea 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Todd Clever 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Tom Catterick 23 Juan Pablo Socino

SCORERS T: Latu C: Willis P: Willis Agulla, Wilson

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

WASPS 16 - 26 SARACENS

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 27 December 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 3-6 Att: 24,053

 

WASPS: 15 Rob Miller 14 Frank Halai 13 Elliot Daly 12 Alapati Leiua 11 Charles Piutau 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Guy Thompson 7 Thomas Young 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 James Gaskell 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Edd Shervington 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Phil Swainston 19 Bradley Davies 20 Sam Jones 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Halai C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (2), Daly

SARACENS: 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Duncan Taylor 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Will Fraser 6 Michael Rhodes 5 George Kruis 4 Maro Itoje 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jamie George 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Schalk Brits 17 Richard Barrington 18 Juan Figallo 19 Jim Hamilton 20 Kelly Brown 21 Ben Spencer 22 Charlie Hodgson 23 Marcelo Bosch

SCORERS T: Taylor, Farrell C: Farrell (2) P: Farrell (4)

Referee: JP Doyle

 

BATH RUGBY 21 - 14 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Recreation Ground - Sunday 27 December 2015
KO: 14:30 HT: 15-11 Att: 13,499

 

BATH: 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Horacio Agulla 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 8 David Denton 7 GUY MERCER (C) 6 Leroy Houston 5 Charlie Ewels 4 Matt Garvey 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nick Auterac 18 David Wilson 19 Dave Attwood 20 Francois Louw 21 Niko Matawalu 22 George Ford 23 Anthony Watson

SCORERS T: Devoto, Agulla C: Priestland P: Priestland (3)

WARRIORS: 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Sam Betty 6 Matt Cox 5 Darren Barry 4 Tevita Cavubati 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Ben Sowrey 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 Joe Rees 19 Donncha O'Callaghan 20 Marco Mama 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Andy Symons 23 Tom Biggs

SCORERS T: Vuna P: Heathcote (2), Mills

Referee: Tom Foley

 

HARLEQUINS 39 - 39 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Twickenham Stadium - Sunday 27 December 2015
KO: 16:30 HT: 15-17 Att: 70,718

 

HARLEQUINS: 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Jamie Roberts 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Jack Clifford 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Charlie Matthews 4 James Horwill 3 Will Collier 2 Dave Ward 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 George Merrick 20 Luke Wallace 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Yarde, Care, Easter, Chisholm (2) C: Evans (4) P: Evans (2)

GLOUCESTER: 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Henry Trinder 12 Billy Twelvetrees 11 Jonny May 10 James Hook 9 GREIG LAIDLAW (C) 8 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Mariano Galarza 4 Jeremy Thrush 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Dan Murphy BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Nicky Thomas 19 Tom Savage 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Willi Heinz 22 Billy Burns 23 Henry Purdy

SCORERS T: Thrush, Hook, Trinder (2), Cook C: Laidlaw (4) P: Laidlaw (2) Hibbard

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

 

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SIONE KALAMAFONI's second-half try double secured Gloucester Rugby their third Aviva Premiership Rugby victory of the season as Sale Sharks' travel woes continued at Kingsholm. Nev Edwards crossed twice for the Sharks but on a windy night in the West Country Steve Diamond's side slipped to their eighth successive league defeat on the road. Rob Cook crossed with only three minutes on the clock for the Cherry & Whites but Edwards soon replied with a magnificent score. His second soon after half-time - Twelvetrees and Cipriani both slotted a couple of penalties in between - put the visitors in front and with Richard Hibbard in the bin the Sharks looked dominant. But it was Kalamafoni who then took over, the Tongan crossing twice either side of the hour mark to put the hosts back in front and they held on to claim a vital win.

TIM VISSER grabbed a hat-trick of tries as Harlequins prolonged London Irish's wait for a first Aviva Premiership Rugby point of the season. The Scotland winger has made a flying start to life at the Stoop and showed off his eye for the line at the Exiles' expense as Harlequins - who have now lost just one of their last seven home games - showed their cutting edge. He crossed for the only try of the first half and added another shortly before the hour mark, ten minutes after captain Danny Care had scored a try of his own. Visser completed his treble ten minutes from time before Jack Clifford added some gloss to the scoreline with a fifth late on before Halani Aulika grabbed a consolation score.

WORCESTER WARRIORS were left to rue Donncha O'Callaghan's red card as Leicester Tigers left it late to secure a bonus point Aviva Premiership Rugby victory at Sixways. Having stormed into a 17-0 lead, Dean Ryan's Warriors side were slowly reeled in by the Tigers as ill discipline cost them dear. Four yellow cards in all were handed out to Worcester by referee Wayne Barnes and two of them went to O'Callaghan, the former Ireland lock given his marching orders shortly after half time. Scores from Wynand Olivier and Matt Cox had put the home side in front early on but Graham Kitchener's score before the break gave the Tigers a foothold. And after the break, with O'Callaghan sent off and Gareth Milasinovich in the sin bin the Tigers eventually made their numbers count as Telusa Veainu went over. Tom Heathcote kicked well for the Warriors to keep them in front but a penalty try and then replacement Lachlan McCaffrey's late effort sent the Tigers home with all five points. The Tigers have now won 12 in a row over Worcester and this was their fifth from six league games to continue their fine start to the campaign.

JJ Hanrahan's late penalty earned Northampton Saints a hard-fought victory over Bath Rugby, as they edged a battle of the set-pieces at the Rec. The 23-year-old's kick was all that troubled the scorers in a tense first half of patience and penalties which was just about edged by Northampton's pack. And it was Hanrahan who won it for Saints with a long-range penalty eight minutes from time, after Semesa Rokoduguni had cancelled out Luther Burrell's try in an entertaining second period.

THE Exeter Chiefs collected five valuable league points as they momentarily moved to the summit of the Premiership with victory over Wasps. Rob Baxter’s side delivered arguably their best display of the past 12 months, scoring six tries in the process, to ensure they will be in the division’s top two this yuletide. Thomas Waldrom led the way for the visitors, scoring a hat-trick of tries, whilst there were further touchdowns for Mitch Lees, Jack Nowell and Moray Low. Fly-half Gareth Steenson booted over the remainder of the Exeter points with another accomplished display. In reply, Wasps – who had not leaked a try at home all season until today – countered with scores of their own from Frank Halai, Ashley Johnson and Lorenzo Cittadini, whilst the prolific Jimmy Gopperth added a further 12 points with his metronomic right boot. The only downside for the Chiefs on a bright night in the Midlands, however, was the sight of England star Henry Slade being stretchered from the field late in the contest with a suspected broken leg.

SARACENS reclaimed their place at the summit of the Premiership Rugby table with a bonus-point 38-13 win over Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park. On his full debut Samuela Vunisa scored an early try as the defending champions opened up a 13-3 half-time lead. Nick Tompkins went over midway through the second half to consolidate the visitors' lead and Mark McCall's team once again showed their defensive structure in frustrating the Falcons. And man of the match Charlie Hodgson capped things off with an interception try to finish, showing a surprising turn of speed to race over and run in a third try before Billy Vunipola sealed the bonus point at the death. As a result Saracens move back ahead of Exeter Chiefs at the top of the table with a sixth win in as many games, while Newcastle are still seeking a first Aviva Premiership Rugby win of the season.

RESULTS

GLOUCESTER RUGBY 23 - 19 SALE SHARKS

Kingsholm - Friday 04 December 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 11-8 Att: 11,583

GLOUCESTER 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 11 Jonny May 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Sione Kalamafoni 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Nick Wood 18 Nicky Thomas 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Greig Laidlaw 22 Henry Trinder 23 Henry Purdy

SCORERS T: Cook, Kalamafoni (2) C: Laidlaw P: Twelvetrees (2) Hibbard

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Nev Edwards 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Josh Beaumont 7 TJ Ioane 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 David Seymour 21 Chris Cusiter 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Edwards (2) P: Cipriani (3)

Referee: JP Doyle

 

HARLEQUINS 38 - 7 LONDON IRISH

Twickenham Stoop - Saturday 05 December 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 10-0 Att: 14,800

 

HARLEQUINS 15 Mike Brown 14 Ollie Lindsay-Hague 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Dave Ward 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Rob Buchanan 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Jack Clifford 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Ross Chisholm

SCORERS T: Visser (3), Care, Clifford C: Evans (4), Botica P: Evans

IRISH 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Alex Lewington 13 Ciaran Hearn 12 Eoin Griffin 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Darren Allison 8 LUKE NARRAWAY (C) 7 Blair Cowan 6 David Sisi 5 Jebb Sinclair 4 Eoin Sheriff 3 Ben Franks 2 Gerard Ellis 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Tom Cruse 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Halani Aulika 19 Ollie Curry 20 Ofisa Treviranus 21 Brendan McKibbin 22 Theo Trophy Clews 23 Sean Maitland

SCORERS T: 'Aulika C: Brophy Clews

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

WORCESTER 20 - 29 LEICESTER TIGERS

Sixways - Saturday 05 December 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 17-7 Att: 10,157

 

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Sam Betty 6 Matt Cox 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Joe Rees 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 Gareth Milasinovich 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Marco Mama 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS T: Olivier, Cox C: Heathcote (2) P: Heathcote (2) O'Callaghan, Milasinovich, Cox O'Callaghan

TIGERS 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Seremaia Bai 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Sam Harrison 8 Jordan Crane 7 Tom Croft 6 Mike Williams 5 Graham Kitchener 4 ED SLATER (C) 3 Dan Cole 2 Greg Bateman 1 Matias Aguero BENCH: 16 Tom Youngs 17 Marcos Ayerza 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Dom Barrow 20 Lachlan McCaffrey 21 Jono Kitto 22 Tommy Bell 23 Matt Smith

SCORERS T: Kitchener, Veainu, PT, McCaffrey C: Owen Williams (3) P: Owen Williams

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

BATH RUGBY 11 - 13 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

Recreation Ground - Saturday 05 December 2015
KO: 15:15 HT: 0-3 Att: 13,506

 

BATH 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Jonathan Joseph 12 Ollie Devoto 11 Matt Banahan 10 George Ford 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 FRANCOIS LOUW (C) 6 Matt Garvey 5 Tom Ellis 4 Charlie Ewels 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Max Lahiff 18 Dave Wilson 19 David Denton 20 Guy Mercer 21 Niko Matawalu 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Tom Homer

SCORERS  T: Rokoduguni P: Ford (2) Thomas

SAINTS 15 BEN FODEN (C) 14 Jamie Elliott 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 JJ Hanrahan 9 Kahn Fotuali’i 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Teimana Harrison 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Michael Paterson 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Ethan Waller BENCH: 16 Reece Marshall 17 Alex Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 James Craig 21 Lee Dickson 22 Stephen Myler 23 Ken Pisi

SCORERS T: Burrell C: Hanrahan P: Hanrahan (2)

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

WASPS 27 - 41 EXETER CHIEFS

Ricoh Arena - Saturday 05 December 2015
KO: 17:30 HT: 13-27 Att: 10,304

 

WASPS 15 Charles Piutau 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Guy Thompson 7 George Smith 6 Sam Jones 5 James Gaskell 4 Bradley Davies 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Ashley Johnson 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Edd Sherrington 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Nathan Hughes 21 Joe Simpson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Alapati Leiua

SCORERS T: Halai, Johnson, Cittadini C: Gopperth (3) P: Gopperth (2)

CHIEFS 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Julian Salvi 6 Tom Johnson 5 Geoff Parling 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Carl Rimmer 18 Moray Low 19 Damian Welch 20 Ben White 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ian Whitten 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Waldrom (3), Nowell, Lees, Low C: Steenson (4) P: Steenson

Referee: Greg Garner

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 3 - 38 SARACENS

Kingston Park - Sunday 06 December 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 3-13 Att: 6,020

 

FALCONS 15 Alex Tait 14 Belisario Agulla 13 Adam Powell 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Tom Catterick 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 Will Welch 6 Mark Wilson 5 Calum Green 4 Sean Robinson 3 Jon Welsh 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Taione Vea 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Ally Hogg 21 Sonatane Takulua 22 Craig Willis 23 Chris Harris

SCORERS P: Catterick

SARACENS 15 Alex Goode 14 Mike Ellery 13 Nick Tompkins 12 Duncan Taylor 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Ben Spencer 8 Samuela Vunisa 7 Will Fraser 6 Jackson Wray 5 George Kruis 4 Maro Itoje 3 Juan Figallo 2 JAMIE GEORGE (C) 1 Richard Barrington BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Petrus Du Plessis 19 Michael Rhodes 20 Billy Vunipola 21 Neil De Kock 22 Tim Streather 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS  T: Vunisa, Tompkins, Hodgson, Billy Vunipola C: Hodgson (2), Goode P: Hodgson (4)

Referee: Andrew Small

 

 

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STEPHEN MYLER's boot was the difference at Franklin's Gardens as Northampton Saints got their Aviva Premiership Rugby campaign back on track with a hard-fought win over Gloucester Rugby. Myler did not miss a penalty until the last five minutes of the game, and his five efforts were mainly won off the back of an extremely strong Saints scrum. Gloucester did have their moments, but were always trailing and their only points of the game came via Billy Twelvetrees' penalty in the first half - which ended 9-3 in Saints' favour. Myler extended that lead out of reach as Saints notched their second win of the Aviva Premiership Rugby season following a difficult start.

DANNY CIPRIANI missed a match-winning penalty with the final kick of the game as Sale Sharks were held to a 15-15 draw at home to Newcastle Falcons. The results means Dean Richards' side picked up their first two points of the Premiership campaign and moved off the bottom of the table. Four penalties from Cipriani saw Sale lead 12-8 at half-time despite Rob Vickers grabbing the only try of the opening 40 minutes. Another score from Jon Welsh and Tom Catterick's conversion had moved Falcons level with ten minutes remaining before the Falcons fly-half and Cipriani both missed penalties to win it.

TIM SWIEL sent a last-gasp penalty attempt agonisingly wide in the driving rain at Sandy Park as Exeter Chiefs held on for a memorable victory. Harlequins trailed at the break after an end-to-end first half, despite outscoring their hosts by three tries to one, with James Short's late try and four Gareth Steenson penalties enough for a 19-17 lead. And despite Tim Visser's unbelievably fortunate score in the corner - with the ball coming back off the corner flag - the brilliant Steenson's second-half try ultimately was enough for Exeter.

Premiership leaders Saracens cemented their position at the top of the table with a crushing victory over Worcester Warriors in the opening game of the London Double Header. Chris Ashton scored two tries, while Ben Spencer, Jackson Wray, Schalk Brits and Ben Ransom all crossed as the champions scored six tries in total in what was Ernst Joubert's final game. The Warriors valiantly fought back from a 14-point deficit at half time with two lightening tries from Joe Rees and GJ van Velze in the dying minutes of the match, but it was too little too late.

WASPS carried their European form back onto the Aviva Premiership Rugby stage with a convincing win over London Irish in the London Double Header at Twickenham. They found it hard going in the first half, managing just one try from Frank Halai, but he added a second after the break, with Elliot Daly and Thomas Young also going over to seal the bonus point. London Irish did cross the whitewash themselves, with youngster Johnny Williams grabbing both tries, but remain pointless after a fifth defeat of the season.

DAN COLE's first Premiership try for more than six years put the exclamation mark on a hard-fought win for Leicester Tigers over Bath Rugby at Welford Road. The Tigers - who lost 45-0 to their old rivals in September 2014's league clash and succumbed 47-10 in May's semi-final - claimed a measure of revenge in filthy conditions in the East Midlands. Anthony Watson's early try put Bath in front but, despite dominating the first half, the visitors went in at the break 11-5 behind thanks to two Tommy Bell penalties and a Telusa Veainu interception try. Bath caught up through George Ford penalties, but Cole's try and Bell's boot were enough to bring the Tigers back to winning ways.

RESULTS

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 15 - 3 GLOUCESTER

Franklin's Gardens - Friday 27 November 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 9-3 Att: 14,893

NORTHAMPTON 15 Ben Foden 14 Ahsee Tuala 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 Kahn Fotuali’i 8 Sam Dickinson 7 TOM WOOD (C) 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Michael Paterson 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Matti Williams 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Victor Matfield 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Ken Pisi

SCORERS P: Myler (5) Wood

GLOUCESTER 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 James Hook 11 Jonny May 10 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Jeremy Thrush 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 17 Darren Dawidiuk 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Mariano Galarza 20 Sione Kalamafoni 21 Greig Laidlaw 22 Henry Purdy 23 Jacob Rowan

SCORERS P: Twelvetrees Thomas

Referee: Greg Garner

 

SALE SHARKS 15 - 15 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

AJ Bell Stadium - Saturday 28 November 2015
KO: 14:30 HT: 12-8 Att: 5,520

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Josh Beaumont 7 Magnus Lund 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Cameron Neild 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 TJ Ioane 21 Peter Stringer 22 Joe Ford 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS P: Cipriani (5)

FALCONS 15 Alex Tait 14 Giovanbattista Venditti 13 Adam Powell 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Marcus Watson 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 Nili Latu 7 Will Welch 6 Mark Wilson 5 Sean Robinson 4 Calum Green 3 Jon Welsh 2 George McGuigan 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 Scott Lawson 17 Alex Rogers 18 Taione Vea 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Ally Hogg 21 Ruki Tipuna 22 Tom Catterick 23 Chris Harris

SCORERS T: Vickers, Welsh C: Catterick P: Delany

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

EXETER CHIEFS 26 - 25 HARLEQUINS

Sandy Park - Saturday 28 November 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 19-17 Att: 11,471

CHIEFS 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 Gareth Steenson 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Don Armand 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Moray Low 2 JACK YEANDLE (C) 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Elvis Taione 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Alex Brown 19 Geoff Parling 20 Tom Johnson 21 Dave Lewis 22 Sam Hill 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Short, Steenson (2) C: Steenson (2) P: Steenson (4)

HARLEQUINS 15 Mike Brown 14 Charlie Walker 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Dave Ward 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 3 Kyle Sinckler 2 Rob Buchanan 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 Will Collier 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Kieran Treadwell 21 Tito Tebaldi 22 Tim Swiel 23 Matt Hopper

SCORERS T: PT, Evans, Walker, Visser C: Evans P: Evans

Referee: Matt Carley

 

SARACENS 48 - 18 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Twickenham Stadium - Saturday 28 November 2015
KO: 15:15 HT: 20-6 Att: 42,680

SARACENS 15 Ben Ransom 14 Chris Ashton 13 Marcelo Bosch 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Ben Spencer 8 Ernst Joubert 7 Kelly Brown 6 Jackson Wray 5 ALISTAIR HARGREAVES (C) 4 George Kruis 3 Juan Figallo 2 Schalk Brits 1 Rhys Gill BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Richard Barrington 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Maro Itoje 20 Samulea Vunisa 21 Neil De Kock 22 Owen Farrell 23 Nick Tompkins

SCORERS T: Ashton (2), Spencer, Wray, Brits, Ransom C: Hodgson (6) P: Hodgson (2)

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Sam Betty 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 Joe Rees 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Matt Cox 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS T: Rees, van Velze C: Heathcote P: Heathcote (2) Dowson

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

LONDON IRISH 15 - 33 WASPS

Twickenham Stadium - Saturday 28 November 2015
KO: 17:30 HT: 8-11 Att: 42,680

 

IRISH 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Alex Lewington 13 Aseli Tikoirotuma 12 Johnny Williams 11 Tom Fowlie 10 Chris Noakes 9 Scott Steele 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan 6 Joe Trayfoot 5 MATT SYMONS (C) 4 Eoin Sheriff 3 Ben Franks 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Jebb Sinclair 20 Luke Narraway 21 Darren Allinson 22 Theo Brophy-Clews 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Williams (2) C: Noakes P: Noakes

WASPS 15 Charles Piutau 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Frank Halai 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 Thomas Young 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Kearnan Myall 4 James Gaskell 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Edd Shervington 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Bradley Davies 20 Sam Jones 21 Dan Robson 22 Jimmy Gopperth 23 Brendan Macken

SCORERS T: Halai (2), Daly, Young C: Jackson, Gopperth P: Jackson (2), Gopperth

Referee: Wayne Barnes

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 21 - 11 BATH RUGBY

Welford Road - Sunday 29 November 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 11-5 Att: 22,530

 

TIGERS 15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Matt Smith 11 Telusa Veainu 10 Tommy Bell 9 Ben Youngs 8 Lachlan McCaffrey 7 Brendon O'Connor 6 Mike Williams 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 Ed Slater 3 Dan Cole 2 Tom Youngs 1 Marcos Ayerza BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Matias Aguero 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Graham Kitchener 20 Tom Croft 21 Sam Harrison 22 Seremaia Bai 23 George Catchpole

SCORERS T: Veainu, Cole C: Bell P: Bell (3) Slater

BATH 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Horacio Agulla 10 George Ford 9 Niko Matawalu 8 Leroy Houston 7 Francois Louw 6 Matt Garvey 5 Tom Ellis 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nathan Catt 18 Max Lahiff 19 David Denton 20 Guy Mercer 21 Chris Cook 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Tom Homer

SCORERS T: Watson P: Ford (2) Denton

Referee: JP Doyle

 

 

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HARLEQUINS 16 - 14 SALE SHARKS

Twickenham Stoop - Friday 06 November 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 3-7 Att: 12,157

HARLEQUINS 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Matt Hopper 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Luke Wallace 6 Chris Robshaw 5 Sam Twomey 4 Charlie Matthews 3 Will Collier 2 Dave Ward 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Jack Clifford 20 James Chisholm 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

SCORERS T: Visser C: Evans P: Evans (3)

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Nev Edwards 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Peter Stringer 8 Josh Beaumont 7 TJ Ioane 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Bryn Evans 4 Jonathan Mills 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 James Flynn 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 Magnus Lund 21 James Mitchell 22 Nick Macleod 23 Johnny Leota

SCORERS T: Braid, James C: Cipriani (2)

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

LONDON IRISH 14 - 45 BATH RUGBY

Madejski Stadium - Saturday 07 November 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 7-17 Att: 6,641

IRISH 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Alex Lewington 13 Tom Fowlie 12 Fergus Mulchrone 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Shane Geraghty 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Rob McCusker 7 David Sisi 6 Tom Guest 5 Matt Symons 4 GEORGE SKIVINGTON (C) 3 Leo Halavatau 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Court 18 Halani Aulika 19 Eoin Sheriff 20 Luke Narraway 21 Scott Steele 22 Chris Noakes 23 Dom Waldouck

SCORERS T: Steele, Mulchrone C: Geraghty (2) McKibbin

BATH 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Ollie Devoto 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Matt Banahan 10 Rhys Priestland 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Alafoti Faosiliva 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dom Day 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Rob Webber 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Tom Dunn 17 Nathan Catt 18 Max Lahiff 19 Tom Ellis 20 Max Northcote-Green 21 Niko Matawalu 22 George Ford 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Houston, Devoto, Faosiliva, Eastmond, Priestland, Matawalu C: Priestland (2), Homer (2), Ford (2) P: Priestland Foasiliva, Devoto

Referee: Tom Foley

 

WORCESTER 28 - 20 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Sixways - Saturday 07 November 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 28-17 Att: 7,987

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Bryce Heem 13 Alex Grove 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 PHIL DOWSON (C) 7 Marco Mama 6 Matt Cox 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Jaba Bregvadze 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 Joe Rees 19 Darren O'Shea 20 Sam Betty 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS  T: Pennell, Heem, Grove (2) C: Heathcote (4)

FALCONS 15 Alex Tait 14 Giamba Venditti 13 Chris Harris 12 Juan Pablo Socino 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Mike Delany 9 Michael Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 Will Welch 5 Kane Thompson 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jon Welsh 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Eric Fry 18 Taione Vea 19 Sean Robinson 20 Todd Clever 21 Ruki Tipuna 22 Tom Catterick 23 Tom Penny

SCORERS T: Youngs, Catterick C: Delany (2) P: Delany, Catterick

Referee: JP Doyle

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 6 - 12 SARACENS

Franklin's Gardens - Saturday 07 November 2015
KO: 15:15 HT: 3-6 Att: 15,169

SAINTS 15 Ben Foden 14 Jamie Elliot 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 George North 10 Stephen Myler 9 Kahn Fotuali'i 8 Sam Dickson 7 TOM WOOD (C) 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 James Craig 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Dylan Hartley 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Mikey Haywood 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Michael Paterson 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Ahsee Tuala

SCORERS P: Myler, Hanrahan

SARACENS 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Duncan Taylor 12 Brad Barritt 11 Chris Wyles 10 Owen Farrell 9 Richard Wigglesworth 8 Billy Vunipola 7 Jacques Burger 6 Maro Itoje 5 ALISTAIR HARGREAVES (C) 4 George Kruis 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Schalk Brits 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jamie George 17 Richard Barrington 18 Juan Figallo 19 Michael Rhodes 20 Kelly Brown 21 Ben Spencer 22 Charlie Hodgson 3 Marcelo Bosch

SCORERS P: Farrell (4)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

EXETER CHIEFS 19 - 6 LEICESTER TIGERS

Sandy Park - Saturday 07 November 2015
KO: 17:30 HT: 13-3 Att: 10,102

 

CHIEFS 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Don Armand 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Alec Hepburn BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Carl Rimmer 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Thomas Waldrom 21 Dave Lewis 22 Sam Hill 23 Matt Jess

SCORERS T: Steenson C: Steenson P: Steenson (4)

TIGERS 15 Telusa Veainu 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Matt Smith 12 Seremaia Bai 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Ben Youngs 8 Jordan Crane 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Sebastian de Chaves 4 Dom Barrow 3 Dan Cole 2 TOM YOUNGS (C) 1 Fraser Balmain BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Tiziano Pasquali 19 Mike Fitzgerald 20 Laurence Pearce 21 Jono Kitto 22 Peter Betham 23 Mathew Tait

SCORERS P: Williams (2) Brugnara

Referee: Greg Garner

 

WASPS 23 - 3 GLOUCESTER RUGBY

Ricoh Arena - Sunday 08 November 2015
KO: 15:00 HT: 16-0 Att: 11,649

 

WASPS 15 Charles Piutau 14 Frank Halai 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Christian Wade 10 Ruaridh Jackson 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Bradley Davies 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Lorenzo Cittadini 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 Simon McIntyre BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley 19 James Gaskell 20 Guy Thompson 21 Dan Robson 22 Alex Lozowski 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Wade, PT C: Jackson (2) P: Daly (3) Cittadini

GLOUCESTER 15 Charlie Sharples 14 David Halaifonua 13 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 12 James Hook 11 Jonny May 10 Billy Burns 9 Greig Laidlaw 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Sione Kalamafoni 5 Elliott Stooke 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Ross Moriarty 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Willi Heinz 22 Henry Purdy 23 Rob Cook

SCORERS P: Laidlaw Halaifonua

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

 

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SARACENS 24 - 14 LONDON IRISH

Allianz Park - Saturday 31 October 2015
KO: 13:00 HT: 3-7 Att: 7,932

SARACENS 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Nick Tompkins 12 Duncan Taylor 11 Mike Ellery 10 Owen Farrell 9 Ben Spencer 8 Ernst Joubert 7 Will Fraser 6 Jackson Wray 5 ALISTAIR HARGREAES (C) 4 Maro Itoje 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jamie George 1 Rhys Gill BENCH: 16 Schalk Brits 17 Richard Barrington 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Jim Hamilton 20 Jacques Burger 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Brad Barritt 23 Chris Wyles

SCORERS T: Wray, Goode C: Farrell P: Farrell (4)

IRISH 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Sean Maitland 13 Tom Fowlie 12 Fergus Mulchrone 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Rob McCusker 7 Blair Cowan 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Matt Symons 4 GEORGE SKIVINGTON (C) 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Eoin Sheriff 20 David Sisi 21 Scott Steele 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Alex Lewington

SCORERS T: Tikoirotuma, Halavatau C: Noakes, Geraghty Tikoirotuma

Referee: Gregory Garner

 

BATH RUGBY 28 - 38 HARLEQUINS

Recreation Ground - Saturday 31 October 2015
KO: 13:30 HT: 13-12 Att: 13,065

BATH 15 Anthony Watson 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Ollie Devoto 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Matt Banahan 10 George Ford 9 Niko Matawalu 8 Leroy Houston 7 Guy Mercer 6 Matt Garvey 5 DAVE ATTWOOD (C) 4 Dominic Day 3 David Wilson 2 Rob Webber 1 Max Lahiff BENCH: 16 Ross Batty 17 Nick Auterac 18 Henry Thomas 19 Stuart Hooper 20 Max Northcote-Green 21 Chris Cook 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Tom Homer

SCORERS T: Eastmond, Auterac, Rokoduguni C: Ford (2) P: Ford (3) Eastmond

HARLEQUINS 15 Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Tim Visser 10 Nick Evans 9 DANNY CARE (C) 8 Nick Easter 7 Chris Robshaw 6 Jack Clifford 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Joe Gray 1 Joe Marler BENCH: 16 Dave Ward 17 Mark Lambert 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Luke Wallace 21 Karl Dickson 22 Ben Botica 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

SCORERS T: Care, Ward C: Evans (2) P: Evans (8)

Referee: Matthew Carley

 

GLOUCESTER 24 - 22 WORCESTER WARRIORS

Kingsholm - Saturday 31 October 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 19-17 Att: 12,913

GLOUCESTER 15 Charlie Sharples 14 David Halaifonua 13 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 12 Bill Meakes 11 Jonny May 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Ross Moriarty 5 Sione Kalamafoni 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Chris Brooker 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Elliott Stooke 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Callum Braley 22 Billy Burns 23 Henry Purdy

SCORERS T: Hibbard, Kalamafoni, Halaifonua P: Twelvetrees (3)

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Tom Biggs 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Marco Mama 6 Phil Dowson 5 Tevita Cavubati 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Dan George 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 Joe Rees 19 Darren Barry 20 Matt Cox 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS T: Annett, Vuna (2) C: Heathcote (2) P: Mills Schonert

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 3 - 41 EXETER CHIEFS

Kingston Park - Sunday 01 November 2015
KO: 13:00 HT: 3-31 Att: 5,160

FALCONS 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Alex Tait 13 Tom Penny 12 Adam Powell 11 Giamba Venditti 10 Mike Delany 9 Micky Young 8 Ally Hogg 7 Nili Latu 6 WILL WELCH (C) 5 Calum Green 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Jon Welsh 2 Scott Lawson 1 Eric Fry BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Rob Vickers 18 Taione Vea 19 Joshua Furno 20 Todd Clever 21 Ruki Tipuna 22 Tom Catterick 23 Belisario Agulla

SCORERS P: Delany

EXETER 15 Phil Dollman 14 Matt Jess 13 Henry Slade 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Don Armand 7 Julian Salvi 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Thomas Waldrom 21 Dave Lewis 22 Ian Whitten 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Chudley, Salvi, Armand 2, Jess, Low C: Steenson 4 P: Steenson

Referee: Ian Tempest

 

SALE SHARKS 20 - 13 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

AJ Bell Stadium - Sunday 01 November 2015
KO: 14:30 HT: 13-6 Att: 5,072

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam James 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Josh Beaumont 7 TJ Ioane 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 James Flynn 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 Magnus Lund 21 Peter Stringer 22 Nick Macleod 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS T: Jones, Addison C: Cipriani (2) P: Cipriani (2)

SAINTS 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Stephen Myler 9 Kahn Fotuali'i 8 Sam Dickinson 7 TOM WOOD (C) 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Michael Paterson 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Mikey Haywood 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Dylan Hartley 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Christian Day 20 Teimana Harrison 21 Lee Dickson 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Ahsee Tuala

SCORERS T: Myler C: Myler P: Myler (2)

Referee: Andrew Small

 

LEICESTER TIGERS 24 - 16 WASPS

Welford Road - Sunday 01 November 2015
KO: 15:15 HT: 13-9 Att: 19,746

 

TIGERS 15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Matt Smith 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Owen Williams 9 Sam Harrison 8 Opeti Fonua 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 Mike Williams 3 Dan Cole 2 Tom Youngs 1 Fraser Balmain BENCH: 16 Greg Bateman 17 Logovi'i Mulipola 18 Tiziano Pasquali 19 Dom Barrow 20 Jordan Crane 21 Jono Kitto 22 Seremaia Bai 23 Telusa Veainu

SCORERS T: Goneva, Veainu C: Williams P: Williams (4)

WASPS 15 Ruaridh Jackson 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 James Downey 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Dan Robson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 Kearnan Myall 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Tom Bristow 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Bradley Davies 20 Guy Thompson 21 Joe Simpson 22 Alex Lozowski 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Cittadini C: Jackson P: Daly, Gopperth (2) Gopperth

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

 

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GLOUCESTER RUGBY 15 - 17 SARACENS

Kingsholm - Friday 23 October 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 6-11 Att: 12,749

GLOUCESTER 15 Charlie Sharples 14 David Halaifonua 13 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 12 Bill Meakes 11 Jonny May 10 James Hook 9 Willi Heinz 8 Ben Morgan 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Lewis Ludlow 5 Sione Kalamafoni 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Elliott Stooke 20 Jacob Rowan 21 Callum Braley 22 Steve McColl 23 Mark Atkinson

SCORERS P: Twelvetrees (5)

SARACENS 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Tim Streather 12 Owen Farrell 11 Mike Ellery 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil De Kock 8 Jackson Wray 7 Kelly Brown 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 George Kruis 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 JAMIE GEORGE (C) 1 Mako Vunipola BENCH: 16 Jared Saunders 17 Rhys Gill 18 Titi Lamositele 19 Alistair Hargreaves 20 Will Fraser 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Nick Tompkins 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Ellery P: Hodgson, Farrell (3)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

SALE SHARKS 27 - 13 WORCESTER WARRIORS

AJ Bell Stadium - Friday 23 October 2015
KO: 20:00 HT: 13-6 Att: 4,356

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Johnny Leota 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Josh Beaumont 7 David Seymour 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Jonathan Mills 4 Bryn Evans 3 Vadim Cobilas 2Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 James Flynn 18 Brian Mujati 19 Andrei Ostrikov 20 TJ Ioane 21 Peter Stringer 22 Nick Macleod 23 Sam James

SCORERS T: Cipriani, Seymour, Beaumont, Leota C: Cipriani (2) P: Cipriani

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Tom Biggs 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Cooper Vuna 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 GJ VAN VELZE (C) 7 Marco Mama 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga BENCH: 16 Dan George 17 Val Rapava Ruskin 18 Joe Rees 19 Tevita Cavubati 20 Matt Cox 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Ryan Lamb 23 Ben Howard

SCORERS T: Arr C: Lamb P: Mills (2)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 42 - 16 NEWCASTLE

stadiummk - Saturday 24 October 2015
KO: 13:45 HT: 16-9 Att: 20,034

NORTHAMPTON 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 George Pisi 12 Luther Burrell 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Tom Wood 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Courtney Lawes 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Dylan Hartley 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Mikey Haywood 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Michael Paterson 20 Jon Fisher 21 Kahn Fotuali’i 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 Ahsee Tuala

SCORERS T: Day (2), Burrell, Foden (2) C: Myler (4) P: Myler (3)

FALCONS 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Giovanbattista Venditti 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Alesana Tuilagi 10 Mike Delany 9 Ruki Tipuna 8 ALLY HOGG (C) 7 Nili Latu 6 Todd Clever 5 Joshua Furno 4 Calum Green 3 Jon Welsh 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Eric Fry 18 Taione Vea 19 Mouritz Botha 20 Will Welch 21 Ruaridh Dawson 22 Tom Catterick 23 Tom Penny

SCORERS T: Penny C: Catterick P: Delany (3) Clever

Referee: Dean Richards

 

WASPS 16 - 9 BATH RUGBY

Ricoh Arena - Saturday 24 October 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 6-9 Att: 10,093

WASPS 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Ben Jacobs 11 Frank Halai 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 JAMES HASKELL (C) 5 James Gaskell 4 Joe Launchbury 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Carlo Festuccia 1 Matt Mullan BENCH: 16 Ashley Johnson 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Lorenzo Cittadini 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Sam Jones 21 Dan Robson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: PT C: Gopperth P: Gopperth (3)

BATH 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Ollie Devoto 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Anthony Watson 10 George Ford 9 Niko Matawalu 8 Leroy Houston 7 Alafoti Faosiliva 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Rob Webber 17 Max Lahiff 18 Dave Wilson 19 Dom Day 20 Guy Mercer 21 Chris Cook 22 Rhys Priestland 23 Matt Banahan

SCORERS P: Ford (3) Matawalu

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

 

EXETER CHIEFS 38 - 11 LONDON IRISH

Sandy Park - Saturday 24 October 2015
KO: 18:00 HT: 19-6 Att: 7,130

 

CHIEFS 15 Phil Dollman 14 Jack Nowell 13 Henry Slade 12 Ian Whitten 11 James Short 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Don Armand 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Tomas Francis 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Moray Low 19 Geoff Parling 20 Julian Salvi 21 Dave Lewis 22 Sam Hill 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Steenson, Armand, Cowan-Dickie, Short, Nowell C: Steenson (4)

IRISH 15 Topsy Ojo 14 Alex Lewington 13 Tom Fowlie 12 Eoin Griffin 11 Aseli Tikoirotuma 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Rob McCusker 7 Luke Narraway 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Matt Symons 4 GEORGE SKIVINGTON (C) 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Smallbone BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Court 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Eoin Sheriff 20 Blair Cowan 21 Scott Steele 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Sean Maitland

SCORERS T: Cowan P: Noakes (2)

Referee: Andrew Small

 

 LEICESTER TIGERS 22 - 19 HARLEQUINS

Welford Road - Sunday 25 October 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 12-13 Att: 17,510

 

LEICESTER 15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Seremaia Bai 11 Vereniki Goneva 10 Tommy Bell 9 Karl Dickson 8 Lachlan McCaffrey 7 Tom Croft 6 Mike Williams 5 Sebastian de Chaves 4 Mike Fitzgerald 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Tom Youngs 1 Logovi'i Mulipola BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Dan Cole 19 Laurence Pearce 20 Opeti Fonua 21 Ben White 22 Owen Williams 23 Matt Smith

SCORERS T: Pearce C: Owen Williams P: Bell (5) Harrison

HARLEQUINS Mike Brown 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Charlie Walker 10 NICK EVANS (C) 9 Karl Dickson 8 Mat Luamanu 7 Luke Wallace 6 Jack Clifford (C) 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Joe Marler 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Nick Easter 21 Danny Care 22 Ben Botica 23 Ollie Lindsay-Hague

SCORERS T: Clifford C: Evans P: Evans (4)

Referee: Tom Foley

 

 

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HARLEQUINS 26 - 21 WASPS

Twickenham Stoop - Friday 16 October 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 13-11 Att: 13,479

HARLEQUINS 15 Ollie Lindsay-Hague 14 Marland Yarde 13 George Lowe 12 Harry Sloan 11 Charlie Walker 10 NICK EVANS (C) 9 Karl Dickson 8 Mat Luamanu 7 Luke Wallace 6 Jack Clifford 5 Sam Twomey 4 James Horwill 3 Adam Jones 2 Dave Ward 1 Mark Lambert BENCH: 16 Joe Gray 17 Joe Marler 18 Kyle Sinckler 19 Charlie Matthews 20 Nick Easter 21 Tito Tebaldi 22 Ben Botica 23 Mike Brown

SCORERS T: Evans, Lowe C: Evans (2) P: Evans (4)

WASPS 15 Rob Miller 14 Christian Wade 13 Elliot Daly 12 Brendan Macken 11 Josh Bassett 10 Jimmy Gopperth 9 Joe Simpson 8 Nathan Hughes 7 George Smith 6 Sam Jones 5 James Gaskell 4 James Cannon 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley 2 Ashley Johnson 1 MATT MULLAN (C) BENCH: 16 Carlo Festuccia 17 Simon McIntyre 18 Phil Swainston 19 Kearnan Myall 20 Thomas Young 21 Dan Robson 22 Ruaridh Jackson 23 Sailosi Tagicakibau

SCORERS T: Cooper-Woolley, Daly C: Jackson P: Gopperth (3)

Referee: Luke Pearce

 

WORCESTER WARRIORS 13 - 12 NORTHAMPTON

Sixways - Friday 16 October 2015
KO: 19:45 HT: 10-6 Att: 8,483

WARRIORS 15 Chris Pennell 14 Cooper Vuna 13 Wynand Olivier 12 Ryan Mills 11 Tom Biggs 10 Tom Heathcote 9 Jonny Arr 8 GJ van Velze (C) 7 Sam Lewis 6 Phil Dowson 5 Darren Barry 4 Donncha O'Callaghan 3 Nick Schonert 2 Niall Annett 1 Val Rapava Ruskin BENCH: 16 Dan George 17 Na'ama Leleimalefaga 18 Joe Rees 19 Darren O'Shea 20 Marco Mama 21 Charlie Mulchrone 22 Alex Grove 23 Perry Humphreys

SCORERS T: van Velze C: Heathcote P: Heathcote DG: Heathcote

SAINTS 15 Ben Foden 14 Ken Pisi 13 Tom Stephenson 12 Luther Burrell 11 Jamie Elliott 10 Stephen Myler 9 LEE DICKSON (C) 8 Sam Dickinson 7 Jon Fisher 6 Jamie Gibson 5 Christian Day 4 Michael Paterson 3 Kieran Brookes 2 Dylan Hartley 1 Alex Waller BENCH: 16 Mike Haywood 17 Ethan Waller 18 Paul Hill 19 Teimana Harrison 20 Ben Nutley 21 Kahn Fotuali'i 22 JJ Hanrahan 23 George Pisi

SCORERS P: Myler (4)

Referee: Greg Garner

 

NEWCASTLE FALCONS 27 - 39 GLOUCESTER

Kingston Park - Friday 16 October 2015
KO: 20:00 HT: 3-27 Att: 5,049

FALCONS 15 Simon Hammersley 14 Tom Catterick 13 Chris Harris 12 Adam Powell 11 Sinoti Sinoti 10 Mike Delany 9 Ruki Tipuna 8 Todd Clever 7 WILL WELCH (C) 6 Richard Mayhew 5 Calum Green 4 Mouritz Botha 3 Taione Vea 2 Scott Lawson 1 Rob Vickers BENCH: 16 George McGuigan 17 Eric Fry 18 Scott Wilson 19 Josh Furno 20 Ally Hogg 21 Micky Young 22 Craig Willis 23 Tom Penny

SCORERS T: Hammersley, Harris, McGuigan C: Delany (3) P: Delany (2)

GLOUCESTER 15 Rob Cook 14 Charlie Sharples 13 Bill Meakes 12 Mark Atkinson 11 Henry Purdy 10 BILLY TWELVETREES (C) 9 Willi Heinz 8 Lewis Ludlow 7 Matt Kvesic 6 Jacob Rowan 5 Elliott Stooke 4 Tom Savage 3 John Afoa 2 Richard Hibbard 1 Paddy McAllister BENCH: 16 Tom Lindsay 17 Yann Thomas 18 Paul Doran-Jones 19 Sione Kalamafoni 20 Ben Morgan 21 Callum Braley 22 Jonny May 23 Steve McColl

SCORERS T: Kvesic, Sharples C: Twelvetrees P: Twelvetrees (9)

Referee: Tom Foley

 

BATH RUGBY 19 - 17 EXETER CHIEFS

Recreation Ground - Saturday 17 October 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 10-11 Att: 12,957

BATH 15 Tom Homer 14 Semesa Rokoduguni 13 Matt Banahan 12 Kyle Eastmond 11 Anthony Watson 10 George Ford 9 Chris Cook 8 Leroy Houston 7 Alafoti Faosiliva 6 Matt Garvey 5 Dave Attwood 4 STUART HOOPER (C) 3 Henry Thomas 2 Ross Batty 1 Nick Auterac BENCH: 16 Rob Webber 17 Max Lahiff 18 David Wilson 19 Sam Burgess 20 Guy Mercer 21 Niko Matawalu 22 Max Clark 23 Jeff Williams

SCORERS T: Hooper C: Ford P: Ford (4) Banahan, Burgess

EXETER 15 Phil Dollman 14 Matt Jess 13 Ian Whitten 12 Sam Hill 11 James Short 10 GARETH STEENSON (C) 9 Will Chudley 8 Thomas Waldrom 7 Don Armand 6 Dave Ewers 5 Damian Welch 4 Mitch Lees 3 Alex Brown 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie 1 Ben Moon
BENCH: 16 Jack Yeandle 17 Alec Hepburn 18 Moray Low 19 Ollie Atkins 20 Julian Salvi 21 Dave Lewis 22 Henry Slade 23 Olly Woodburn

SCORERS T: Short P: Steenson (4)

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth

 

SARACENS 41 - 3 SALE SHARKS

Allianz Park - Saturday 17 October 2015
KO: 14:00 HT: 27-3 Att: 7,231

SARACENS 15 Alex Goode 14 Chris Ashton 13 Tim Streather 12 Duncan Taylor 11 Mike Ellery 10 Charlie Hodgson 9 Neil de Kock 8 Jackson Wray 7 Kelly Brown 6 Michael Rhodes 5 Jim Hamilton 4 MARO ITOJE (C) 3 Petrus Du Plessis 2 Jamie George 1 Rhys Gill BENCH: 16 Dave Porecki 17 Mako Vunipola 18 Titi Lamositele 19 George Kruis 20 Will Fraser 21 Ben Spencer 22 Nick Tompkins 23 Ben Ransom

SCORERS T: Rhodes, Streather, Ellery (2) Fraser C: Hodgson (4) Goode P: Hodgson (2)

SHARKS 15 Mike Haley 14 Tom Arscott 13 Sam James 12 Sam Tuitupou 11 Will Addison 10 Danny Cipriani 9 Chris Cusiter 8 Mark Easter 7 David Seymour 6 DAN BRAID (C) 5 Bryn Evans 4 Josh Beaumont 3 Brian Mujati 2 Tommy Taylor 1 Ross Harrison BENCH: 16 Neil Briggs 17 James Flynn 18 Vadim Cobilas 19 Jonathan Mills 20 Magnus Lund 21 Peter Stringer 22 Nick Macleod 23 Mark Jennings

SCORERS P: Cipriani

Referee: Dean Richards

 

LONDON IRISH 16 - 28 LEICESTER TIGERS

Madejski Stadium - Sunday 18 October 2015
KO: 15:15 HT: 13-19 Att: 6,597

IRISH 15 Andrew Fenby 14 Alex Lewington 13 Tom Fowlie 12 Eoin Griffin 11 Topsy Ojo 10 Chris Noakes 9 Brendan McKibbin 8 Rob McCusker 7 Luke Narraway 6 Jebb Sinclair 5 Matt Symons 4 GEORGE SKIVINGTON (C) 3 Halani Aulika 2 David Paice 1 Tom Court BENCH: 16 Gerard Ellis 17 Tom Smallbone 18 Leo Halavatau 19 Eoin Sheriff 20 David Sisi 21 Scott Steele 22 Shane Geraghty 23 Fergus Mulchrone

SCORERS T: Sinclair C: Noakes P: Noakes (3) Ojo

TIGERS 15 MATHEW TAIT (C) 14 Adam Thompstone 13 Peter Betham 12 Seremaia Bai 11 Matt Smith 10 Tommy Bell 9 Sam Harrison 8 Laurence Pearce 7 Lachlan McCaffrey 6 Tom Croft 5 Mike Fitzgerald 4 Mike Williams 3 Fraser Balmain 2 Greg Bateman 1 Logovi'i Mulipola BENCH: 16 Harry Thacker 17 Riccardo Brugnara 18 Tiziano Pasquali 19 Sebastian de Chaves 20 Opeti Fonua 21 Ben White 22 Owen Williams 23 George Catchpole

SCORERS T: Betham C: Bell P: Bell (7)

Referee: Matt Carley

 

 

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