Aviva Premiership: Week 10 Review

Newcastle 26-25 Gloucester

Newcastle Falcons won only their second Aviva Premiership match of the season after a nail-biting 26-25 victory over Gloucester at Kingston Park.

It was the visitors who made the best possible start when Olly Morgan went over in the corner before the Falcons replied through a Jimmy Gopperth penalty and a converted Jordi Pasqualin score.

Gloucester then took charge of the game and two penalties from Freddie Burns as well as a try from James Simpson-Daniel handed them back the lead. A converted try from Newcastle centre James Fitzpatrick then put them back into the match but the visitors still held a 20-17 half-time lead.

Three penalties from Gopperth before the hour put the hosts 26-20 in front before Gloucester's Scott Lawson crashed over to bring the gap down to one point. Unfortunately for the away side, Burns couldn't convert the score and Newcastle managed to hold on for a hugely important victory.

 

Bath 13-16 Sale

Bath threw away a ten-point half-time lead as they fell to a 16-13 home defeat against Sale Sharks.

The hosts made a positive start to the game and took the lead through a penalty from Olly Barkley before a converted try from scrum-half Michael Claassens gave them a 10-0 lead at half-time.

Sale got onto the scoreboard early in the second half with a Nick MacLeod penalty before they levelled the score through a converted try from full-back Mark Cueto. Barkley returned to put Bath back in front with another kick but two more successful penalties from MacLeod, the latter just eight minutes from time, handed Sale an impressive but tight away victory at the Rec.

 

Exeter 15-9 Worcester

Exeter Chiefs saw off Worcester Warriors by 15 points to 9 in a tight encounter at Sandy Park to move third in the Aviva Premiership.

In a game that featured no tries, Exeter's Ignacio Mieres and Worcester's Joe Carlisle exchanged two penalties each before Mieres' third penalty edged the Chiefs ahead by nine points to six at half-time.

The Exeter fly-half was in inspired form with the boot and kicked two more penalties to put Exeter 15-6 in front and take his individual tally to five kicks from five in the game.

Worcester's replacement kicker Andy Goode added a penalty of his own two minutes from time to give the visitors a losing bonus point but they now sit only six points ahead of bottom side Newcastle Falcons.

 

Leicester 30-25 Northampton 

A late try from Horacio Agulla gave Leicester Tigers a scintillating victory over local rivals Northampton Saints at Welford Road.

Saints' Ryan Lamb and Tigers' Toby Flood swapped penalties early on before both sides then had a man sent off; Leicester's Alesana Tuilagi and Northampton's Tom Wood shown red cards following a scrap on the field.

The hosts then took control of the game through tries from centre Matt Smith and flanker Steve Mafi before another penalty from Lamb meant Leicester held a 15-6 lead at the break.

Flood added a penalty at the start of the second half but England winger Chris Ashton then dragged the visitors back into the match with an unconverted score. The gap wasn't closed for long though as Leicester's Ben Youngs quickly restored it with an unconverted try of his own.

Northampton then remarkably turned the match on its head with two converted tries in three minutes. Firstly, centre Tom May drove over before flanker Phil Dowson did the same to go over under the posts and with Stephen Myler converting both scores, the Saints went into a 25-23 lead.

There was to be one final twist three minutes from time as Agulla ran 50 metres to give Leicester a priceless victory and make sure Northampton only left with a losing bonus point.

 

Saracens 15-11 London Irish

Owen Farrell kicked five penalties to give Saracens a tight win over London Irish and keep them in touch with Harlequins at the top of the Aviva Premiership.

It was Irish who struck first through a Tom Homer penalty but Farrell quickly cancelled that out with his first effort of the afternoon. Saracens then had John Smit sin-binned after the hooker picked the ball up when it emerged from the back of a ruck but that didn't prevent Farrell from kicking two more penalties to give the hosts a 9-3 lead at the interval.

Irish scrum-half Daniel Bowden closed the gap to three points with a penalty but Farrell gave his side a nine-point lead with his fourth and fifth successful efforts of the game.

The visitors managed to secure a losing bonus point with only four minutes left through a try from replacement David Paice but Saracens held on to take an important home win.

 

Wasps 16-22 Harlequins

Harlequins continued their wonderful unbeaten run as they saw off London Wasps at Adams Park to secure their tenth win from ten in the Aviva Premiership.

Quins took the lead inside five minutes when outside-centre Matt Hopper went over under the posts before two penalties from Wasps' Nick Robinson meant they went into the half-time break losing by seven points to six.

Quins started the second half strongly and they swiftly increased their advantage. A Nick Evans penalty and tries from Mike Brown and Luke Wallace putting the visitors into a commanding 22-6 lead.

Hopper turned from hero to villain when he was sin-binned and Wasps wasted no time in making their numerical advantage count as full-back Hugo Southwell dived over in the corner. Hopper returned to the field but couldn't prevent Tom Varndell from cutting through the Quins defence and scoring next to the posts. Unfortunately for the hosts, Robinson couldn't convert either of the tries and they were forced to settle for a losing bonus point as Harlequins march on.