Aviva Premiership: Week 13 Review

Northampton 24-3 Harlequins

Northampton Saints handed Harlequins their first away defeat of the season as they ran out 24-3 winners at a sold-out Franklin's Gardens on Friday night.

Ryan Lamb began the scoring with a penalty and a drop-goal for the hosts and while Quins' number eight Nick Easter was in the sin-bin, the Saints took advantage when Ben Foden went over in the corner to extend the lead to 11-0.

Two further penalties from Lamb, as well as a successful effort from the visitors' Rory Clegg meant that Northampton went into half-time 17-3 ahead.

Harlequins were a side on the rack and when Saints' Roger Wilson spotted a gap in their defence, he scythed through and crashed over the line to put the home side into a commanding 21-point lead. Despite Mark Sorenson seeing yellow soon after the try, Northampton held Quins at bay to seal a superb win over the league leaders and move to within 11 points of the London side.

 

Leicester 29-11 Wasps

Billy Twelvetrees scored all of Leicester Tigers' points as they came from behind to see off London Wasps at Welford Road.

Twelvetrees and Elliot Daly swapped penalties early on before the away side took a shock lead when scrum-half Nick Berry was left unchallenged and was able to score comfortably. Twelvetrees slotted another penalty and then converted his own try to put the Tigers 13-8 ahead before he and Ryan Davis exchanged penalties to leave the hosts 16-11 in front at the interval.

The influential Leicester fly-half then helped himself to two more penalties before he converted his second try of the afternoon to complete a superb individual performance and send Tigers level on points with Northampton while Wasps are looking nervously over their shoulder down at the bottom.

 

Newcastle 10-16 Exeter

Exeter Chiefs secured a precious away victory as they overcame Newcastle Falcons in a tight encounter at Kingston Park.

Chiefs scrum-half Haydn Thomas crossed early on for a try which Ignacio Mieres converted and it was the latter who gave Exeter 10-0 lead at half-time when he slotted a penalty just a minute before the break.

Jimmy Gopperth got Falcons' first points of the game when he kicked a penalty in the opening minutes of the second half but Mieres quickly cancelled those three points out when he was successful with his third effort at goal.

A drop-goal from Mieres seemed to have put Exeter out of sight with only four minutes remaining but a converted Tim Swinson score late-on gave the hosts a vital losing bonus-point that may not prove to be enough come the end of the season.

 

Worcester 21-15 Gloucester

Worcester Warriors came out on top in the M5 derby as they recorded an impressive victory over neighbours Gloucester at Sixways.

Freddie Burns and Joe Carlisle swapped penalties in the opening ten minutes but it was the visitors who struck the first real blow when winger Charlie Sharples' converted score put his side 10-3 in front.

Carlisle reduced the lead with a penalty just before half-time and when Andy Goode crossed for the Warriors' first try, the home side had a 13-10 lead.

A penalty from Goode as well as a breakaway try from Warriors winger Marcel Garvey extended the advantage to 21-10 before a late score from Jonny May meant that the Cherry and Whites took and important losing bonus point but it wasn't going to take the gloss off of a wonderful day for the Sixways side.

 

London Irish 21-19 Sale

A late penalty ensured that London Irish saw off Sale Sharks in a tough battle at the Madejski Stadium.

The away side took an early 10-0 lead through a converted try from full-back Rob Miller and a penalty from the reliable Nick MacLeod before Irish responded with two scores from Bryn Evans and Topsy Ojo which put the hosts 12-10 ahead at the half-time interval.

The second half was a penalty battle between MacLeod for Sale and Tom Homer and Adrian Jarvis for Irish. MacLeod was successful with two kicks at goal while Homer and Jarvis both slotted a penalty apiece, leaving the home side 18-15 in front.

MacLeod thought he had won the game for Sale when he his fourth penalty of the afternoon but Irish, and in particular Jarvis, had the last word when the fly-half stepped up to strike the ball through the posts and give London Irish a hard-fought but well-deserved win.

 

Saracens 26-19 Bath

Saracens closed the gap on Harlequins at the top of the Aviva Premiership with a 26-19 victory over a brave Bath side at Vicarage Road.

Bath took the lead early on through a converted score from Stephen Donald but Sarries, despite having Rhys Gill in the sin-bin, replied with a converted try of their own when Steve Borthwick went over.

Donald and Owen Farrell then kicked a penalty apiece before the latter's second successful effort at goal gave the home side a 13-10 half-time advantage. Farrell extended the lead with a penalty early in the second half but Bath replacement kicker Tom Heathcote soon cancelled that out with a penalty of his own.

Saracens then sealed the victory when winger Chris Wyles charged through to score before Heathcote's second penalty put Bath into losing-bonus point range. Farrell thought he had denied the visitors that bonus point with his fourth penalty but Heathcote ensured that Bath would take something back to the West Country with a penalty in the last minute.