Aviva Premiership: Week 14 Review

Sunday 12 February 2012

Sale 15-12 Worcester

Sale Sharks edged a tense penalty battle as they saw off Worcester Warriors 15-12 at Edgeley Park on Friday night to move up to sixth in the Aviva Premiership table.

The hosts moved into a 6-0 lead in the opening ten minutes through two penalties from the boot of Nick Macleod before Worcester's Andy Goode halved the deficit with his first effort at the posts. Sale then suffered a blow when flanker Hendrie Fourie left the field with a serious shoulder injury and worse was to come when two more penalties from Goode gave the visitors a 9-6 lead at half-time.

Macleod levelled the scores after the break with his third penalty before he and Worcester's replacement kicker Danny Gray exchanged kicks to leave the game in the balance at 12-12. But with just four minutes remaining, Macleod slotted his fifth penalty of the night to give Sale the win and end Worcester's good run of form.

Bath 30-24 Newcastle

Bath responded from a half-time deficit to secure a bonus-point victory over bottom side Newcastle Falcons, who remain marooned at the foot of the table.

The hosts went into an 8-0 lead through an Olly Barkley penalty and a try from winger Olly Woodburn but Newcastle soon responded with a converted score from Mark Wilson. The visitors then took the lead with another converted try, this time hooker Rob Vickers took advantage of some bad Bath defending to go over.

The West Country side must have had a stern talking to at half-time as they came out in the second half and took control with three scores. A second try from Woodburn, added to a penalty try and a score from Anthony Perenise pushed Bath into a 27-14 lead and also gave them a bonus point.

Tom Heathcote and Jimmy Gopperth then swapped penalties before Falcons' Will Chudley went over in the last minute for a converted try which gave Newcastle a losing bonus-point, but at this stage of the season, losing bonus points are just not enough.

Exeter 19-11 Leicester

Exeter Chiefs completed an impressive league double over Leicester Tigers as they moved up to fifth in the Aviva Premiership.

Alesana Tuilagi's early try and a penalty from Toby Flood gave Leicester an 8-0 advantage but two penalties from the ever-reliable boot of Ignacio Mieres meant Exeter were only two points behind their visitors at half-time.

Another penalty from Flood extended the Tigers' lead but Exeter quickly responded and took the lead with a converted score from number eight Richard Baxter after a clearance kick from Flood had been charged down.

And with Leicester missing international players and seemingly faltering, Mieres took advantage by kicking two more penalties as Exeter sealed a superb victory over the play-off chasing Tigers.

Gloucester 27-24 Northampton

A late Freddie Burns penalty ensured that Gloucester survived a second-half Northampton fightback and sealed a tight victory at Kingsholm.

An early try from England squad player Charlie Sharples gave the home side the lead before Burns and Ryan Lamb exchanged penalties as Gloucester led 10-3. Another penalty from Burns extended the lead before two successful efforts from Lamb closed the gap between the sides to four points.

On the stroke of half-time, Northampton gave away possession in a bad area and were punished when Gloucester hooker Darren Dawidiuk went over to give his side an 18-9 lead at the break.

Lamb and Burns struck a penalty apiece soon after the interval before the Saints pulled themselves back into contention through a converted score from prop Soane Tonga'uiha. Another penalty from Burns pushed the gap out to five points but Northampton drew level when centre George Pisi came from halfway to go over in the corner and silence Kingsholm.

But the visitors' discipline let them down at the crucial moment as Burns was able to slot over a simple penalty and give Gloucester an important victory as they chase a European place.

Harlequins 30-23 London Irish

Harlequins extended their lead at the top of the Aviva Premiership as they came out on top of a hard-fought clash with London Irish at the Stoop.

The visitors took a shock lead as Tom Homer converted his own score before Nick Evans got Quins on the board with an early penalty. The leaders then took the lead when centre Tom Casson went over for a converted try but Homer soon levelled matters with his first penalty of the game and then went on to give Irish a 13-10 half-time lead with his second.

Quins came out firing in the second half and Tom Williams dived over in the corner to put the hosts back in front and a drop-goal from Danny Care then extended the advantage to seven points. A superb individual score from Irish's Jonathan Joseph was converted by Homer as the away side restored parity once more.

A second penalty from Evans was then followed up by a converted score from full-back Ross Chisholm as Harlequins moved into a commanding 30-20 lead. A late penalty from the visitors' replacement kicker Adrian Jarvis reduced the gap but it wasn't enough as Quins held on to record the win.

Wasps 17-22 Saracens

Saracens kept up the pressure on Harlequins at the top of the Aviva Premiership with a gutsy 22-17 win at London Wasps on Sunday.

The hosts took the lead after just three minutes through a converted Billy Vunipola try but Saracens soon got back to within a point of the home side following two penalties from the boot of Alex Goode.

Saracens then went in front with a converted score from winger James Short but Wasps responded in kind with a converted try from hooker Tom Lindsay as they retook the lead. Another penalty from Goode then edged Sarries back ahead and they led 16-14 at the interval.

Minutes after the restart, Goode extended the lead with his fourth penalty before Wasps' Nick Robinson closed the gap to two points with his first penalty of the afternoon. But Goode was to have the final word as his last penalty sealed the victory for Saracens as they stay hot on the heels of the league leaders Harlequins.