Aviva Premiership: Week 18 Review

Monday 26 March 2012

Sale 9-45 Saracens

Saracens kept up the heat on league leaders Harlequins by recording five tries and a thumping win at Sale Sharks on Friday night.

Charlie Hodgson was able to set up Chris Wyles for the visitors' opening try before Hodgson and Sale's Nick Macleod exchanged penalties. Saracens then added to their blistering start when Ernst Joubert dived over in the corner but Macleod closed the gap with another three-pointer.

The two kickers were in fine form and they swapped penalties before the break but Saracens still held a commanding 16-9 lead at half-time.

Hodgson slotted through two more penalties just after the interval to extend the lead before Alex Goode took advantage of some slack Sale defending to grab the third score. Winger Michael Tagicakibau then touched down for Saracens' bonus-point try and Hugh Vyvyan put the gloss on a wonderful night for the away side with another score two minutes from time.

Worcester 19-9 Newcastle

Worcester condemned Newcastle to yet another away defeat to leave the Falcons rooted to the foot of the Aviva Premiership table.

Jimmy Gopperth struck the visitors ahead early on with a penalty but Andy Goode levelled up matters just before half-time as a dire first-half reached a disappointing conclusion.

Gopperth and Goode then exchanged two penalties apiece after the break as both sides toiled to make the all-important breakthrough. But the Warriors were starting to look the more likely side to score and it came as no surprise when centre Alex Grove dotted down after a long spell of pressure.

Newcastle could not even take a bonus point away from Sixways as Goode's fourth penalty of the night gave Worcester a ten-point win and left the Falcons in real danger of the drop.

Gloucester 27-28 Exeter

Exeter's pursuit of a play-off place in the Aviva Premiership received a welcome boost as they secured a stunning last-minute win over Gloucester at Kingsholm.

A penalty from Freddie Burns put the hosts ahead early on but Exeter quickly replied with their opening try courtesy of prop Craig Mitchell. The visitors even managed to stretch their lead before half-time thanks to an unconverted score from Matt Jess and an Ignacio Mieres as they led 15-3 at the interval.

Burns and Mieres exchanged penalties at the start of the second half before Gloucester stunned
the Chiefs with three tries in seven minutes. Nick Runciman, James Simpson-Daniel and Burns all crossed in a red-hot period for the home side as they raced into a 27-18 lead.

Exeter replacement kicker Gareth Steenson reduced the arrears with a penalty before Aly Muldowney crashed over to bring the visitors to within a point. Steenson then landed a wonderful conversion to give Exeter a magical win and ensure they are right in the race for a top-four place come the end of the season.

Harlequins 14-6 Bath

Harlequins kept hold of top spot in the Aviva Premiership table after seeing off Bath in a dour
encounter at the Stoop.

Tom Heathcote and Nick Evans slotted over a penalty each in the opening minutes to leave the sides locked at 3-3 and it was a scoreline that remained until Heathcote edged Bath into the lead with another penalty just before half-time.

Evans put Quins in front for the first time when he put two more penalties between the uprights midway through the second half before Maurie Fa'asavalu sealed the win for the league leaders when he powered over just six minutes from time.

Jack Cuthbert could have ensured that Bath left London with a bonus point but he missed two late penalties as his side were all but put out of contention for a play-off place.

Northampton 32-15 Wasps

Northampton Saints continued their hunt for a place in the Aviva Premiership play-offs as they secured a bonus-point victory over struggling London Wasps.

Nick Robinson's penalty put Wasps in front but their lead was short lived when returning England star Ben Foden latched onto George Pisi's grubber kick to touch down for the hosts' first try. Wasps were giving their all though and two further penalties from Robinson put the visitors into a 9-7 lead.

Northampton suddenly began to click through the gears and when Foden crossed the whitewash again, adding to a score from centre James Downey and a Ryan Lamb penalty, the Saints went into half-time with a commanding 22-9 advantage.

Robinson and Lamb swapped penalties at the start of the second half before the former slotted through another successful effort to reduce the gap between the sides to ten points.

The Saints then managed to find the bonus-point try they so desperately craved when replacement scrum-half Martin Roberts darted over as they responded to Exeter's victory earlier in the day.

London Irish 32-41 Leicester

Leicester Tigers carried on their rampant charge towards an Aviva Premiership play-off place with a bonus-point win against London Irish.

The hosts went into a 6-0 lead through a Tom Homer penalty and a Dan Bowden drop-goal but the Tigers soon got into their stride and scored two tries in five minutes with Toby Flood and Julien Salvi both getting their names on the scoresheet as Leicester led 12-6.

But Irish weren't to be overpowered and soon hit back with another Homer penalty before taking a 16-12 half-time advantage when lock Bryn Evans crossed the whitewash following an impressive lineout from the hosts.

Two penalties from Flood just after the interval pushed Leicester back in front but poor defence from the visitors allowed Homer to power through and go over under the posts as the game swung back in Irish's favour.

The Tigers seemed to wake up following that setback and soon found themselves in control when Flood landed two more penalties and Manu Tuilagi was able to score their third try after good work from the impressive Billy Twelvetrees.

But as the game drew towards its conclusion, London Irish could be forgiven for thinking they might snatch the win after Homer slotted over three penalties to put the home side 32-31 ahead with just five minutes to play.

Leicester weren't to be denied though and after Flood's fifth penalty allowed them to regain the lead, a last-minute try from returning England man Tom Croft sealed the win and even gave the Tigers a bonus point to take back to Welford Road.