Saints see off leaders Sarries
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.
*Will Addison's second-half try ensured Sale Sharks continued their unbeaten home run and condemned Harlequins to their fifth 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 flyhalf came on to kick another eight points from the tee, meaning Sam Egerton's late try was no more than a consolation.
*Gloucester 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 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 matches heading into the clash but Banahan's brace, 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.
All the scores and scorers!
Sale Sharks 29-23 Harlequins
Joe Ford put an early three points on the board for Sale, as Harlequins conceded at penalty just outside their 22. In the ninth minute, what looked like an excellent steal by Neil Briggs at the breakdown became an opportunity for Ben Botica to level the scores, as the hooker was penalised for going off his feet.
Sale's new-look front row got to work in the scrum, twice driving back the Quins pack and giving Ford the chance to kick another three points from the centre of the pitch. The Quins pack made a drive for the Sale try-line in the 19th minute, pushing the Sale defence backwards, finally being awarded a penalty and kicking for the corner.
Despite a multi-phase period of pick and drive, the London side couldn't break the Sharks defence, who were finally rewarded with a penalty and Ford cleared their lines. Sale finally found their running legs with 15 minutes to play in the first half, rampaging into Harlequins' half and winning a third penalty after a high tackle on Briggs, which Ford converted.
Botica brought the Londoners back with three points for their hosts, kicking the penalty awarded after Sale took a man off the ball. And with less than five minutes to go in the first half, Botica linked up with Visser, who sped down the wing to cross the whitewash for the game's opening score.
The Sharks began the second half with renewed positivity, kicking for touch in the corner and driving for the line, before Ford's attempted chip to Mike Haley was intercepted. The second line-out for Sale in the 43rd minute was more successful, as the pack drove for the line and Ioane touched down.
David Seymour's high tackle on Marland Yarde saw the wing leave the pitch with an injured arm, and gave Botica the chance to level the scores with the resulting penalty. As the match entered the final quarter, the Sharks were awarded a penalty inside Harlequins' 22 and Ford's replacement Cipriani put his side ahead.
A brilliant offload from Sam James in the 62nd minute gave Addison a clear run at the Quins try-line and despite being brought down by two defenders, the wing touched down beside the posts. Danny Cipriani kept the Sharks' match kicking record at 100 percent as he slotted another penalty with 12 minutes left to play to stretch the lead to 13 points.
There was still time for some late drama, as Quins were awarded a penalty and Botica chose to kick for touch, with Egerton going over from the resulting line-out. But that was too little, too late for Harlequins, who have now lost four in a row on the road.
Scorers:
For Sale Sharks:
Tries: Ioane, Addison
Cons: Ford, Cipriani
Pens: Ford 3, Cipriani 2
For Harlequins:
Tries: Visser, Egerton
Cons: Botica 2
Pens: Botica 3
Teams:
Sale 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 (captain), 6 TJ Ioane, 5 Andrei Ostirkov, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Neil Briggs, 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Tommy Taylor, 17 Ross Harrison, 18 Vadim Cobilas, 19 Jonathan Mills, 20 Cameron Neild, 21 Peter Stringer, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Mark Jennings.
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 (captain), 4 George Merrick, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Dave Ward, 1 Mark Lambert.
Replacements: 16 Rob Buchanan, 17 Owen Evans, 18 Will Collier, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 James Chisholm, 21 Sam Egerton, 22 Joe Marchant, 23 Charlie Walker.
Referee: Ian Tempest
Gloucester 13-10 Wasps
Wasps had dropped just three possible points in their last six games but it was Gloucester who were on top from the get-go. And when former Kingsholm favourite Dan Robson fumbled forward, the Cherry & Whites eventually won the penalty that saw Scotland captain Laidlaw put the first three points on the board.
Dai Young's men were struggling to find their rhythm, though one promising Frank Halai break was a reminder of how dangerous they could be. Meanwhile, Gloucester continued to win the battle up front and when Jeremy Thrush caused menace at one particular maul, it laid the platform for the opening try.
After a period of sustained pressure in Wasps' 22, Hibbard finally barrelled over from short range for his second score of the season and Laidlaw completed a simple conversion. Straight from kick-off Christian Wade ran it back at the hosts and he combined with Rob Miller, only for some staunch Gloucester defence to hold the latter up.
It came back for penalty advantage however and, with 20 minutes gone, Gopperth's kick got Wasps off the mark. Both teams had try-scoring chances in the next quarter - Wade putting in a tackle before the ball could reach last-man Charlie Sharples, before Nathan Hughes was chased down after bounding clear up the middle.
But Gloucester went into half-time disappointed to have not extended their lead, as when Wasps were pinged for not releasing, Laidlaw's effort curved from right to left and missed the posts.
Wasps had the advantage of bringing fresher legs on in the second half, with Gloucester trio Rob Cook, Henry Purdy and Paddy McAllister having already been replaced by Billy Burns, Henry Trinder and Yann Thomas due to injury.
But it took only moments for the visitors to get back level, Sam Jones' offload sending Wade away and the England wing danced his way up the right touchline before haring over. Gopperth added the extras at a stunned Kingsholm.
Still, Gloucester were still shading it on the balance of things, as Billy Meakes and Matt Kvesic made their presence known with some bustling carries. And in the 55th minute the hosts were back in front as Laidlaw pushed a penalty between the posts after Wasps failed to roll away.
There was a break in the game for yet another injury - this time Burns needing lengthy treatment - and upon the restart a depleted Gloucester needed a Kvesic turnover to hold Wasps out. Gloucester steadied the ship but when Laidlaw was presented with another opportunity following a collapsed maul, he missed his second penalty of the afternoon.
Just 10 minutes now remained and a dogged Gloucester got their rewards when they saw Gopperth push his drop-goal effort wide with the last action of the match.
Scorers:
For Gloucester:
Try: Hibbard
Con: Laidlaw
Pens: Laidlaw 2
For Wasps:
Try: Wade
Con: Gopperth
Pen: Gopperth
Teams:
Gloucester: 15 Rob Cook, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Henry Purdy, 10 James Hook, 9 Greig Laidlaw (captain), 8 Ross Moriarty, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Jeremy Thrush, 4 Tom Savage, 3 John Afoa, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Paddy McAllister.
Replacements: 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.
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 (captain).
Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Jamie Stevenson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.
Referee: Luke Pearce
Bath 25-17 London Irish
With Irish and Bath struggling for form in recent weeks, a fast start was crucial and both sides settled any early nerves with a penalty apiece - Rhys Priestland bisecting the posts from the 22 on seven minutes before Brophy-Clews responded in kind shortly after.
But Bath didn't take long to restore their lead as Banahan crossed in the corner. Kyle Eastmond made a glorious break through the defence and Houston played the link man to release the wing for the score.
Priestland couldn't add the conversion but Brophy-Clews was having no such issues from the tee as the Exiles flyhalf continued to enhance his burgeoning reputation in the sport by narrowing the deficit to 6-86 with a three-pointer from the right-hand side.
Captain Stuart Hooper claimed a clean line-out and after a good drive, the ball was spread to the England international in space who dotted down.
And after Brophy-Clews had slotted another penalty, Rokoduguni got Bath's third try as he expertly tiptoed the sideline despite the attention of London Irish defenders following good work from Priestland, Banahan and former Exile Tom Homer.
Trailing 9-20 heading into the second half, the visitors came out of the dressing room determined to close the gap but despite some pressure in the 22, they failed to break down a solid home defence.
And Bath effectively ended the game as a contest on the hour mark, while also securing the four-try bonus point, as Houston dived over in the corner following some patient build-up play. Banahan looked full of confidence as he used his impressive frame to make the initial break before Eastmond produced the final pass for the Australian No.8 to finish it off.
With Bath comfortably clear at 25-9 the game began to peter out but to their credit, Irish almost secured an unlikely losing bonus point at the death. Firstly, new signing Tonks' slotted a penalty on 79 minutes and after they regained possession from the restart, Lewington eventually crossed in the corner.
But Tonks' touchline conversion attempt - which would have earned a point if successful - hit the post and bounced clear. However, the late drama was of little concern to the home side as they registered a fifth win of the season to pull further clear of their opponents at the bottom of the table.
Scorers:
For Bath:
Tries: Banahan 2, Rokoduguni, Houston
Con: Priestland
Pen: Priestland
For Londin Irish:
Try: Lewington
Pens: Brophy Clews 3, Tonks
Teams:
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 (captain), 6 Matt Garvey, 5 Dominic Day, 4 Charlie Ewels, 3 Henry Thomas, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Max Lahiff.
Replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Beno Obano, 18 David Wilson, 19 Stuart Hooper, 20 Leroy Houston, 21 Guy Mercer, 22 Jonathan Evans, 23 Horacio Agulla.
London 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 (captain), 6 Ian Nagle, 5 Elliott Stooke, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Halani Aulika, 2 David Paice, 1 Tom Smallbone.
Replacements: 16 Tom Cruse, 17 Tom Court, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Jerry Sexton, 20 Blair Cowan, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Greig Tonks, 23 Fergus Mulchrone.
Referee: JP Doyle
Saracens 15-20 Northampton Saints
Northampton dominated possession early on but made too many mistakes to be able to turn that into points. A big hit from Brad Barritt forced a knock-on from George Pisi and after he released Jamie George, Saints conceded a penalty which Spencer converted.
They led 3-0 after 17 minutes and stretched that advantage with a second penalty of the afternoon after a good break from Goode. However just after the half-hour they lost Spencer to the sin-bin for hands in the ruck, but almost immediately Northampton were dealt a blow as Lawes was forced off with a leg injury.
Still, Saints took advantage of their extra man and when Tom Wood charged down Goode's kick, he was able to feed Myler for the try. The flyhalf converted his own score to put the visitors in front for the first time.
The lead was short-lived though, Goode slotting a penalty from a scrum to make it 9-7 to the league leaders at the break. With a man advantage still, Northampton started the second half strongly, earning a penalty deep in Saracens territory.
Spencer returned but could do nothing as Dickson burrowed over from close range after a series of drives from the forwards. Myler converted from out wide to make it 14-9. It could have got even better but Ben Foden knocked on over the line when diving acrobatically, with Michael Rhodes getting back to make a fantastic tackle.
The home side needed a response and they got one when Luther Burrell came in from the side at a ruck, allowing Spencer to cut the deficit to two points. Saracens had dominated at scrum-time, but the introduction of Paul Hill appeared to turn the tide, earning three points for Myler to push Northampton 17-12 up.
Dickson was pinged for offside at a scrum with 10 minutes remaining, allowing Goode to knock over his second penalty of the afternoon to get Saracens back into it. However, Jacques Burger was penalised soon after at a ruck which allowed Myler to push the lead back to five points and give the leaders some breathing space.
And when Chris Wyles was caught in his own territory, Northampton earned another penalty allowing the visitors to see out the win in Saracens' 22.
Scorers:
For Saracens:
Pens: Spencer 3, Goode 2
For Northampton Saints:
Tries: Myler, Dickson
Cons: Myler 2
Pens: Myler 2
Yellow card: Ben Spencer (Saracens, 32)
Teams:
Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Brad Barritt (captain), 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.
Replacements: 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.
Northampton Saints: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Tom Collins, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Lee Dickson (captain), 8 Teimana Harrison, 7 Tom Wood, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Victor Matfield, 4 Courtney Lawes, 3 Kieran Brookes, 2 Mikey Haywood, 1 Alex Waller.
Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Paul Hill, 19 James Craig, 20 Sam Dickinson, 21 Tom Kessell, 22 JJ Harrahan, 23 Harry Mallinder.
Referee: Thomas Foley