The fight for a top four finish and a place in the Aviva Premiership Rugby Semi-final intensified this weekend with some epic encounters around the country. The highest-scoring draw in Aviva Premiership Rugby history as well as the most points Leicester have ever conceded on home soil in a league game took place against Gloucester on Saturday. There were also wins for Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Saracens and London Wasps, who inflicted a seven-try hammering on relegation-threatened Leeds Carnegie. Sale Sharks hosted London Irish at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton in front of a record home crowd with the visitors coming away with a win. Leicester, Saracens, Gloucester and Northampton currently hold the top four positions but that could all change over the final two rounds.
On Friday night, Northampton Saints came away with a comfortable win at Kingston Park although hosts Newcastle Falcons managed to snatch a crucial losing bonus point to move off the bottom of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table. Jimmy Gopperth’s boot was on form for Falcons slotting over five penalties, however tries from Ben Foden and Bruce Reihana for Saints, as well as a late try by Chris Ashton, ensured Northampton went home with a victory. Final score: Newcastle Falcons 15 Northampton Saints 22.
At the Recreation Ground on Saturday, Springbok half-back duo Michael Claassens and Butch James scored all the points as Bath held on for a narrow win against Harlequins and leapfrogged them into sixth place in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table, boosting their hopes of Heineken Cup rugby next season. The only try of the match came after just 11 minutes as scrum-half Claassens finished one of the few fluent moves of a tense game with James converting as well as kicking four penalties, missing just one kick. All Harlequins’ points came from the boot fly-half Nick Evans. Final score: Bath Rugby 19 Harlequins 15.
Over at Sandy Park Saracens gained revenge for their defeat to Exeter at Vicarage Road back in October with a decisive victory and the Chiefs’ heaviest league defeat this season. Chris Wyles, Noah Cato and Rhys Gill touched down for Saracens with Andy Goode adding a further 15 points with the boot. Jason Shoemark scored the Chiefs’ opening try and Sireli Naqelevuki added a consolation effort late on for the Devon side. Final score: Exeter Chiefs 12, Saracens 33.
At Welford Road, Aviva Premiership Rugby table topper Leicester Tigers were denied victory in the final seconds of an epic Aviva Premiership Rugby contest as play-off rivals Gloucester Rugby snatched a well-earned draw. Centre Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu’s interception try, converted by Freddie Burns, ensured the highest-scoring draw in Aviva Premiership Rugby history and the most points Leicester have ever conceded on home soil in a league game. Tries for Tigers came from Scott Hamilton, Billy Twelvetrees and a hat-trick from Alesana Tuilagi, with five conversions and two penalties via the boot of Toby Flood. Gloucester’s tries were courtesy of Olly Morgan, Andy Hazell, Tim Molenaar and two from Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu, with five conversions and two penalties from Freddie Burns. Final score: Leicester Tigers 41, Gloucester Rugby 41.
Sale’s highly anticipated showdown at the Reebok Stadium in front of a record home attendance of 16,428 saw London Irish cruising to a bonus-point victory despite a second half fightback from Sale Sharks. Topsy Ojo, David Paice, Dan Bowden and Steffon Armitage ran in tries accompanied by the impressive Tom Homer who booted 14 points to keep Irish in with a chance of a top four finish. Sale showed plenty of resilience with scores from locks Sean Cox and Wame Lewaravu, and Charlie Hodgson kicked two penalties and two conversions, but flanker Armitage scored a last-minute try to confirm Irish’s win. Final score: Sale Sharks 20, London Irish 34.
On Sunday, Leeds Carnegie remained at the foot of the Aviva Premiership Rugby table after a crushing seven-try defeat at Adams Park. The West Yorkshire club now have only two games in which to escape relegation, in the form of a home game against Harlequins and a final fixture away to Northampton Saints. Leeds competed well in the early stages of the match but as the game wore on they had no answer to the pace and skills of Richard Haughton and Joe Simpson both of whom scored a brace with Dave Walder, on his last appearance at Adams Park, kicking 14 points. Further tries for Wasps came from Joe Ward, Billy Vunipola and Zak Taulafo. Rhys Oakley and Chris Lewis-Pratt scored for Leeds, with two penalties and a conversion by Adrian Jarvis. Final score: London Wasps 51 Leeds Carnegie 18.
No comments:
Post a Comment