Thank you to our friends at Aviva Premiership rugby for our Round 18 round up post.Premiership Rugby started a ground-breaking experiment this weekend by having a television match official (TMO) at the Gloucester Rugby v Exeter Chiefs fixture, the first time a TMO has been in operation at a rugby match that was not being broadcast live on television. A TMO will be in operation at four non-live broadcast matches this season as a trial with a view to extending the facility to all Aviva Premiership Rugby matches next season.
On Friday night, former Sale Sharks favourite Charlie Hodgson returned to haunt his old club by kicking 20 points in a valuable bonus point victory for his new club Saracens at Edgeley Park. Tries for last season's Aviva Premiership Rugby Champions flowed from Chris Wyles and Ernst Joubert in the first half, and Alex Goode, Michael Tagicakibau and Hugh Vyvyan in the second half. Sale Sharks replied with three penalties from the boot of Nick Macleod. Final score: Sale Sharks 9, Saracens 45.
Over at Sixways on Friday, Worcester Warriors nudged Newcastle Falcons closer to the relegation trap-door. Centre Alex Grove's second-half try secured the victory for Worcester, leaving bottom club Newcastle still eight points adrift with just four league games left. Jimmy Gopperth kicked three penalties for the visitors, which was enough to secure a 9-6 advantage approaching the hour mark, but Scotland international Grove's try then rounded off a spell of sustained pressure backed up by some strong kicking from Andy Goode. Final score: Worcester Warriors 19, Newcastle Falcons 9.
On Saturday Harlequins dug their heels into the top spot in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table in front of a 13,882 sell-out crowd at The Stoop. Three penalties from former New Zealand fly-half Nick Evans and a late try by replacement flanker Maurie Fa'asavalu secured a hard-fought victory over Bath Rugby. Bath took the game to Harlequins in the first half but a try-saving tackle by Quins full-back Mike Brown, back from RBS Six Nations bench duty with England, kept them out. Final score: Harlequins 14, Bath Rugby 6.
Over at Kingsholm, substitute lock Aly Muldowney's last-gasp try for Exeter Chiefs against hosts Gloucester Rugby, which was awarded on the judgement of television match official Tony Spreadbury, and converted by Muldowney's fellow replacement Gareth Steenson, gave the Chiefs a seventh win from their last eight away matches in all competitions. Tries came for Gloucester from James Simpson-Daniel, Freddie Burns and Nick Runciman, and for Exeter from Craig Mitchell, Matt Jess, and Aly Muldowney, in an action-packed, thrilling encounter. Final score: Gloucester Rugby 27, Exeter Chiefs 28.
At Franklin's Gardens, Northampton Saints held onto fourth position in the Aviva Premiership Rugby table with a valuable win over eleventh placed London Wasps. Tries for Saints came from James Downey, Ryan Lamb, Martin Roberts and two from England full-back Ben Foden. Nicky Robinson kicked five penalties for London Wasps but a 10thdefeat in 11 games leaves them just eight points above bottom club Newcastle Falcons and their showdown at Adams Park in the final round of the season could be a relegation decider. Final score: Northampton Saints 32, London Wasps 15.
On Sunday at the Madejski Stadium, London Irish looked on target for a victory over Leicester Tigers when they led 32-31 with two minutes to go. However, a Toby Flood penalty and a Tom Croft try from the last movement of the game proved heart-breaking for the hosts. London Irish ran in tries from Bryn Evans and Tom Homer with a drop goal from Dan Bowden and 19 points from the boot of Homer. Tries for the Tigers came from Toby Flood, Julian Salvi, Manu Tuilagi, and Tom Croft, with 21 points courtesy of Toby Flood's boot. Final score: London Irish 32, Leicester Tigers 41.
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