Chiefs sneak past Quins
Harlequins trailed at the break after an end-to-end first half, despite outscoring their hosts by three tries to one, with James Short's late try and four Gareth Steenson penalties enough for a 19-17 lead.
And despite Tim Visser's unbelievably fortunate score in the corner – with the ball coming back off the corner flag – the brilliant Steenson's second-half try ultimately was enough for Exeter.
Exeter got off to a flying start with a penalty straight from the kick-off, with Harlequins offside after knocking on and Steenson made no mistake from the tee.
But the visitors hit back in emphatic fashion, driving up the field and winning a series of scrums on the Chiefs' five-metre line before eventually being awarded a penalty try on seven minutes.
It looked at that stage like it could be a long afternoon for the Exeter pack, but after a massive scrum of their own, Steenson made it 7-6 three minutes later.
An Exeter mistake at the restart gave Harlequins a scrum, before Danny Care's inch-perfect grubber was gratefully scooped up by Evans to touch down for Harlequins' second try of the afternoon – although the No.10 could not convert from out wide.
Conor O'Shea's side looked to press on and would have added to their score had their final pass not let them down, but it was Exeter who reduced the deficit after winning a scrum against the head and Steenson was immaculate again with his kick.
But not to be outdone, Harlequins twice turned down shots at goal to kick to the corner, and they were rewarded by their forwards as Charlie Walker went over for another try on 30 minutes after his side built the phases.
Evans once again could not find the mark from the touchline with his conversion, and after Harlequins coughed up yet another penalty for Steenson in their own 22, Exeter turned the game on its head with a score as the clock ticked into the red.
Reluctant to kick out into the wind Harlequins kept the ball in hand and paid the price when they were turned over, and quick ball across the backs let Short go over in the corner.
Steenson converted to send his side into the interval two points to the good, but O'Shea's team talk clearly did the trick as Harlequins came out firing in the second period.
Exeter were pinged in the scrum on 42 minutes as the front-row went down and Evans put his side back into the lead.
Walker's brilliant scything run then put Harlequins deep in Exeter territory, but strong defence from the home side saw them able to clear.
And Steenson was once again scourge of the visitors as he took his points tally over 20 with a try of his own – expertly picking up a bouncing ball in the wet after the referee played three penalty advantages.
Visser and Matt Hopper combined beautifully to go over and silence the home crowd, but after that try was chalked off for a knock-on, Elvis Taione saw yellow for Exeter with the TMO consulted.
And Harlequins made their extra man count immediately, although it was an incredible piece of luck that saw them manage a bonus-point try on 63 minutes.
Mike Brown's grubber-kick was overhit, but remarkably bounced up off the corner flag and straight into Visser's hands.
Harlequins again could not convert from the touchline in dire conditions at Sandy Park, and with the teams separated by just a point at 26-25 with ten minutes remaining the game was set for a grandstand finish.
Harlequins hammered away at the Exeter line, and despite desperate defence the hosts finally yielded a penalty in the 78th minute, with Tom Johnson sin-binned for coming in at the side.
However in the swirling wind Swiel could not make the incredibly tricky penalty attempt count, with his kick flying just wide of the uprights and Exeter clung on for the most slender of victories.
The scorers:
For Exeter Chiefs:
Tries: Short, Steenson
Cons: Steenson 2
Pens: Steenson 4
For Harlequins:
Tries: Penalty Try, Evans, Walker, Visser
Con: Evans
Pen: Evans
Teams:
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 James Short, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Mitch Lees, 3 Moray Low, 2 Jack Yeandle (captain), 1 Alec Hepburn.
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Ben Moon, 18 Alex Brown, 19 Geoff Parling, 20 Tom Johnson, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Sam Hill, 23 Olly Woodburn.
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Charlie Walker, 13 George Lowe, 12 Harry Sloan, 11 Tim Visser, 10 Nick Evans, 9 Danny Care (captain), 8 Nick Easter, 7 Dave Ward, 6 Chris Robshaw, 5 Sam Twomey, 4 James Horwill, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Rob Buchanan, 1 Joe Marler.
Replacements: 16 Joe Gray, 17 Mark Lambert, 18 Will Collier, 19 Charlie Matthews, 20 Kieran Treadwell, 21 Tito Tebaldi, 22 Tim Swiel, 23 Matt Hopper.
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant Referees: Ros Campbell & Roger Baileff
TMO: Keith Lewis
Saracens 48-18 Worcestor Warriors
Premiership leaders Saracens cemented their position at the top of the table with a crushing victory over Worcester Warriors in the opening game of the London Double Header.
Chris Ashton scored two tries, while Ben Spencer, Jackson Wray, Schalk Brits and Ben Ransom all crossed as the champions scored six tries in total in what was Ernst Joubert's final game
Saracens dominated from the off and were ahead after just four minutes when the outstanding Spencer set up Ashton.
Spencer went from provider to scorer when he was on hand following a break from Chris Wyles as the champions led 20-6 at the break.
They continued to control the game with a try from Wray early in the second half, before Ashton sealed the bonus point from a great counter-attacking score.
Saracens were not done yet, with Brits and Ransom also going over while Charlie Hodgson chipped in with 18 points as he crossed the 2500 point barrier in the Premiership.
Worcester got two late consolation tries through replacement prop Joe Rees and a stunning score from GJ van Velze, but it was too little too late.
It took just four minutes for the reigning champions to show their class and get onto the scoreboard.
Saracens scrumhalf Spencer threw a dummy and darted into space in the middle of the park, then a beautifully weighted kick to the right of the field fell perfectly for Ashton who gratefully collected and touched down in the right hand corner. Hodgson added the two points to put Saracens into an early lead.
The second try of the match came on 22 minutes, when Wyles broke down the left wing and a well-timed pass to inside runner Spencer saw the scrumhalf cross over in the left corner.
Just six minutes later, Saracens almost increased their lead even further when Wray bundled his way over the line, but the TMO ruled that the ball had not been properly grounded. However Saracens ensured they left the Worcester half with something when Hodgson converted a penalty.
After just over half an hour played, Worcester chose to turn to Tom Heathcote's boot to get them on the score board. The flyhalf dispatched two penalties within three minutes to close the points gap.
Just before the whistle sounded for half-time, Hodgson kicked his side into a 20-6 lead to take into the interval.
Saracens were quickest out of the blocks for the second half – early pressure resulted in Wray touching down for the try on his second attempt. Hodgson's reliable right boot secured another two points with the conversion.
After just under ten minutes played of the second half, the Worcester pack looked to be edging closer to the tryline, but excellent defence from Saracens saw them win the penalty and punt the ball to safety.
With 52 minutes gone, the Twickenham crowd were treated to an excellent phase of play when Saracens hooker Brits made a break through the centre of the field, offloaded to Hodgson who then played in Ashton for his second try of the evening to secure the bonus point. Hodgson's conversion ensured the 35-year-old's all-time Premiership points tally reached 2,500.
Five minutes later, Saracens' dominance continued when they scored their fifth try of the match. Hooker Brits touched down after a driving maul over the line, with Hodgson again converting.
Worcester's miserable afternoon continued when flank Phil Dowson was sent to the sin-bin on the 61 minute mark.
Saracens took advantage of their one man advantage when a clever dummy from full-back Ransom saw him cross in the left hand corner for Saracens' sixth try with 15 minutes remaining. Hodgson again adding the bonus points with the conversion.
That was it for Saracens, but Worcester finished well, with Rees crossing after collecting the ball out of the tackle as Maro Itoje tried and failed to steal.
And they finished with one of the tries of the game, as Bryce Heem's great break ended with skipper Van Velze going over.
The scorers:
For Saracens:
Tries: Ashton 2, Spencer, Wray, Brits, Ransom
Cons: Hodgson 6
Pens: Hodgson 2
For Worcester Warriors:
Tries: Rees, Van Velze
Cons: Heathcote
Pens: Heathcote 2
Saracens: 15 Ben Ransom, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt, 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Ben Spencer, 8 Ernst Joubert, 7 Will Fraser, 6 Kelly Brown, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (captain), 4 George Kruis, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Rhys Gill.
Replacements: 16 Jared Saunders, 17 Richard Barrington, 18 Titi Lamositele, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Samulea Vunisa, 21 Neil De Kock, 22 Owen Farrell, 23 Nick Tompkins.
Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Bryce Heem, 13 Wynand Olivier, 12 Ryan Mills, 11 Cooper Vuna, 10 Tom Heathcote, 9 Jonny Arr, 8 GJ van Velze (captain), 7 Sam Betty, 6 Phil Dowson, 5 Darren Barry, 4 Donncha O'Callaghan, 3 Nick Schonert, 2 Niall Annett, 1 Na'ama Leleimalefaga.
Replacements: 16 Jaba Bregvadze, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Joe Rees, 19 Tevita Cavubati, 20 Matt Cox, 21 Charlie Mulchrone, 22 Ryan Lamb, 23 Ben Howard.
Referee: Ian Tempest
Assistant Referees: Peter Huckle, Nigel Carrick
TMO: Rowan Kitt
Sale Sharks 15-15 Newcastle Falcons
Danny Cipriani missed a match-winning penalty with the final kick of the game as Sale Sharks were held to a 15-15 draw at home to Newcastle Falcons.
The results means Dean Richards' side picked up their first two points of the Premiership campaign and moved off the bottom of the table.
Four penalties from Cipriani saw Sale lead 12-8 at half-time despite Rob Vickers grabbing the only try of the opening 40 minutes.
Another score from Jon Welsh and Tom Catterick's conversion had moved Falcons level with ten minutes remaining before the Falcons flyhalf and Cipriani both missed penalties to win it.
A driving maul from the first line out of the game gifted Sale with an easily kickable penalty for Cipriani after just a minute and a half of play.
A scrum for Newcastle gave the visitors a prolonged run at their host's tryline and they were eventually rewarded with a penalty on the Sharks' 22, kicked by Mike Delany to draw the scores level after 13 minutes.
The rain hammered down on the AJ Bell Stadium forcing errors from both teams as the ball slipped from hands, kicks skidded off course and penalty-scorer Delany hobbled off the pitch
Sale regained their advantage when Bryan Evans got a hand onto a Falcons line out throw, Tommy Taylor drove forward and Falcons were penalised for not rolling away, leaving Cipriani to take the three points.
However, with 15 minutes left to play in the first half, Newcastle broke through the Sale line in the centre of the pitch, bodies piled on the ball and eventually Vickers dotted down to take the lead for the first time as a desperate Sam Tuitupou tackled the referee in the confusion.
The high wind denied new kicker Catterick from adding to the two-point advantage.
As the first half entered its final ten minutes, the possession and territory was still all with Newcastle until a turn over for Sale saw promising youngster Sam James kick the ball for a rare visit into the opposition's 22.
It was the opportunity Sale needed as the back line finally came to life, a beautiful pass from Cipriani to Will Addison nearly creating a try in the corner before a well-timed tackle took the ball out of play. The referee went back for an earlier penalty though and Cipriani opted to kick for three points and re-establish the host's lead with six minutes left in the first half.
Cipriani then had a fourth penalty as the clock turned red, following a strong passage of play from the Sharks, and the hosts left the field with a four-point advantage.
A territorial battle characterised the opening of the second half as both sides began with boot to ball as the rain continued to hammer down and no one seemed confident to try any running rugby.
Sale looked the more dangerous after nine minutes of cautious play from the two sides. Catterick made the mistake of letting the Haley's kick bounce and was pounced on by Haley and Tom Arscott.
Penalised for holding on, Falcons gave Cipriani his fifth penalty of the game and the flyhalf increased his side's lead to seven points.
Marcus Watson led the charge for Falcons and after a forwards drive, prop Jon Welsh went over from close range. Catterick's conversion was good and the scores were level once again with seven minutes left to play.
Falcons were then awarded a penalty less than a minute later, which Catterick opted to kick for the posts but the ball swung wide and Sharks were granted a reprise.
And with less than 90 seconds left on the clock Cipriani kicked for touch and the resulting line-out and shove led to a penalty against Falcons.
Cipriani looked to have sent the ball through the posts but it veered at the last moment and the flyhalf roared with frustration as the clock turned red and the score finished all square, 15 points apiece.
The scorers:
For Sale Sharks:
Pens: Cipriani 5
For Newcastle:
Tries: Vickers, Welsh
Con: Catterick
Pen: Delany
Sale Sharks: 15 Mike Haley, 14 Tom Arscott, 13 Sam James, 12 Sam Tuitupou, 11 Will Addison, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Chris Cusiter, 8 TJ Ioane, 7 Magnus Lund, 6 Dan Braid (captain), 5 Jonathan Mills, 4 Bryn Evans, 3 Vadim Cobilas, 2 Tommy Taylor, 1 Ross Harrison.
Replacements: 16 Cameron Neild, 17 Eifion Lewis Roberts, 18 Brian Mujati, 19 Andrei Ostrikov, 20 Viliami Fihaki, 21 Peter Stringer, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Mark Jennings.
Newcastle Falcons: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Giovanbattista Venditti, 13 Adam Powell, 12 Juan Pablo Socino, 11 Marcus Watson, 10 Mike Delany, 9 Michael Young, 8 Nili Latu, 7 Will Welch, 6 Mark Wilson, 5 Sean Robinson, 4 Calum Green, 3 Jon Welsh, 2 George McGuigan, 1 Rob Vickers.
Replacements: 16 Scott Lawson, 17 Alex Rogers, 18 Taione Vea, 19 Mouritz Botha, 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Ruki Tipuna, 22 Tom Catterick, 23 Chris Harris.
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Peter Allan, Robin Goodliffe
TMO: Trevor Fisher
London Irish 15-33 Wasps
Wasps carried their European form back onto the Premiership stage with a convincing win over London Irish in the London Double Header at Twickenham.
They found it hard going in the first half, managing just one try from Frank Halai, but he added a second after the break, with Elliot Daly and Thomas Young also going over to seal the bonus point.
London Irish did cross the whitewash themselves, with youngster Johnny Williams grabbing both tries, but remain pointless after a fifth defeat of the season.
Wasps had the better of the opening period, but struggled to make their dominance tell, despite a fourth-minute penalty from Ruaridh Jackson to open the scoring.
The Exiles responded through Chris Noakes but a second Jackson penalty, following one miss, had Wasps nudging in front midway through the half.
Unlike in their recent European successes though, the Coventry-based side found it hard to break down their opponents, and were constantly frustrated by the Exiles.
The first try finally came just before half-time, with the Irish defence finally breaking after being so impressive for much of the half. It came when Charles Piutau took a quick tap to leave Tom Coventry's side scrambling.
The ball was quickly shifted to James Haskell who was stopped just short. Two bursts from props Jake Cooper-Woolley and Matt Mullan forced Irish to infringe, and with penalty advantage Joe Simpson spread the ball wide for Halai to cross in the corner. Jackson missed the conversion but Wasps seemed in control at 11-3.
However, having been on the back foot for most of the half, the Exiles stirred into life in response, and managed what Leinster and Toulon could not with a try against Dai Young's side.
A break from Alex Lewington got them into the heart of the Wasps defence, and after going right, they came back to the left for Williams to score a try in his first Premiership start. Noakes missed his second kick of the afternoon but Irish were back in it, trailing 11-8 at the break.
With four minutes played of the second half, Jackson had the chance to put Wasps further ahead but his attempt at the posts went wide.
Just three minutes later, Charles Piutau knocked the ball on and the resulting scrum saw London Irish awarded a penalty – however Noakes' was also off-target.
With 50 minutes on the clock, Daly showed a strong burst of pace as he blistered through the London Irish defence to cross the whitewash for Wasps' second try of the match. Jackson was at hand to covert the try to give Wasps some breathing space.
Moments later, Jackson's replacement Jimmy Gopperth extended the Wasps lead with a well-struck penalty.
However, London Irish closed the gap almost immediately when 19 year-old Williams was on hand to get on the end of a kick through from Aseli Tikoirotuma. Noakes added the conversion to bring Irish within six points of Wasps.
With 70 minutes gone, the Wasps pack's energy and stamina paid off when Young secured try number three for Wasps after a catch and drive from a five metre line out. Gopperth converted to give Wasps a 28-15 lead with just ten minutes to go.
And they wrapped up the bonus point with a great break from Daly setting up Halai for his second and Wasps' fourth.
The scorers:
For London Irish:
Tries: Williams 2
Con: Noakes
Pen: Noakes
For Wasps:
Tries: Halai 2, Daly, Young
Cons: Jackson, Gopperth
Pens: Jackson, Gopperth
Teams:
London Irish: 15 Topsy Ojo, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Aseli Tikoirotuma, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Tom Fowlie, 10 Chris Noakes, 9 Scott Steele, 8 Ofisa Treviranus 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Joe Trayfoot, 5 Matt Symons (captain), 4 Eoin Sheriff, 3 Ben Franks, 2 David Paice, 1 Tom Court.
Replacements: 16 Gerard Ellis, 17 Tom Smallbone, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Jebb Sinclair, 20 Luke Narraway, 21 Darren Allinson, 22 Theo Brophy-Clews, 23 Fergus Mulchrone.
Wasps: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 Elliot Daly, 12 Ben Jacobs, 11 Frank Halai, 10 Ruaridh Jackson, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Thomas Young, 6 James Haskell (captain), 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 James Gaskell, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Ashley Johnson, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Edd Shervington, 17 Simon McIntyre, 18 Lorenzo Cittadini, 19 Bradley Davies, 20 Sam Jones, 21 Dan Robson, 22 Jimmy Gopperth, 23 Brendan Macken.
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Paul Burton and Andrew Pearce
TMO: Sean Davey
