Aviva Premiership Sat 31st Oct

Saracens 24-14 London Irish 

Saracens beat the London Irish 24-14 at the Allianz Park to preserve their perfect start to the Aviva Premiership season. The home team took the lead after 13 minutes as Rhys Gill won a penalty and Owen Farrell nailed his kick straight through the uprights. Farrell then had two opportunities to increase the Saracens' lead with penalty kicks but the first drifted wide from distance while the second was dragged away from the posts. 

Those missed chances proved costly moments later as Asaeli Tikoirotuma finished off an Exiles' attack and Chris Noakes converted to make it a surprise 7-3 lead to the London Irish at the break. Saracens put the visitors under pressure early in the second half and it paid off quickly, as Farrell brought his side to within a point with another penalty. Tikoirotuma was sin-binned five minutes later and the reigning champions took advantage as Jackson Wray went over to put his side in front, but Farrell missed the conversion. 

The hosts continued to press and the tabble-toppers finally established a strong lead as Alex Goode took it round a tackle to reach over the line and Farrell this time nailed his kick to make it 18-7. However, the Irish pulled themselves to within four points three minutes later as Leo Halavatau scored a try and a Shane Geraghty conversion made it a nail-biting finish. Two late Farrell penalties put the score beyond doubt as Saracens keep their 100% record while London Irish still search for their first point of the season, after Geraghty missed a penalty in the last minute that would have given them a losing point.


Bath 28-38 Harlequins 

Harlequins fly-half Nick Evans scored 28 points as his team put in a strong second half to beat Bath 28-38 at The Rec in the Aviva Premiership. Evans put Harlequins in front as he hit a penalty but Bath pulled level moments later after Nick Easter came in from the side and George Ford stuck his kick between the posts to make it 3-3. 

Quins took back the lead through Evans after Wilson was again at fault for the hosts for incorrect binding but the hosts would go in front with the first try of the day as Kyle Eastmond went over in the right corner. Evans hit two more penalties to put Harlequins ahead before Ford hit his second penalty of the game to give his side a 13-12 lead at half time. 

After the break, Evans put over another kick before Danny Care scored the away side's first try of the game as he broke from inside his own half, kicked over the Bath defence and seized on a Leroy Houston mistake to make it 22-13. Evans then hit three more penalties, with Ford scoring one penalty in between, as the Harlequins tightened their grip on the contest in the final 15 minutes. 

Tim Visser thought he had put the Quins further ahead but TMO showed a forward pass but Dave Ward scored moments later after Eastmond was sin-binned for the home team. Nick Auterac sparked a late comeback as he went over with five minutes remaining but Ford missed the conversion and Leroy Houston thought he had pulled Bath even closer but his attempt was ruled no try. Semesa Rokoduguni crossed the line in the final minute but it was not enough as Harlequins jump to second in the table while last year's Premiership finalists sit in eighth. 


Gloucester 24-22 Worcester Warriors 

Gloucester held on to win 24-22 against Worcester Warriors in a competitive Aviva Premiership game that saw seven lead changes. Gloucester flew out of the blocks to score a try early as they used a rolling maul from a line-out and Richard Hibbard was the one emerging to go over for his team, but Billy Twelvetrees missed the conversion. Worcester came back with a try of their own moments later as Cooper Vuna intercepted a pass and ran home untouched and Tom Heathcote converted to give the visitors an early lead. 

Twelvetrees then scored a penalty and Sione Kalamafoni put the hosts further in front with their second try of the day that had to be checked by TMO but fly-half Twelvetrees sliced another conversion for his side. Worcester's Ryan Mills then replied to another Twelvetrees penalty to make it 16-10 before prop Niall Annett touched the ball down across the line and Heathcote converted again as the Warriors went ahead for the second time. 

Another Twelvetrees penalty changed the lead again but the 26-year-old had another chance to extend that before the break but his indifferent kicking performance continued, with his effort hitting the post. Vuna scored a second try after the break with another excellent run but Ryan Lamb, on for Heathcote, missed the following conversion. David Halaifouna went over to retake the lead after finishing a strong Gloucester attack and James Hook failed to hit the conversion as Twelvetrees was taken off kicking duties. Jonny May thought he had put his side further in front moments later but his try was ruled out for a foward pass, much to the displeasure of the Gloucester crowd. Despite some late Warriors pressure, Gloucester held on as they head to third in the Aviva Premiership table while Worcester remain in ninth.