There were wins for Exeter Chiefs, Harlequins, Leicester Tigers and Sale Sharks on Saturday while Saracens continued to top the Aviva Premiership table after triumphing against Bath on Friday evening.
Exeter Chiefs gave their top-four hopes a shot in the arm with an emphatic bonus-point victory over Worcester Warriors on Saturday.
After an unbeaten March in Aviva Premiership Rugby for Dean Ryan’s Warriors – the Chiefs proved too strong in an eight-try victory that keeps them in second and looking good for a home semi-final.
Meanwhile, despite Worcester’s winning run coming to an abrupt end, they are still comfortably in tenth position with four games to play.
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Harlequins kept their Premiership play-off hopes alive with a bonus-point victory over Newcastle Falcons, who slipped to their sixth straight defeat.
With just one win in their last five, Quins came into this one disjointed and desperately in need of a positive result. Falcons were in even worse form, winless in five.
A Tim Visser double and scores from Jack Clifford, Joe Gray, Joe Marchant and Marland Yarde means Quins are currently five points off fourth-placed Leicester Tigers – with Wasps facing Northampton Saints tomorrow.
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Sale secured their first victory at the Madjeski Stadium since October 2006 to leave London Irish four points adrift at the bottom of the Premiership.
With three games of the season left to play, Sale remains in seventh place, four points adrift of Harlequins in sixth, who recorded a 46-25 victory over strugglers Newcastle.
Meanwhile, London Irish are four points adrift of the Falcons at the bottom of the table, however, travel to the North East to face Dean Richards troops at Kingston Park in a fortnight’s time following the European break.
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A thoroughly entertaining game at Welford Road saw Leicester Tigers secure a 35-30 bonus-point victory over Gloucester to keep their hopes of reaching the Premiership play-offs alive.
The triumph moves Tigers back to fourth in the table and four points above Northampton, who have a chance to edge ahead of Leicester again on Sunday when they travel to Coventry to face Wasps.
Meanwhile, Gloucester is facing the diminishing prospects of a top-six finish and falling short of a European Champions Cup spot,
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Friday 2nd April
Eight of England’s Grand Slam winning side were on show on Friday night as Premiership leaders Saracens continue on target to top the division after overcoming Bath comfortably at the Rec.
Sarries returned to the top of the table with their victory over Exeter Chief’s last weekend and continued that rich vein of form with a dominant performance in a repeat of last season’s grand final.
Will Fraser and Mike Ellery ran in first-half tries for the visitors with Owen Farrell adding further eight points to give Sarries a convincing 18-3 lead at half-time with George Ford kicking the hosts only points from the tee.
Bath began the second half much better but had Anthony Watson sent off after 50 minutes before they reduced to 13 men when Chris Cook was shown yellow three minutes later.
Chris Ashton capitalised upon the advantage for the away side soon after before Leroy Houston got one back for Bath. The winger though, who was returning from his ten-week suspension, completed his brace to secure the win.
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