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Chiefs overtake Saracens at the top

Leicester flyhalf Freddie Burns was the star of the show at Welford Road as the Tigers kept up their top-four play-off assault with a workmanlike win over high-flying Saracens.

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Jimmy Gopperth stepped up Wasps' charge for the Premiership play-offs as he scored 17 points in a five-try 39-12 victory over Sale Sharks.

Bottom side London Irish battled to a 23-18 Pemiership win over Gloucester Rugby to cut the gap to 11th-placed Newcastle Falcons to five points with five games remaining.

Leicester Tigers 21-13 Saracens

Freddie Burns scored a try, conversion, two penalties and a drop goal to move his side back into the play-off places on an emotional afternoon at Welford Road.

The match kicked off after the home crowd had risen to pay tribute to former Tiger Seru Rabeni, who passed away this week at the age of 37.

The Tigers showed attacking intent from the very start of the match, running back a kick in the second minute. Second row Graham Kitchener looked to have put prop Logovi'i Mulipola into space but Leicester were harshly called back for a forward pass that looked marginal.

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From the resulting scrum, the home side were able to lay down an immediate marker as they pressured the Saracens eight into conceding a penalty.

The visitors were able to clear their lines at the next scrum and earned the first scoring opportunity with Leicester penalised at the ruck, but Marcelo Bosch's long-range attempt drifted wide.

However, the Tigers were reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes after Mulipola was shown the yellow card for a swinging arm on Bosch.

Saracens capitalised at the very next scrum forcing a penalty that Alex Goode kicked with ease. The lead lasted less than two minutes though as Saracens conceded a kickable penalty that Burns converted.

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Following this exchange of penalties the game sparked into life racing from end to end as both sides saw promising attacks snuffed out by errors and turnovers.

Leicester right wing Adam Thompstone was guilty of squandering the best chance dropping the final pass with a clear run to the line after some excellent phase play.

Saracens were unable to clear their lines and the home side continued to mount attacks close to the tryline. Tigers scrumhalf Jono Kitto was inches short when hauled down by Kelly Brown and the home side were forced to settle for another Burns penalty.

The second half started as the first had with an early yellow card. This time it was Saracens who were reduced to 14 men as flyhalf Nils Mordt was punished for pulling back Peter Betham.

The home side made their numerical superiority count as Burns danced his way over for the opening try of the match in the 46th minute. He touched down under the posts before adding the conversion.

A second try soon followed as Owen Williams made the most of a loose ball by breaking down the left flank and finding Sam Harrison in support. He in turn found Vereniki Goneva who raced over for the score.

Saracens responded with their best spell of pressure and camped on the Leicester line and forced a succession of penalty before Goode barreled his way over from close range and added the extras.

Two minutes later Goode closed the gap further with a penalty after the Tigers infringed at a line-out. But hopes of a comeback were snuffed out as Burns added a drop goal to his personal haul for the afternoon as Sarries were knocked off top spot by the Exeter Chiefs.

The scorers:

For Leicester Tigers:

Tries: Burns, Goneva

Con: Burns

Pens: Burns 2

DG: Burns

For Saracens:

Try: Goode

Con: Goode

Pens: Goode 2

Teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Tommy Bell, 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Peter Betham, 12 Owen Williams, 11 Vereniki Goneva, 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Jono Kitto, 8 Jordan Crane (captain), 7 Lachlan McCaffrey, 6 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Dom Barrow, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 2 Harry Thacker, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Ellis Genge, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Opeti Fonua, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Matt Smith, 23 Telusa Veainu. 

Saracens: 15 Alex Goode, 14 Mike Ellery, 13 Marcelo Bosch, 12 Brad Barritt (captain), 11 Chris Wyles, 10 Nils Mordt, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Jackson Wray, 7 Kelly Brown, 6 Michael Rhodes, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Jim Hamilton, 3 Juan Figallo, 2 Schalk Brits, 1 Richard Barrington.

Replacements: 16 Dave Porecki, 17 Titi Lamositele, 18 Petrus Du Plessis, 19 Hayden Smith, 20 Will Fraser, 21 Richard Wigglesworth, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Ben Ransom.

Referee: JP Doyle

Assistant Referees: Roger Baileff, Robin Goodliffe

TMO: David Sainsbury

Wasps 39-12 Sale Sharks

Dai Young's third-placed team have now won six consecutive home matches and eight of their last nine in the top flight and lie behind only Exeter Chiefs and Saracens in the standings.

With three of their remaining five matches against sides currently at the bottom end of the table, they are now strong favourites to secure a semifinal place for the first time since 2008.

It took hosts Wasps just 23 seconds to get on the board at the Ricoh Arena as Frank Halai recovered the kick-off, before Charles Piutau cruised over after a powerful Nathan Hughes burst, Gopperth converting.

Sale were really struggling to get a foothold in the game and the hosts soon had a second try on the board courtesy of Rob Miller, the full-back scoring against his former side when he was well placed to take an inside ball from Halai.

The visitors' set-piece was under real pressure, and when they did manage to win some ball a string of handling errors followed.

Gopperth kicked two straightforward penalties early in the second quarter to extend the hosts' advantage to 18 points, before Christian Wade knocked on with the line at his mercy.

Sale ended a forgettable first half by conceding a third try when Ashley Johnson touched down a driving line-out, and Gopperth added the extras to give the hosts a 25-0 half-time lead.

Steve Diamond would have had some strong words for his side at the break and it seemed to work as they dominated the early stages of the second half.

Wasps conceded five penalties in quick succession, and lost Jake Cooper-Woolley to the sin-bin as a result. Sale then opened their account with a driving lineout score, which was finished off by skipper David Seymour.

Danny Cipriani converted before the Sharks took full advantage of Cooper-Wooley's absence as they scored a second try with hooker Neil Briggs powering over from close-range.

Once restored to full strength, Wasps responded with a line-out drive of their own following a penalty. Although Sale had repelled the initial surge it was Gopperth with a little pick-and-go that saw him find his way over before adding the extras.

Wasps' scrumhalf Dan Robson was a constant threat with his intensity and he was narrowly denied a try by the TMO after replays showed he hadn't grounded the ball correctly mainly thanks to some superb cover defence by Sale fullback Mike Haley.

The hosts added a fifth try when Wade finished off a flowing 60-metre move started by Sam Jones' athletic recovery of a loose ball on the ground.

Gopperth's replacement Ruaridh Jackson converted, before the closing stages saw Wasps' replacement prop Tom Bristow shown a yellow card and Sale centre Johnny Leota a straight red after a dust up.

The scorers:

For Wasps:

Tries: Piutau, Miller, Johnson, Gopperth, Wade

Cons: Gopperth 3, Jackson

Pens: Gopperth 2

For Sale Sharks:

Tries: Seymour, Briggs

Cons: Cipriani

Teams:

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Christian Wade, 13 Charles Piutau, 12 Siale Piutau, 11 Frank Halai, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Nathan Hughes, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Sam Jones (captain), 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 James Cannon, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Ashley Johnson, 1 Simon McIntyre. 

Replacements: 16 Carlo Festuccia, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 Phil Swainston, 19 Will Rowlands, 20 Alex Rieder, 21 Jamie Stevenson, 22 Ruaridh Jackson, 23 Brendan Macken.

Sale Sharks:  15 Mike Haley, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Jonny Leota, 12 Mark Jennings, 11 Nev Edwards, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Mark Easter 7 David Seymour (captain), 6 Magnus Lund, 5 Andrei Ostrikov, 4 Jonathan Mills, 3 Brian Mujati, 2 Neil Briggs, 1 Ross Harrison. 

Replacements: 16 Cameron Neild, 17 James Flynn, 18 Ciaran Parker, 19 TJ Ioane, 20 Viliami Fihaki, 21 James Mitchell, 22 Joe Ford, 23 Sam James.

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: Paul Burton, Andy Watson

TMO: Sean Davey

Exeter Chiefs 20-12 Northampton Saints

Prior to kick-off the Chiefs had the best home record in the Premiership, having picked up 32 league points from their eight fixtures at Sandy Park and they showed exactly why as they fought back from a 12-3 half-time deficit.

Saints scored two tries in the opening 40 minutes; Lee Dickson touched down in the corner, while Ken Pisi scored just before the break, before Olly Woodburn replied for the Chiefs after the break.

Gareth Steenson kicked five penalties for Exeter to secure the win but it was the imagination and creativity of Slade behind the scrum that caught the eye for the Chiefs. 

Exeter should have gone ahead on four minutes; as after a poor Northampton line-out in their own-22, Ian Whitten collected the loose ball and fed Slade just metres short of the Saints line but the England centre inexplicably knocked on.

A period of Exeter pressure was rewarded with a penalty on 11 minutes, flyhalf Steenson comfortably converting from in front of the posts.

The Chiefs weren't in front for long though as Northampton skipper Dickson touched down for the Saints in the corner against the run of play.

Slade missed his kick for touch and a breathtaking counterattack from Ben Foden led to Northampton going through the phases before Dickson scored down the blindside from close range – JJ Hanrahan missed the conversion.

Northampton Saints, along with Wasps, share the accolade of being the best side in the Premiership on current form, having picked up 24 league points from a possible 30 but they were unable to add to their lead on 18 minutes as Hanrahan pushed his long range penalty wide of the posts.

A host of handling errors littered the first-half as Exeter in particular struggled to get their attacking backs into the game – Chiefs boss Rob Baxter looked a frustrated spectator in the stands. 

The Chiefs' only defeat in their last four Premiership encounters came at Leicester in Round 15 but after conceding a try to Northampton on 34 minutes that impressive statistic was left hanging in the balance.

A flowing move, involving forwards and back, ended with Pisi touching down in the corner after an offload from flank Jamie Gibson – Hanrahan added the extras to leave the score at 12-3.

Mike Haywood was sin-binned on 49 minutes for lying on the wrong side but Northampton Saints repelled the Chiefs five-metre line-out and cleared their lines. 

Exeter made their numerical advantage count on 52 minutes, sustained Chiefs pressure ended with wing Woodburn dotting down in the corner – Steenson failed to add the extras. 

Steenson reduced Northampton's lead to just a solitary point as the Exeter No.10 successfully kicked a straightforward penalty in front of the posts on 57 minutes.

Exeter looked certain to score on 65 minutes but with the try-line gaping somehow Slade knocked the ball on with just a simple needed to put Woodburn away. 

The Chiefs were now camped on the Saints line and after a Northampton infringement, Steenson opted to go for goal and his penalty put Exeter ahead for the first time in the game 14-12 and just minutes later he repeated the trick.

Play-off chasing Northampton was left empty-handed as Steenson slotted over his fifth penalty of the afternoon on 79 minutes to leave the score at 20-12.

For Exeter Chiefs:

Try: Woodburn

Pens: Steenson 5

For Northampton Saints:

Tries: Dickson, K Pisi

Con: Hanrahan

Teams:

Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Olly Woodburn, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Ian Whitten, 11 James Short, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Dave Lewis, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Geoff Parling, 4 Ollie Atkins, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Jack Yeandle (captain), 1 Ben Moon. 

Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Alec Hepburn, 18 Carl Rimmer, 19 Lewis Stevenson, 20 Julian Salvi, 21 Will Chudley, 22 Sam Hill, 23 Lachie Turner.

Northampton Saints: 15 Ben Foden, 14 Ken Pisi, 13 George Pisi, 12 Harry Mallinder, 11 Ahsee Tuala, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Lee Dickson (captain), 8 Jonathan Fisher, 7 Jamie Gibson, 6 Teimana Harrison, 5 Christian Day, 4 James Craig, 3 Paul Hill, 2 Mikey Haywood, 1 Alex Waller. 

Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Ethan Waller, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 Victor Matfield, 20 Tom Wood, 21 Kahn Fotuali’i, 22 Stephen Myler, 23 James Wilson.

Referee: Greg Garner

Assistant Referees: Tom Foley, Andrew Pearce

TMO: Geoff Warren

London Irish 23-18 Gloucester 

Blair Cowan's late try and the boot of Greig Tonks sealed a victory at the Madejski Stadium that could prove vital in the final reckoning for Tom Coventry's side.

Winless since February and having conceded 98 points in their previous three outings, the Exiles nonetheless entered the game with confidence after a good performance against table-toppers Saracens in New Jersey last weekend.

The visitors thought they had broken the deadlock after seven minutes, when Tom Marshall ran onto a canny Henry Trinder kick and fed Callum Braley, whose excellent hand-off allowed captain Billy Twelvetrees to score.

But the try was chalked off by the TMO for offside and the home side made the most of their reprieve.

The Exiles scored shortly afterwards, Halani Aulika muscling the ball over the line from a metre out following a jinking run from Topsy Ojo with ten minutes played.

James Hook put Gloucester on the board with a penalty two minutes later, before Tonks re-established the Exiles' seven-point cushion when Gloucester were penalised for not rolling away.

Hook had an opportunity to cut the deficit on 22 minutes, when Alex Lewington was adjudged to have strayed offside, but his kick from distance went narrowly wide.

After a period of concerted pressure inside the Gloucester 22, Irish won a deserved penalty when Gloucester collapsed the scrum, but Tonks missed from short range.

Marshall was shown a yellow card on 29 minutes for the Cherry & Whites, but Gloucester scored a try against the run of play, Lewis Ludlow bundling the ball over the line, with Hook adding the conversion to make it level at the break.

The hosts regained the lead on 51 minutes, when Gloucester were penalised for a breakdown at the scrum and Tonks slotted home.

But Gloucester levelled it up almost immediately, with Hook kicking his second penalty of the day, after the Exiles conceded a penalty under pressure in front of the posts.

And the visitors took the lead for the first time in the contest on 56 minutes, when Trinder snuck inside the touchline down the left, having done well to chase down Hook's kick and keep himself in play, before Hook missed a difficult conversion.

Irish came back strongly though and penned Gloucester deep inside their own 22 with a succession of scrum penalties on the five-metre line in front of the posts, Yann Thomas being shown a yellow card on 67 minutes.

Tom Savage was also shown a yellow card with ten minutes to play, leaving Gloucester to defend a five-point lead with just 13 men.

And Irish made the most of their numerical advantage, when Cowan touched down following a good maul from the Exiles, Tonks coolly converting to give the hosts the lead once more at 20-18.

And closing out the game was made even easier when Tonks scored a penalty under considerable pressure on 76 minutes to leave the visitors needing a try that they could not muster.

The scorers:

For Irish:

Tries: Aulika, Cowan

Cons: Tonks 2

Pens: Tonks 3

For Gloucester:

Tries: Ludlow, Trinder

Con: Hook

Pens: Hook 2

Teams:

London Irish: 15 Sean Maitland, 14 Alex Lewington, 13 Ciaran Hearn, 12 Johnny Williams, 11 Topsy Ojo, 10 Greig Tonks, 9 Scott Steele, 8 Rob McCusker, 7 Blair Cowan, 6 Luke Narraway (captain), 5 Matt Symons, 4 Will Lloyd, 3 Halani Aulika, 2 Tom Cruse, 1 Tom Court

Replacements: 16 David Paice, 17 Tom Smallbone, 18 Leo Halavatau, 19 Jerry Sexton, 20 Jebb Sinclair, 21 Brendan McKibbin, 22 Theo Brophy Clews, 23 Fergus Mulchrone

Gloucester: 15 Tom Marshall, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Bill Meakes, 12 Billy Twelvetrees (captain), 11 Henry Trinder, 10 James Hook, 9 Callum Braley, 8 Lewis Ludlow, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sione Kalamafoni, 5 Mariano Galarza, 4 Jeremy Thrush, 3 John Afoa, 2 Richard Hibbard, 1 Nick Wood

Replacements: 16 Darren Dawidiuk, 17 Yann Thomas, 18 Paul Doran-Jones, 19 Tom Savage, 20 Gareth Evans, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Mark Atkinson, 23 Rob Cook

Referee: Matthew Carley 

Assistant Referees: Ross Campbell, Paul Dix

TMO: Trevor Fisher

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