Harlequins win to keep pace with Tigers

PREMIERSHIP WRAP: English champions Harlequins beat Worcester Warriors 35-29 on Saturday to make it two wins out of two – as Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs both tasted defeat for the second time this season.

Louis Lynagh and Alex Dombrandt celebrated call-ups to England’s training squad this week by touching down in a one-sided first half at Twickenham Stoop.

Cadan Murley also crossed to establish a 21-3 interval lead and the holders claimed the bonus point through Joe Marchant but Ollie Lawrence, Willi Heinz and Will Chudley all scored for Worcester.

The Warriors twice trailed by 18 points but heading into the last 10 minutes the deficit had been reduced to four through some enterprising play, only for lock Dino Lamb to dash their hopes by surging over the line late on.

It was the first Premiership match to feature a female referee, with Sara Cox taking charge.

Cox became the world’s first professional female rugby referee in 2016 after receiving a central contract from England’s Rugby Football Union.

Ali Crossdale scored two tries on his debut as Wasps kicked off their Premiership campaign with an impressive 44-8 thumping of the Bears, who finished top of the table during the 2020/21 regular season.

George Furbank kicked a last-minute penalty to send last season’s Premiership runners-up Exeter to a second defeat in the opening two weeks of the new campaign.

Alex Mitchell and Matt Procter scored Northampton Saints’ tries in a 26-24 win against the Chiefs while Newcastle Falcons beat Bath 20-13.

Leicester Tigers are top of the table on points difference after beating Gloucester 33-26 on Friday.

On Sunday London Irish staged a 17-point fightback to rescue a dramatic 31-all draw against Sale Sharks.

Weekend scores and scorers

Exeter Chiefs 24 Northampton Saints 26

The scorers

For Exeter Chiefs
Tries: Armand, Maunder, Tuima
Cons: Simmonds 3
Pen: Simmonds

For Northampton Saints
Tries: Mitchell, Proctor
Cons: Grayson 2
Pens: Grayson 2, Furbank 2

Harlequins 35 Worcester Warriors 29

The scorers

For Harlequins
Tries: Lynagh, Dombrandt, Murley, Marchant, Lamb-Cona
Cons: Allan 5

For Worcester Warriors
Tries: Lawrence, Heinz, Chudley, Thomas
Cons: Williams 3
Pen: Williams

Wasps 44 Bristol 8

The scorers

For Wasps
Tries: Crossdale 2, Shields, Frost, Willis, Kibirige
Cons: Gopperth 4
Pens: Umaga 2

For Bristol
Try: Lahiff
Pen: Sheedy

Bath 13 Newcastle Falcons 20

The scorers

For Bath
Try: Ojomoh
Con: Bailey
Pens: Bailey 2

For Newcastle Falcons
Tries: Radwan, Stephens, McGuigan
Con: Haydon-Wood
Pen: Haydon-Wood

London Irish 31 Sale Sahrks 31

The scorers

For London Irish’
Tries: White, Creevy, Parton 2, Rona
Cons: Jackson 3

For Sale Sharks
Tries: MacGinty, Yarde, S James, Cliff
Cons: MacGinty 4
Pen: MacGinty

𝔽𝕝𝕒𝕥𝕤 𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕒𝕔𝕜 with the #GallagherPrem Lowdown 🙌@davidflatman is here to take you through all the talking points of the opening round 🗣

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— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) September 20, 2021