Saffa-laden Sharks beat Saints

PREMIERSHIP WRAP: Robert du Preez, along with Denny Solomona, made sure the Sale Sharks secure an 18-13 win over Northampton Saints.

Elsewhere, Nic White and Alex Cuthbert touched down tries for Exeter Chiefs to help overcome a stubborn Gloucester Rugby side and maintain their unbeaten season start.

While Juan de Jongh was amongst the try-scorers during Wasps 32-28 win over Bristol Bears.

The Sharks dominated the remainder of the first half and Solomona thought he had added another after ghosting through the Saints defence but Sharks captain Jono Ross was adjudged to have obstructed number eight Teimana Harrison.

Grayson missed a penalty just before the break, which was punished at the start of the second half when a penalty allowed Du Preez to extend Sale’s lead to five points.

Saints then levelled the score when substitute Ollie Sleightholme collected a looping pass from the ruck but Grayson again was wayward from the tee.

Solomona then got his second of the afternoon from Sam James’ pass before both Du Preez and Grayson added further three points to each of their team’s respective tallies.

The scorers:

For Sale:
Tries: Solomona 2
Con: Du Preez
Pens: Du Preez 2

For Northampton:
Tries: Reinach, Sleightholme
Pen: Grayson

Sale: 15 Sam James, 14 Denny Solomona, 13 James O’Connor, 12 Luke James, 11 Arron Reed, 10 Rob du Preez, 9 Faf de Klerk, 8 Jean-Luc du Preez, 7 Ben Curry, 6 Jono Ross (c), 5 James Phillips, 4 Josh Beaumont, 3 Will-Griff John, 2 Rob Webber, 1 Ross Harrison
Replacements: 16 Curtis Langdon, 17 Tom Bristow, 18 Joe Jones, 19 Bryn Evans, 20 Matt Postlethwaight, 21 Will Cliff, 22 Kieran Wilkinson, 23 Paolo Odogwu

Northampton: 15 George Furbank, 14 Andrew Kellaway, 13 Fraser Dingwall, 12 Luther Burrell, 11 Taqele Naiyaravoro, 10 James Grayson, 9 Cobus Reinach, 8 Teimana Harrison, 7 Lewis Ludlam, 6 Tom Wood, 5 Alex Moon, 4 Api Ratuniyarawa, 3 Paul Hill, 2 James Fish, 1 Alex Waller (c)
Replacements: 16 Reece Marshall, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Ben Franks, 19 Dom Barrow, 20 Mitch Eadie, 21 Jamie Gibson, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Ollie Sleightholme

Referee: JP Doyle
Assistant referees: Jonathan Healy, Steve Lee
TMO: Claire Hodnett

Exeter Chiefs 23-6 Gloucester

The Cherry and Whites started well and notched two penalties from the boot of Danny Cipriani, only for White to go in for the first try before the break.

Exeter led at the interval and Cuthbert’s second-half score opened up a gap which Gloucester couldn’t close, meaning the Chiefs are now eight from eight and heading into December in excellent shape.

Gloucester had the better of the opening exchanges and Cipriani opened up with an excellent 50-metre penalty before making it 6-0 soon after.

Gareth Steenson brought it back to 6-3 and then played a big part in White’s try, kicking out wide to Santiago Cordero, who advanced into the 22 before offloading to the scrum-half.

Steenson converted for a 10-6 half-time lead and after the break Gloucester continued to advance their cause, only for Cuthbert to intercept out wide and run in the 80 metres to the posts.

Steenson once again added the extras for a 17-6 lead but Exeter had to defend resolutely, with their opponents’ backs maintaining their threat.

On 50 minutes the Exeter fly-half added a penalty and repeated the trick five minutes from time – Gloucester unfortunate on the day but the Chiefs delivering a solid performance once again.

The scorers:

For Exeter:
Tries: White, Cuthbert
Cons: Steenson 2
Pens: Steenson 3

For Gloucester:
Pens: Cipriani 2

Exeter: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Santiago Cordero, 13 Ian Whitten, 12 Ollie Devoto, 11 Alex Cuthbert, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Nic White, 8 Matt Kvesic, 7 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Dave Dennis, 4 Mitch Lees, 3 Greg Holmes, 2 Jack Yeandle (c), 1 Moray Low
Replacements: 16 Elvis Taione, 17 Billy Keast, 18 Marcus Street, 19 Wilhelm van der Sluys, 20 Tom Lawday, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Joe Simmonds, 23 Sam Hill

Gloucester: 15 Jason Woodward, 14 Charlie Sharples, 13 Henry Trinder, 12 Billy Twelvetrees, 11 Ollie Thorley, 10 Danny Cipriani, 9 Willi Heinz, 8 Ben Morgan, 7 Gareth Evans, 6 Freddie Clarke, 5 Ed Slater (c), 4 Tom Savage, 3 Fraser Balmain, 2 Henry Walker, 1 Val Rapava Ruskin
Replacements: 16 Jaco Visagie, 17 Kyle Traynor, 18 Josh Hohneck, 19 Gerbrandt Grobler, 20 Aaron Hinkley, 21 Callum Braley, 22 Owen Williams, 23 Tom Hudson

Referee: Matthew O’Grady
Assistant referees: Hamish Smales, Dean Richards
TMO: Geoffrey Warren

Wasps 32-28 Bristol Bears

Ross Neal’s brace on debut was just about enough to secure a welcome 32-28 win for Wasps over Bristol Bears

Towering 22-year-old Neal, who shone in the Premiership Rugby Cup, scored a try in each half to send his side to a bonus-point victory.

But Bears hooker Harry Thacker stole the show in the second half, his hat-trick inside 20 minutes dragging his team back from 32-7 down to within four.

Dai Young’s men rode the storm to secure a first win in seven games in all competitions – their first since a Round 5 win at Newcastle Falcons in front of the BT Sport cameras.

Inside seven minutes Wasps raced into a 12-point lead as Neal latched onto Lima Sopoaga’s pass from a poor Bristol clearance.

Neal had plenty to do from 25 metres out but fended off two tacklers to score his first Wasps try.

The 22-year-old summer signing had a big part to play in the second try as he kept wide and upright before popping out of the collision for Juan de Jongh to scorch over for a score Sopoaga improved.

A moment of madness from Wasps saw them attempt an attack from inside their own goalline and Ryan Edwards scrambled to touch down for a try that was disallowed by the TMO.

But from the resulting scrum Bristol turned the screw before former Wasps man Charles Piutau popped sublimely out of the tackle for Edwards to bring Bristol within five points of the home side.

Sopoaga slotted penalties on 24 and 37 minutes to hand Wasps a 18-7 lead at the break. Similarly to the first half, Dai Young’s side flew out of the traps upon the restart.

Ben Morris pounced on Tom Willis’ disorientated ruck present to race 20 metres before free James Gaskell to canter home.

Minutes later the bonus point was secured when a divine through-the-legs scoop from Craig Hampson allowed Rob Miller to fix his man and free Neal for his second try of the afternoon.

Sopoaga’s conversions moved Wasps 32-7 ahead.

Bristol rallied with Thacker’s hat-trick, the third coming from a bizarre interception made by the hooker while Wasps were pressing to close out the game.

Pat Lam’s visitors pushed for a final killer blow but Wasps, shorn of 20 senior players due to injury and international call-ups, saw out a nerve-jangling final five minutes.

The scorers:

For Wasps:
Tries: Neal 2, De Jongh, Gaskell
Cons: Sopoaga 3
Pens: Sopoaga 2

For Bristol:
Tries: Edwards, Thacker 3
Cons: Sheedy 2, Madigan 2

Wasps: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Ross Neal, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Michael Le Bourgeois, 11 Josh Bassett, 10 Lima Sopoaga, 9 Craig Hampson, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Thomas Young, 6 Ashley Johnson (c), 5 James Gaskell, 4 Will Rowlands, 3 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 2 Tom Cruse, 1 Ben Harris
Replacements: 16 Antonio Harris, 17 Tom West, 18 David Langley, 19 Kearnan Myall, 20 Ben Morris, 21 Will Porter, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Gaby Lovobalavu

Bristol: 15 Charles Piutau, 14 Luke Morahan, 13 Piers O’Conor, 12 Will Hurrell, 11 Ryan Edwards, 10 Callum Sheedy (cc), 9 Andy Uren, 8 Nick Haining, 7 Dan Thomas, 6 Steve Luatua (cc), 5 Aly Muldowney, 4 Ed Holmes, 3 John Afoa, 2 Shaun Malton, 1 Jake Woolmore
Replacements: 16 Harry Thacker, 17 Jack Cosgrove, 18 Lewis Thiede, 19 Joe Joyce, 20 George Smith, 21 Harry Randall, 22 Ian Madigan, 23 Siale Piutau

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Assistant referees: Robert Warburton, Simon McConnell
TMO: Keith Lewis

@premRugby