Premiership Immortals - The Debate Show
Aug 29We may only be a few weeks in, but the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season is already shaping up to be one for the ages.
Read on for all the information you need to know about all six games, including how to watch free highlights of each on BT Sport.
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Friday 22 October
Northampton Saints 66-10 Worcester Warriors
Saturday 23 October
Exeter Chiefs 21-33 London Irish
Gloucester 29-20 Newcastle Falcons
Harlequins 31-17 Bath
Leicester Tigers 19-11 Sale Sharks
Sunday 24 October
Saracens 56-15 Wasps
Friday 22 October
Northampton 66-10 Worcester - Watch replay
Northampton Saints jumped up to second in the Gallagher Premiership after running in 10 tries against a sorry Worcester Warriors at Franklin’s Gardens.
Despite the hosts coming into the contest with three wins from four at the start of the season, head coach Chris Boyd believes the team’s performances have featured “too much rubbish” so far this term.
His side were handed the ideal chance to take advantage of their struggling opponents inside seven minutes when Duhan van der Merwe was sin binned for tipping Sam Matavesi beyond the horizontal at a clearout.
Shortly afterwards, Dan Biggar’s tap-and-go penalty caught Worcester off guard, with the fly-half scampering over on his 50th Northampton appearance.
Will Chudley then put the cat amongst the pigeons with a rapid response as teenager Fin Smith’s conversion edged the visitors ahead.
However, their lead was only held briefly as some clever offloads from Teimana Harrison and Rory Hutchinson released Alex Mitchell, who darted into the gap left by the bewildered Warriors defence.
Van der Merwe then returned to the field, but it wasn’t long before Api Ratuniyarawa crossed for the Saints’ third try of the evening.
Courtnall Skosan secured the bonus point 28 minutes into his debut, having the easiest of tasks to touch down as space opened up on the left wing following a measured kick by Fraser Dingwall.
It was the earliest in a Premiership match that Northampton had scored four tries and they weren’t looking to take their foot off the pedal.
Just after the half-hour mark, Rory Hutchinson intercepted a Rory Sutherland pass from more than 60 metres out and tore clear, with Biggar’s conversion making it 33-10 at the break.
Boyd’s men picked up where they left off in the second period, with Skosan surviving a TMO review after brilliantly flying over in the corner to put himself on a hat-trick with more than 30 minutes remaining.
Dingwall’s dancing feet then bamboozled Worcester as he streaked away from several challenges before feeding recent England call-up Tommy Freeman, who strolled in for Northampton’s seventh try.
Five minutes later, Skosan had his treble, again producing the acrobatics to convert Freeman’s pass.
There was still time for two more converted scores on a night when Worcester conceded the most points in a single Premiership match in their history.
Mitchell was alive to some more loose passing from Jonathan Thomas’ men to saunter clear before Freeman scrambled home from close range to bring up double figures for tries.
While Northampton are now three points clear of third-placed Harlequins (albeit having played a game more), Worcester, currently 11th, could prop up the table if Bristol and Bath both win at London Irish and Harlequins respectively this weekend.
Saturday 23 October
Exeter 21-33 London Irish - Watch replay
London Irish secured a shock win at Sandy Park to record their first victory in 210 days and upset the Exeter Chiefs.
Agustin Creevy and Curtis Rona went over inside the first 10 minutes before Will Witty and Stuart Hogg pulled the Exeter Chiefs back level.
Bernhard Janse van Rensburg and Ben Loader then secured the bonus point with tries while Ollie Hassell-Collins made sure of the win. Jack Nowell's effort was Exeter's sole response in the second half.
Gloucester 29-20 Newcastle
Gloucester edged out Newcastle Falcons at Kingsholm thanks to Jonny May's late try.
Lloyd Evans' two penalties and a try from Val Rapava-Ruskin gave the hosts a 13-0 lead at the interval as Falcons failed to get on the board in the opening period.
Evans kicked again but Ben Stevenson's try got Newcastle back into it before Joel Hodgson's penalty made it a nervy end.
However Evans would score two more penalties and May went over to secure the victory with Cameron Nordli-Kelemeti responding for the visitors.
Harlequins 31-17 Bath
Harlequins battled back from a half-time deficit to defeat Bath Rugby 31-17 thanks to Andre Esterhuizen and Joe Marchant's two-try displays.
Marcus Smith got the other try for the hosts while Bath's responses were through Sam Underhill and Will Stuart.
Leicester 19-11 Sale
Premiership leaders Leicester made it six wins from six with a tense win over Sale Sharks at Welford Road.
George Ford's two penalties gave Tigers a 6-3 lead at the interval with Sale's penalty coming via the boot of Kieran Wilkinson.
Hanro Liebenberg scored a try while two further Ford penalties stretched their advantage further. Curtis Langdon went over to make it a nervy finish but Tigers held on.
Sunday 24 October
Saracens 56-15 Wasps - Watch replay
Saracens moved up to third in the Premiership with a 56-15 demolition of a depleted Wasps at the StoneX Stadium.
Wasps lost four players to injury before half-time and Jamie George, Max Malins and Billy Vunipola all crossed to give Sarries a 27-3 half-time lead.
Malins secured the bonus-point try before Wasps hit back through Jimmy Gopperth and Zach Kibirige.
But Malins went over twice more before Alex Lozowski and Ben Earl capped an eight-try rout.