Gallagher Premiership Round Eight: Reports and highlights from the weekend's games

After a three-week hiatus, Premiership rugby returned to BT Sport with a bang last weekend with huge results at both ends of the table. 

As ever, BT Sport is showing live coverage of every single game on TV and our digital platforms. Read on for reports and highlights of all the weekend's action. 

Friday 5 February

Bristol Bears 13-20 Sale Sharks

Saturday 6 February

Wasps 17-22 Northampton Saints

Bath 15-28 Harlequins

Leicester Tigers 41-24 Worcester Warriors

London Irish 32-26 Gloucester

Sunday 7 February

Newcastle Falcons 9-15 Exeter Chiefs

Friday 5 February

Bristol Bears 13-20 Sale Sharks

Alex Sanderson’s dream start as Sale Director of Rugby continued with a dramatic 20-13 win over table-toppers Bristol Bears.

A masterful defensive performance was capped off by a late try by Luke James to secure the win for Sale and move them to second in the Gallagher Premiership table.

Pat Lam’s men had won their last six league matches going into the meeting at Ashton Gate and looked on course for another victory when hooker Bryan Byrne went over for the visitors.

However, Sale were ahead at the break thanks to the boot of AJ MacGinty and they extended their lead in a hard-fought second period.

Former England captain and Bristol hooker John Pullin was remembered before kick-off after the legendary player died aged 79.

Saturday 6 February

Wasps 17-22 Northampton Saints

No match has ever backed up the old adage of it being a game of two halves more than this one.

The Saints scored all of their 22 points before the break, with Wasps responding in the second half with all 17 of theirs!

The second-half fightback was enough for the hosts to come away with a losing bonus point at least, but it was certainly not what they were hoping for after going down to Harlequins last weekend.

Northampton’s resurgence continued, although perhaps not as comfortably as it once seemed, as they look to make a playoff charge.

Tries from Shaun Adendorff, Sam Matavesi and Taqele Naiyaravoro were ultimately enough to secure another victory – the Saints third in a row (not including walkover matches), a feat they last achieved in November 2019. 

Bath 15-28 Harlequins 

Bath’s struggles continue with the defeat to Harlequins their sixth of the season already.

Tries from Alex Dombrandt and Aaron Morris put the visitors in command as they had the better of the first half.

Tom Dunn reduced the deficit shortly after the restart but Danny Care made the most of the hosts being down to 13 men as he crossed to extend Quins’ lead.

Tom De Glanville did add another score for Stuart Hooper’s men after some sustained pressure, but it did little to impact the score line or halt their recent form.

Leicester Tigers 41-24 Worcester Warriors 

Worcester’s struggles continue as they remain without a win since the opening day of the season, having now lost eight successive games in all competitions.

Tigers’ hookers Julian Montoya and Tom Youngs scored three of Leicester’s five tries to help them ease to the victory at Welford Road.

Zach Henry added 16 points with the boot, including all five conversions with Jasper Wiese also crossing twice for the hosts.

Scores from Richard Palframan, Oli Morris and Perry Humphrey inspired a fightback from the Warriors, who were 27-3 down at one stage, but it was ultimately not enough.

London Irish 32-26 Gloucester 

Basement boys Gloucester failed to build upon their 14-12 half-time lead and had to settle for two bonus points in a defeat that could have huge repercussions at the bottom.

The decision regarding relegation from the Premiership this season was delayed after a meeting was scheduled with the RFU for Friday afternoon.

And having fallen to another defeat, this time against a relegation rival in the shape of Irish, the Cherry & Whites will still be looking worryingly over their shoulders.

Alex Craig’s last-minute try not only earned the bonus point, it helped close the gap on 11th-placed Worcester to just one point.

For London Irish meanwhile, it built on their victory over Newcastle Falcons last weekend as the Exiles made it back-to-back Premiership wins for the first time in 12 months.

Sunday 7 February

Newcastle Falcons 9-15 Exeter Chiefs

Watch replay

Exeter moved back up to second place in the Gallagher Premiership table with a hard-earned win over Newcastle at Kingston Park.

Scores by Sam Simmonds and Alex Cuthbert proved to be the difference as the champions held off a spirited performance by the newly-promoted Falcons to ensure their share of the points on a freezing afternoon in the north east.