Saracens are now second in the Gallagher Premiership table after overcoming Bristol Bears with a hard-fought 41-20 win at Ashton Gate. Meanwhile, Northampton Saints made light work of Gloucester with an enormous 90-0 victory that confirms a home tie in the play-offs. Saturday’s final match sees Exeter Chiefs play Harlequins as the battle for the play-offs continues.
Maro Itoje and Elliot Daly starred in a crucial 41-20 win for Saracens away against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate to boost their Gallagher Premiership play-off aspirations.
Two tries for Itoje alongside a further two conversions and four penalties for Daly secured a vital victory which moves the north Londoners up into second place.
The Bears struck first when Harry Randall seized his opportunity from the line-out and Joe Batley surged his way over the line, before AJ MacGinty added the conversion.
Owen Farrell got the visitors off the mark with a penalty at 10-3, but MacGinty punished Sarries for an offside and increased their lead with a penalty of their own.
That was when Itoje entered the fray and finished off a lovely move instigated by Juan-Martin Gonzalez, who picked out the England lock to score his first try.
After Farrell converted, Daly successfully added a further three points for Sarries two minutes shy of the half-hour mark after Bristol conceded a penalty.
Itoje then turned the match on its head after forcing his way through from the line-out to put the visitors in front for the first time.
Daly added an additional two points plus another penalty to give Saracens a 23-13 lead at the break.
The tide of the match had firmly turned in Sarries’ favour with MacGinty taken off just five minutes into the second half, as James Williams came on.
Bristol had hopes of a comeback after taking advantage of both Itoje and Ben Earl being in the sin bin, with Harry Thacker crossing the line after a break up in the maul and Williams adding the extra two points.
But the visitors reasserted their dominance, as Daly added a penalty and Rotimi Segun scored a superb try with a fine finish.
The scoring was rounded off when Daly linked up brilliantly with Lucio Cinti, who in turn picked out Gonzalez to go over the line – and Daly added the extras.
Northampton Saints claimed a record home victory in Premiership Rugby history after annihilating Gloucester with a 90-0 victory.
Saints are now four points clear at the top of the table after Ollie Sleightholme took three tries, Curtis Langdon and Sam Matavesi added two each, while George Furbank, Fraser Dingwall, Alex Mitchell, Alex Waller, Emmanuel Iyogun, Alexander Moon and Tom James also crossed the line for the hosts.
Sleightholme’s hat-trick was the highlight of a dominant display, as the hosts scored six tries in the first half on a sobering day for Gloucester.
Highly-rated England fly-half Fin Smith added a further eight conversions in a fine performance, with the hosts also taking the biggest win of the season after Bristol thrashed Newcastle Falcons 85-14 last month.
The win means Saints will play a home match in the play-offs.
Exeter Chiefs kept their slim play-off hopes alive after claiming an impressive 58-26 win over Harlequins to move up to fifth in the table.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Harvey Skinner both took two tries each, while Henry Slade, Dan John and Dafydd Jenkins also crossed the line on a fine evening’s work for the hosts at Sandy Park.
The results means Exeter sit above Quins on points difference and are two adrift of Sale Sharks in the coveted fourth spot.
A gripping first half saw both teams go in on level terms with the score 21-21 at the break, with England fly-half Marcus Smith scoring one try and three conversions in the opening 40 minutes.
However, the visitors managed to score only five points in the second half as the hosts took 37 points without reply in an ultimately resounding victory.
That was before Louis Lynagh struck for Quins to take the last word, who gained the consolation prize of a bonus point for scoring their fourth try of the day.
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