A review of the action on the opening Aviva Premiership weekend as Bath won at Leicester for the first time in 14 years.
Aviva Premiership fixtures & results (Sept 1-3)
Friday, September 1
Gloucester 28-21 Exeter, Kingsholm
Newcastle 35-8 Worcester, Kingston Park
Saturday, September 2
Wasps 50-35 Sale, Ricoh Arena
London Irish 39-29 Harlequins, Twickenham
Saracens 55-24 Northampton, Twickenham
Sunday, September 3
Leicester 23-27 Bath
Sunday's Aviva Premiership review
Leicester 23-27 Bath
Leicester tries: Tuilagi (23), May (72, 78)
Conversions: Ford (79)
Penalties: Ford (21, 59)
Bath tries: Clark (27, 32), Rokoduguni (35)
Conversions: Priestland (27, 32, 37)
Penalties: Priestland (55, 63)
Bath stole Manu Tuilagi's thunder as they claimed a first Aviva Premiership victory at Welford Road for 14 years and are now 11/10 with Sky Bet for a top-four finish.
England centre Tuilagi scored his first Premiership try since the opening day of last season as he started a first competitive Leicester game for eight months, but Bath were not to be denied as they thwarted a late Leicester fightback and claimed a 27-23 win.
Bath's Wales-born centre Max Clark touched down twice in the first half, while wing Semesa Rokoduguni posted an 80-metre interception score and fly-half Rhys Priestland added all three conversions, plus two penalties.
Tigers fly-half George Ford kicked two penalties and a conversion against the club he left earlier this year, but Leicester never got going as they crashed to an opening weekend defeat despite debutant Jonny May scoring two late tries although they remain odds-on at 8/13 to end the season in the top four.
Saturday's Aviva Premiership review
Saracens 55-24 Northampton
Saracens tries: Barritt (9), Wigglesworth (12), Maitland (21, 32, 35), Lozowski (29), Koch (38), Brits (52), Spencer (68)
Conversions: Lozowski (13, 30, 39, 53), Spencer (69)
Northampton tries: Ludlam (44), Wood (56, 65)
Conversions: Mallinder (45, 57, 65)
Penalties: Mallinder (25)
Sky Bet's title favourites Saracens hammered Northampton 55-24 at Twickenham with a stunning nine-try rout as Sean Maitland grabbed a hat-trick.
The back-to-back European champions led 41-3 at the break courtesy of tries from Brad Barritt, Richard Wigglesworth, Alex Lozowski, Vincent Koch and a 14 minute hat-trick from Maitland, needing just 29 minutes of the new Aviva Premiership season to claim the try bonus point.
Saracens rested their Lions contingent and were also without new additions Will Skelton and Calum Clark, but made a mockery of that catalogue of absentees in rampaging past a stunned Saints.
Despite claiming three second-half tries through Lewis Ludham and a brace from England's Tom Wood, Saints were wholly overwhelmed.
Wasps 50-35 Sale Sharks
Wasps tries: Robson (3,14, 33, 44), Wade (17), Rowlands (70), Rieder (74)
Conversions: Gopperth (3, 14, 17, 33, 71, 75)
Penalties: Gopperth (26)
Sale tries: McGuigan (22), Curry (35), Solomona (56), de Klerk (60), Strauss (78)
Conversions: MacGinty (22, 35, 56, 61, 78)
Wasps scrum-half Dan Robson scored four tries as his side beat Sale in a superb 12-try opening fixture in the Aviva Premiership.
The hosts had too much attacking flair for Sale, who were run ragged at times, but the visitors showed commendable spirit to compete and secure a bonus point.
Christian Wade, Alex Rieder and Will Rowlands were the other Wasps try-scorers, with Jimmy Gopperth converting six and adding a penalty.
Sale responded with tries from Byron McGuigan, Ben Curry, Denny Solomona, Faf De Klerk and Josh Strauss, with A.J. MacGinty converting all five.
Wasps coach Dai Young said: "We are our own worst enemy at times as we keep allowing sides back into the game to create a nervous last 10 minutes.
"We produced a really disciplined effort in the first 20 minutes as we kept hold of the ball and didn't try to play from too deep.
"They got it back to within eight points, which I thought flattered them but Sale are a hard team to put away and you have to give them credit. But I'm disappointed to have conceded five tries so there are a lot of things still to work on."
London Irish 39-29 Harlequins
London Irish tries: Ojo (24), Bell (31), Treviranus (57), McKibbin (79)
Conversions: Bell (25,80)
Penalties: Bell (5,8,38,53,76)
Harlequins tries: Marchant (35), Yarde (64), Care (73), Walker (78)
Conversions: Smith (35), Catrakilis (65,78)
Penalties: Smith (16)
Full-back Tommy Bell scored 24 points as London Irish marked their return to the Premiership in style with a 39-29 victory over Harlequins at Twickenham.
Topsy Ojo and Bell crossed for first-half tries, with Irish's ful- back punishing every Quins indiscretion with the boot.
In addition to his try, Bell knocked over two conversions and five penalties, but there was a nervy finish as Joe Marchant, Marland Yarde, Danny Care and Charlie Walker all crossed for Harlequins.
But Brendan McKibbin's bonus-point try gave Irish a winning return to life in the top flight.
Friday's Aviva Premiership review
Gloucester 28-21 Exeter
Gloucester tries: Thrush (25,40), Morgan (56), Woodward (80)
Conversions: Burns (25,40,56), Twelvetrees (80)
Exeter tries: Simmonds (4,29), Woodburn (71)
Conversions: Steenson (4,29), Slade (71)
Exeter are now 5/1 with Sky Bet to retain their Aviva Premiership title after suffering a dramatic late defeat against Gloucester in their season opener at Kingsholm.
Gloucester full-back Jason Woodward crossed for a try two minutes into injury time, with Billy Twelvetrees' conversion sealing a 28-21 victory.
It meant that Exeter fell one result short of breaking Leicester's 17-game unbeaten Premiership record set in 1999-2000 as Gloucester became the first team since Bath 10 months ago to lower Chiefs' colours in league combat.
Lock Jeremy Thrush scored two first-half tries for the home side, cancelling out Exeter number eight Sam Simmonds' double, before Gloucester number eight Ben Morgan touched down after 56 minutes.
Billy Burns converted three Gloucester touchdowns, with his opposite number Gareth Steenson booting two conversions, before Exeter wing Olly Woodburn struck nine minutes from time and Henry Slade added the extras.
Newcastle 35-8 Worcester
Newcastle tries: Tait (5), Vickers (52), Cooper (62), Socino (75)
Conversions: Takulua (5,52), Willis (75)
Penalties: Takulua (21,50,67)
Worcester tries: Adams (47)
Penalties: Heathcote (28)
An injury to Ben Te'o capped a bad night for Worcester in their Aviva Premiership opener against Newcastle.
The England and British Lions centre was a shock late call-up for the Warriors but his involvement lasted less than half a hour as he left the field with what appeared to be wrist injury - and Worcester lost 35-8.
The Falcons made a flying start and went ahead with an Alex Tait try after only five minutes and three more tries followed during a one-sided affair.