Anglo-Welsh Cup review: Leicester, Exeter, Newcastle and Bath make winning starts

Anglo-Welsh Cup results

• Leicester Tigers 26-24 Gloucester
• Bath 26-22 London Irish
• Exeter 43-28 Northampton
• Wasps 41-53 Newcastle

Defending champions Leicester Tigers made a winning start to the Anglo-Welsh Cup after Gloucester fly-half Lloyd Evans missed an easy penalty with four minutes left.

Trailing 26-24, Gloucester were awarded a penalty 30 metres out in front of the posts but Evans, who had kicked nine points, shoved it wide and Leicester held on to win their opening match at home.

They scored three tries through Charlie Thacker, Jonah Holmes and Adam Thompstone, while Paddy McAllister, Ben Vellacott and Tom Hudson replied for Gloucester.

Newcastle won a high-scoring tie against Wasps, edging a 14-try thriller 53-41.

After an early Falcons penalty from Craig Willis, two tries within two minutes gave the hosts the advantage in a frantic opening period.

First Jack Willis went under the posts, with Rob Miller adding the conversion, before two minutes later the home side's attack saw the Falcons caught cold with debutant Aaron O'Sullivan the spare man to go over in the corner.

In the 19th minute the home side added a third try when a break from Brendan Macken saw him offload to Owain James, whose pace saw him sneak over to stretch the lead to 19-3.

The Falcons hit back quickly as a solo try from winger Adam Radwan saw him outpace the Wasps defence to go under the posts, with Craig Willis' conversion blocked.

A catch and drive saw hooker Santiago Socino peel off and force himself over the line to make it 19-15, before Newcastle regained the lead as replacement Simon Uzokwe's quick side-step saw him create the space for the try - with Craig Willis converting.

A late penalty from Wasps' Miller saw the teams go into the break level at 22-22 but an try early in the second half from Guy Armitage saw the home side back in front.

The Falcons hit back as Gary Graham went through unchallenged from a line-out to level the scores, before Wasps quickly got themselves back in front as James added his second try with Miller converting.

Radwan's pace then saw him again break the Wasps defensive line to go under the posts, with Craig Willis converting to level the match again.

It was the turn of Newcastle to edge back in front as a tired looking defence allowed replacement Joel Hodgson through to score, with the conversion added for 41-34.

Newcastle took control of the game as more missed tackles deep in Wasps territory saw Andrew Davidson add a seventh try, with Hodgson again successful with his kick.

The home side gave themselves a lifeline at 48-41 as Armitage claimed his second try when the ball was offloaded to him from a Miller break.

However, an eighth try of the game for the Falcons sealed them the win when Uzokwe claimed his second try after the visitors stole the ball on the Wasps line.

Fly-half Freddie Burns landed 16 points as Bath got off to a flyer with a 26-22 win over London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.

Burns kicked four penalties and converted tries by centre Ben Tapuai and wing Levi Davis against the battling hosts.

Yet, despite scoring four tries, two from flanker Max Northcote-Green and one each from skipper and hooker David Paice and wing Alex Lewington, they came up short.

Exeter began their campaign in style with seven tries in a 43-28 win over Northampton at Sandy Park.

This is a tournament that Exeter have targeted in recent seasons, winning it in 2014 and being runners-up on the last two occasions, and they look set for another assault on the trophy.

Toby Salmon scored two tries for Chiefs, with James Short, Alec Hepburn, James Freeman, Tom O'Flaherty and Elvis Taione also on the scoresheet. Joe Simmonds added four conversions.

Saints, who could not recover from losing three players in the opening 15 minutes, responded with two tries from Juan Pablo Estelles and one each from George Furbank and Rory Hutchinson. Stephen Myler and James Grayson both added two conversions.

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