Aviva Premiership review: Wasps go five points clear
Match-by-match reports and reaction are included in our review of the weekend's Aviva Premiership action as Wasps moved five points clear at the top.
Aviva Premiership weekend results
Click on each result for report & reaction
Sunday March 26
Wasps 40-33 Worcester
Saracens 53-10 Bath
Saturday March 25
Exeter 30-25 Sale
Harlequins 53-17 Newcastle
Northampton 31-36 Leicester
Friday March 24
Wasps moved five points clear of Exeter at the top of the Aviva Premiership with a 40-33 win over Worcester at the Ricoh Arena on Sunday.
However the victory was far from straightforward as struggling Worcester were the better team until wing Bryce Heem was sent off in the 45th minute for a reckless challenge on Willie Le Roux.
The scoreline was 19-19 at that stage of the contest - but with their numerical advantage, error-ridden Wasps did just enough to pick up the points.
Christian Wade scored two tries for the hosts, taking his tally to 79 for the club to draw level with Kenny Logan at the top of their scoring chart. Will Rowlands, Josh Bassett, Brendan Macken and Alapati Leiua also crossed with Jimmy Gopperth adding four conversions and Danny Cipriani one.
Josh Adams scored two tries for Worcester, Heem, Jackson Willison and Biyi Alo one apiece, with four conversions from Ryan Mills completing the scoring.
Saracens responded to the return of their England contingent from RBS 6 Nations duty by crushing title rivals Bath in an ominous 53-10 victory.
Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola, Jamie George, Maro Itoje and Billy Vunipola were in action at Allianz Park where the double winners had the bonus point sealed with a quarter to spare.
For all the presence of their Six Nations champions, Saracens' stalwarts also made telling impacts on a win registered in blustery conditions that leaves them only one point adrift of second-placed Exeter.
Alex Goode, who had recovered from an ankle problem to make his first appearance since early January, finished a contender for try of the season and man of the match Brad Barritt also touched down before trooping off.
George, Sean Maitland, Schalk Brits, Chris Ashton and Billy Vunipola also pierced a crumbling defence, Ashton crossing twice and Vunipola overcoming a slow start to finish as the dominant force on the pitch.
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On Saturday, Exeter overturned a 14-point first-half deficit to defeat Sale 30-25, which moved them level on with Wasps for 24 hours.
Struggling Sale had looked set to upset the hosts at Sandy Park when they built a 19-5 lead just before half-time thanks to a try from in-form wing Denny Solomona and the boot of AJ MacGinty.
But Exeter turned things round in impressive fashion to claim a bonus-point victory that sees them move onto 64 points.
Owen Williams held his nerve to hand Leicester victory 36-31 in a thrilling East Midlands derby over Northampton at Franklin's Gardens.
Williams, who was a half-time replacement for Freddie Burns, landed two late kicks to secure a 36-31 victory for Tigers against local rivals Northampton.
Leicester were down to 14 men late on, having had replacement Mike Williams sin-binned, but it mattered not as they gave interim boss Aaron Mauger the perfect final game in charge with a crucial Aviva Premiership success.
Harlequins clicked through the gears at The Stoop to comprehensively beat Newcastle 53-17 and keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.
Bristol's hopes of survival are hanging by a thread after west country rivals Gloucester nudged them closer towards relegation at Ashton Gate on Friday after a 32-14 defeat.
Bristol remain bottom of the Premiership pile, seven points behind 11th-placed Worcester with just four games left.
Their remaining fixtures include clashes against the league's current top-three teams in Wasps, Exeter and Saracens, which underlines the enormous degree of difficulty facing them.
Aviva Premiership: Updated Standings
Wasps P 18 W 14 D 1 L 3 SD +173 Pts 69
Exeter P 18 W 11 D 3 L 4 SD +160 Pts 64
Saracens P 18 W 13 D 1 L 4 SD +213 Pts 63
Leicester P 18 W 11 D 0 L 7 SD +73 Pts 51
Bath P 18 W 10 D 0 L 8 SD +25 Pts 48
Harlequins P 18 W 10 D 0 L 8 SD +23 Pts 47
Northampton P 18 W 9 D 0 L 9 SD +12 Pts 45
Gloucester P 18 W 6 D 2 L 10 SD +27 Pts 40
Newcastle P 18 W 7 D 0 L 11 SD -140 Pts 36
Sale P 18 W 5 D 1 L 12 SD -105 Pts 30
Worcester P 18 W 4 D 2 L 12 SD -185 Pts 26
Bristol P 18 W 3 D 0 L 15 SD -276 Pts 17
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