Exeter Chiefs Thump Bath As They Stride Towards The Title

Who can stop Exeter Chiefs retaining their Aviva Premiership title this season?

That was among the questions being asked at Sandy Park on Saturday after they thumped Bath 42-29 to move eight points clear at the summit.

Rob Baxter’s men scored four first-half tries as the returning Luke Cowan-Dickie scored from close range with James Short going over and Mitch Lees adding a third.

Don Armand went over before half-time and Thomas Waldrom made it 35-3 before Jonathan Joseph grabbed Bath's first.

Gareth Steenson got a sixth Exeter try to make it 42-10 but late scores from Anthony Watson, Aled Brew and Matt Banahan gave Bath a bonus point.

Exeter forwards coach Rob Hunter: "The last 20 minutes were a buzz-killer as we were disappointed to concede a bonus point.

"However, for the first 50 or 60 minutes, we were outstanding and possibly our first-half performance was the best of the season so far."

Gloucester, meanwhile, lie second in the table after they destroyed London Irish 39-15 to extend their winning run to five games. The Exiles’ David Paice was sent off on the stroke of half-time for an off-the-ball hit on Willi Heinz, who failed to return for the second half.

Before going a man down the score was 20-8 following tries from Gloucester's Lewis Ludlow and Billy Burns, and a reply from Petrus du Plessis.

Further tries from Burns, Jake Polledri and Henry Purdy sealed the win and, while Teofilo Paulo muscled over in response for the visitors, they were already consigned to their ninth straight Premiership defeat.

Rather alarmingly, Saracens lost their fifth consecutive match as Tim Visser's late try handed Harlequins a pulsating 20-19 derby victory.

Sarries led 10-5 at the breakthrough Brad Barritt's converted try and Owen Farrell's penalty, with Charlie Walker crossing for Quins at The Stoop. Two more Farrell penalties gave Sarries a 16-8 lead but Danny Care inspired a Quins comeback in the last 10 minutes.

Walker raced onto the scrum-half's kick for his second try to cut the deficit before Visser secured a dramatic win. Kearnan Myall scored a last-minute try for Wasps to edge out Leicester 32-25 in a thrilling encounter in Coventry.

Myall barged his way over after Wasps launched a final attack to complete a bonus-point victory in a game where the lead regularly changed hands.

Nizaam Carr scored in the first half for Wasps before Dan Robson and Elliot Daly crossed after half-time.

Tigers built on Tom Young's opening try with two scores from Jonah Holmes, but left only with a losing bonus point. Wasps director of rugby Dai Young said: "In the last couple of minutes, I always felt there was going to be a winner."

Worcester's winning Premiership run came to an end at Sixways as Mark Jennings' late converted try helped Sale come back to win 18-14 with 14 men.

Warriors looked set for a third straight victory when Sale's Byron McGuigan was shown a second yellow card after 66 minutes for a tip tackle.

Chris Pennell's resulting penalty, his third of the night, put Warriors 14-11 up but Jennings' try in the left corner earned Sale's first away win of the season. Nili Latu scored with the final play of the game as Newcastle stole a 24-22 victory over Northampton at Franklin's Gardens.

Newcastle laid siege to the Saints line as time ticked down and a quick tap-penalty led to Latu's score. The visitors led at half-time with tries from Sinoti Sinoti and Josh Matavesi, but with 10 minutes to play looked headed for defeat.

Saints went ahead through Dylan Hartley's try after two first-half scores, but they failed to hang on and it was a fifth-straight Premiership defeat for Jim Mallinder's side.