Gallagher Premiership round-up: Tub transfer above Sale after their 25-17 victory over Harlequins; Northampton take pleasure in slim 31-29 victory away at Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs beat the Leicester Tigers 29-10 to increase their unbeaten residence run
Final Up to date: 23/12/23 6:40pm
Joe Cokanasiga scored two tries for Tub of their victory over Harlequins
Tub high the Gallagher Premiership at Christmas after profitable an absorbing battle with fellow title contenders Harlequins 25-17 on the Rec.
England wing Joe Cokanasiga scored twice, along with his second strive clinching an essential bonus level late on. Different Tub tries went to lock Elliott Stooke and flanker Miles Reid, whereas the Londoners stayed in rivalry with tries from fly-half Marcus Smith, hooker Jack Walker and flanker James Chisholm.
Cokanasiga opened the scoring inside two minutes however Russell’s conversion try was huge, just for Smith to bounce by means of the house defence to attain on the different finish moments later earlier than hooking his kick in opposition to a put up.
Joe Cokanasiga acquired Tub off to a dream begin after scoring an early strive
The swirling wind and rain made dealing with tough and Tub seemed notably susceptible in defence, though the one rating of the primary half got here when Russell put the hosts 8-5 forward with a penalty.
Tub struck shortly after the restart with a catch-and-drive strive by Stooke and adopted up within the forty eighth minute with one other spectacular effort by Cokanasiga, who steamrollered over Smith’s tried deal with, with Russell’s conversion – the primary of the sport – growing the result in 20-5.
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The guests weren’t about to lie down and Smith’s penalty to the nook led to a catch-and-drive for Walker on his fiftieth look since becoming a member of from Tub.
Smith transformed however Tub had been gaining the higher hand and Russell’s inch-perfect tactical kicking arrange a line-out within the nook. This time it was Reid who profited, leaving the house facet with an 11-point lead and simply six minutes to defend it.
Sadly for Quins, Chisholm’s last-minute rating got here too late. They may have claimed a dropping bonus level however Smith once more hooked his conversion in opposition to a put up.
Twitter As a consequence of your consent preferences, you’re not capable of view this Privateness Choices Exeter Chiefs 29-10 Leicester Tigers
Exeter maintained their very good residence kind as they defeated Leicester 29-10 in entrance of a report crowd at Sandy Park.
An attendance of precisely 15,000 witnessed the Chiefs finish their 2023 residence marketing campaign in model with a bonus-point win as they stretched their unbeaten Sandy Park run in all competitions to 23 matches, spanning a interval of 61 weeks.
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It took the Tigers a very long time to search out their approach into the sport, regardless of lots of their internationals returning to obligation. They trailed 24-0 early within the second half and, once they lastly did combat again, that they had left themselves too large a mountain to climb.
Chiefs centre Henry Slade had one other a wonderful sport, as soon as extra staking his declare for an England recall for the upcoming Six Nations.
Gloucester 29-31 Northampton Saints
Adam Hastings missed a 45-metre angled penalty with the final kick of the match as Gloucester suffered a 31-29 Gallagher Premiership defeat to Northampton earlier than a crowd of over 15,000 at Kingsholm.
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Hastings’ failure took Gloucester’s dropping run within the league to seven video games nevertheless it was tough justice on them for that they had dominated a one-sided second half.
When the hosts trailed 24-7 after 35 minutes, one other loss seemed a close to certainty however a yellow card for Saints centre Rory Hutchinson noticed an instantaneous change in momentum as Gloucester scored 22 unanswered factors.
Freddie Clarke, Chris Harris, Matias Alemanno and Santiago Carreras scored their tries with Adam Hastings including three conversions and a penalty.
Curtis Langdon scored two tries for Northampton, with Alex Mitchell, Alex Coles and Tom Litchfield additionally on the try-scoring sheet as Fin Smith added three conversions.