Tom Willis scores two tries as Saracens beat Bristol to bolster claims for an England debut at No 8 within the Six Nations opener in opposition to Eire on February 1; Wales’ Max Llewellyn additionally scores twice in Gloucester win over Sale, with Leicester victorious in opposition to struggling Exeter
Final Up to date: 04/01/25 8:23pm
Tom Willis scored twice in Saracens’ win over Bristol to additional enhance his claims for an England Take a look at debut
Tom Willis surged over for 2 tries as Saracens dispatched second-placed Bristol Bears in a 35-26 victory within the Gallagher Premiership on Saturday.
Saracens bounced again from their document Premiership defeat at Tub per week earlier by ending the Bears’ 10-match successful run on the street – with Willis on the forefront of their bonus-point victory.
The participant of the match demonstrated his energy throughout each tries, together with his second – scored on the stroke of half-time – seeing him evade three tacklers in a devastating run down the correct wing.
It was a efficiency that may intensify the clamour for an England debut at No 8 for the Six Nations opener in opposition to Eire on February 1, with the 25-year-old possessing the ball carrying clout at present lacking from the again row of Scott Borthwick’s aspect.
There have been additionally tries for Fergus Burke, who crossed twice, and Lucio Cinti to provide Jamie George the win he was searching for on his three hundredth look for the membership.
The Bears, who have been thrashed 38-0 by Sale per week in the past, fought again within the last throes of the match however, on this event, had left themselves with an excessive amount of to do.
After early tries of Willis and Burke, Harry Randall hit again for Bristol from shut vary simply as his aspect seemed to be working out of concepts.
Saracens suffered an extra setback when Maro Itoje was proven a yellow card and despatched to the sin bin for the eighth time in 21 video games. The Bears continued to press, solely to concede consecutive penalties to let the six-time Premiership champions off the hook.
Elliot Daly was profitable from the tee from 50 metres out to nudge Saracens 10 factors head – the one rating whereas Itoje was within the sin bin – earlier than the house aspect streaked additional clear with Willis’ second rating and Cinti’s attempt to safe the bonus level.
Kalaveti Ravouvou crossed within the 61st minute to provide Bristol hope and the fightback continued when Harry Thacker completed a lineout maul, however Burke put the outcome past doubt earlier than Jake Heenan struck late on.
Gloucester 36-20 Sale Sharks
Wales worldwide Max Llewellyn scored two tries as Gloucester emphatically ended Sale Sharks’ current resurgence.
Llewellyn struck in every half, with Gloucester securing a five-point most to maintain themselves in play-off rivalry.
Sale’s hopes of securing a fourth successive Premiership win floundered in an impressive first-half show by Gloucester that produced tries for Llewellyn, full-back Santi Carreras and wing Josh Hathaway.
Sale trailed 22-3 after 26 minutes and it proved an excessive amount of for them to claw again regardless of tries from skipper Ben Curry, hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie and wing Tom Roebuck, with centre Rob du Preez additionally kicking a penalty and conversion.
Llewellyn’s Sixtieth-minute rating and a late Tomos Williams landing finally noticed Gloucester residence, with Carreras finishing an achieved efficiency by touchdown a penalty and 4 conversions for a 16-point haul.
Sale suffered a late blow when scrum-half Raffi Quirke was withdrawn as an damage precaution.
Leicester Tigers 28-15 Exeter Chiefs
Leicester battled to a much-needed, but unconvincing win over struggling Exeter in a dour contest.
The Tigers have been the higher aspect within the first half, however the guests dominated the second interval till Will Rigg was sin-binned and might think about themselves unlucky to not come away with not less than a degree.
Olly Cracknell, Cameron Henderson, Ollie Hassell-Collins and Ben Youngs scored Leicester’s tries, with Handre Pollard changing all 4.
For Exeter, two items of magic from Henry Slade created a brace of tries for Tom Wyatt, with Josh Hodge changing one. Slade additionally added a penalty.
Exeter took an early lead with a fourth-minute penalty from Slade however from their first interval of stress, Leicester responded with a strive from Cracknell when the No 8 proved unstoppable from a five-metre scrum.
After 31 minutes, Leicester prolonged the lead when a half-break from Pollard gave Henderson the prospect to crash over beneath the posts. Pollard transformed, however missed with a long-range penalty as his aspect held a deserved 14-3 lead on the break.
Two minutes after the restart, Exeter scored a wonderful strive with Slade’s cross-field kick being collected by Wyatt for the wing to race over, whereas quickly after Stu Townsend and Slade neatly mixed to offer Wyatt with one other walk-in rating.
With quarter-hour remaining, Exeter misplaced alternative Rigg to the sin bin for taking Freddie Steward out within the air and Tigers instantly capitalised with a Hassell-Collins strive, whereas Youngs scored late on to safe a scarcely deserved bonus level.
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