Gallagher Premiership Rugby: Exeter Chiefs stun Saracens, Gloucester earn bonus-point win over Leicester Tigers

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Gloucester and Exeter Chiefs recorded bonus-point wins over Leicester Tigers and Saracens respectively, with Gloucester climbing into the top three in the Gallagher Premiership table. It was Exeter's second win of the season, and their first bonus-point victory since May last year, as an intense game at Sandy Park opened up into an end-to-end clash in the second half.

Highlights: Gloucester lift Slater Cup after thrilling comeback win over Leicester

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Gloucester clinched an incredible 38-31 win against Leicester Tigers in a magnificent end-to-end match at Kingsholm to move up to third in the Premiership table.

The hosts hoisted the Slater Cup in front of its namesake, Ed Slater, the former Gloucester and Leicester player now living with motor neurone disease (MND).

With the top four race tight and packed at this point of the season, Gloucester Director of Rugby George Skivington proudly claimed that his side has the quality to win the league.

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"I think Gloucester can win the Premiership! I don't mean that in a disrespectful way," he said.

"There are some great teams, like Bath and Bristol, but the way we are playing rugby, we certainly have a chance.

"It was a big pressure game for us today with the break coming up, so you want to finish in a good position.

‘Premiership rugby at its golden best’ – Gloucester turn on style to score incredible try

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"Leicester are a good side, we have had good battles previously, so I am very happy tonight.

"I think we were rusty in the first half, but the bravery of the lads to keep going, and they know they are backed, and we will have no problems with mistakes.

"The lads are playing some brilliant rugby and I just have to step back and let them do their thing."

The Tigers struck first through Izaia Perese after putting huge pressure on Gloucester's defence for the opening nine minutes.

Tomos Williams quickly hit back for the hosts as he linked up with fellow Welshman Max Llewellyn, who had broken through the Tigers line and fed the ball to his scrum-half for the equaliser.

The next 20 minutes saw them trade tries once again in a back-and-forth affair. Mike Brown scored the Tigers' second with a slicing run off the back of a dominating scrum shove. Santiago Carreras then scored and converted his own try, with Llewellyn once again feeding the scorer with some excellent passing.

Debutant winger Adam Radwan, fresh from leaving Newcastle Falcons, scored a scorching try right before the break. The winger had yet to touch the ball after 39 minutes, but after Brown intercepted in Leicester's 22, he was in the right position to take advantage and receive an offload for his first try in Tigers colours.

'Knife through butter' - Brown goes over for Leicester amid thrilling start

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Leicester extended their lead shortly into the second half with a Harry Wells try, only for Gloucester's Jack Clement to cut the deficit 10 minutes later.

Momentum firmly swung for the Cherry and Whites in the space of three minutes. Chris Harris, on his 100th appearance for the club, finished a spectacular try to establish a three-point lead, and soon after Perese was sent to the sin-bin for a dangerous tackle.

Gloucester were rampant at this point and their fifth try came with 20 minutes left on the clock as Seb Blake hung on to a powerful driving maul to score what would eventually be the winner.

Leicester managed to salvage a losing bonus point with a penalty in the game's dying moments, but Gloucester held on to lift the Slater Cup and move a step closer to the play-offs.

Exeter clinch second win of the season against Sarries

Exeter Chiefs clinched just their second Premiership win of the season with a bonus point to boot, sealing a 31-22 win over Saracens at Sandy Park.

After Alex Lozowski gave Saracens a three-point lead early in the first half, the hosts scored a classic Chiefs try as Jack Innard touched down from the back of a maul that Exeter powerfully shoved towards the line.

The visitors nabbed their first try as Tobias Elliott scored his sixth of the season. Hugh Tizard broke through and Sarries worked the ball wide for Liam Williams, who shipped it on to Elliott in the corner.

There was a long wait until the next score as the war of attrition raged on, but the second half saw the game open up exponentially.

Will Rigg ran in a try in the wide channels after the Chiefs put huge pressure on Saracens' defence and moved the ball quickly into space, and Saracens hit back soon after as Elliott picked up his second.

‘Big try’ – Rigg dots down at end of superb move to restore Exeter’s lead

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The game had truly opened up once Paul Brown-Bampoe broke down the wing, breaking several tackles before feeding Tommy Wyatt to bring the hosts level.

Only two minutes later, they hit back again through Ethan Roots, capitalising on a loose Saracens ball to finally take a decisive lead in the game.

Any hope of Saracens swinging the game back their way dissipated as Harry Wilson was giving his marching orders for a dangerous tackle on Rus Tuima, and it led immediately to Dan Frost scoring Chiefs' fifth try to put the game out of sight.

Saracens at least ended on a note of positivity with a try in the 80th minute as Eroni Mawi crashed over, but they were just shy of clinching a losing bonus point.

It is only Exeter's second win of the league campaign, and could be a result that helps them push off and climb out of the doldrums in the latter half of the season.

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