THAT’S ONE ELL OF A COMEBACK
ELLIOT DALY returned to rugby with a bang – but had his thunder stolen by Saracens’ hat-trick hero Tom Woolstencroft.
In his first game back since March, England’s Daly landed two penalties and Woolstencroft did the rest after the break.
Woolstencroft’s scores all came from driving mauls that Gloucester never defended properly.
For Saracens this was a glimpse of the side, barring Daly, that will be on duty for most of the Championship season next campaign.
But they were rocked when Gloucester scrumhalf Stephen Varney scooted over before wing Ben Harris touched down. Woolstencroft crossed twice with Henry Walker replying before Woolstencroft got No.3.
Scrum-half Tom Whiteley topped it off – but a class finish from Louis Rees-Zammit showed the visitors what might have been.
P W D L B F A Pts Exeter 16 12 0 4 11 473 287 59 Bristol 16 10 1 5 6 360 325 48 Sale 16 9 0 7 9 386 249 45 Wasps 16 8 0 8 11 416 386 43 Bath 15 9 0 6 4 313 326 40 North’pton15 8 0 7 8 351 34840 Harlequins 16 6 1 9 6 339 414 32 Gloucester 16 5 0 11 11 356 366 31 Lon Irish 16 5 1 10 7 282 424 29 Worcester 16 5 0 11 7 263 391 27 Leicester 16 5 1 10 2 249 373 24 Saracens 16 11 0 5 9 424 323-52
LEICESTER took their first points since the resumption with this morale-boosting victory.
Tigers’ David Williams scored the first try on 25 minutes before George Ford added a penalty.
Irish had more of the game after the break and were back in it when Ben Meehan crossed.
But the hosts had enough – with Ford adding another penalty – to record a deserved win.
WORCESTER blew a huge hole in Harlequins’ Premiership play-off hopes with this victory.
The Warriors forwards were unstoppable, scoring three first-half tries from driving mauls.
Cornell Du Preez, Ollie Lawrence and Niall Annett all touched down before Francois Hougaard got a bonus-point and Duncan Weir kicked three conversions and a penalty.