Gallagher Premiership: Six-try Bath power past Sale Sharks while Leicester Tigers dig deep to withstand Saracens fightback

Six-try Bath powered their way to a bonus-point 40-13 victory over Sale Sharks to round off the first block of Gallagher Premiership matches in style.

The competition goes into a month-long break for the Autumn Nations Series with Bath sitting proudly on top with five wins from their six games.

Both sides had a player sent off - Will Butt for Bath and Nye Thomas for Sale - but they were isolated incidents in a well contested and open match.

Just 65 seconds into the game, a deft inside pass from Bath tighthead prop Thomas du Toit sent Will Muir galloping through a gap in the Sale defence on an unstoppable trajectory to the try line. Finn Russell converted to get the home side off to a dream start.

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Muir was just as alert in defence to foil a blindside thrust by Sale skipper Rob du Preez, but the fly-half was able to land a 13th-minute penalty from 30 metres.

His side was under pressure in the scrum, however, and conceding penalties, which put Bath in prime position for a second try on 19 minutes. The catch-and-drive from a line-out eventually saw skipper Miles Reid touch down, with Russell again adding the conversion.

Another penalty from Rob du Preez's boot kept his team in touch after it was Bath's turn to feel the pressure. But that was quickly answered on 26 minutes when Du Toit showed a remarkable turn of pace to a take a Louis Schreuder pass and score under the posts.

Russell's conversion was the last score of the first half as Sale stepped up their effort but without finding any reward.

Five minutes after the break, Ted Hill scored the bonus-point try, a spectacular effort bursting through two tacklers and weaving past Gus Warr to the posts to make it another simple conversion for Russell.

The joy was short-lived, though, as flanker Guy Pepper was helped off with a leg injury and centre Butt was red-carded for upending replacement lock Le Roux Roets at a ruck, letting him land on his head.

With Sale suddenly energised, it was now Bath losing their discipline and the visitors capitalised with an expertly taken try in the corner by right wing Will Addison, courtesy of an equally well-judged grubber kick by Joe Carpenter. Rob du Preez converted from the touchline to make the score 28-13.

Bath hit back on the hour, fashioning an opening for Muir, but he was taken out in the corner by a double tackle from replacements Thomas and Tom Curtis. Thomas was subsequently shown a red for a head-high challenge as a bloodied Muir received treatment.

Retribution was swift as Bath worked replacement scrum-half Tom Carr-Smith over in the right corner and Russell's conversion made it 35-13.

A sixth try followed on 78 minutes as replacement prop Francois van Wyk burrowed under a pile of bodies to score - just as he did against Harlequins a week earlier. Russell's conversion was wide to deny him a perfect record.

Tigers show grit to hold off stirring Saracens fightback

Leicester Tigers dug deep to withstand a Saracens fightback and register their first victory at the StoneX Stadium since 2018 with a 32-29 win that underlined their title credentials.

The Tigers had built a 15-point cushion when Handre Pollard rifled over a penalty heading into the final quarter, but Saracens responded magnificently with tries by Juan Martin Gonzalez and James Hadfield.

It left them trailing by just three points in the closing stages and with the wind their sails, but Leicester were able to secure field position and spent the closing minutes in enemy territory, preventing any further threats to their lead.

Williams starts as Gloucester ease to victory

Tomos Williams signed off his final game for Gloucester ahead of the Autumn Nations Series with a virtuoso performance at Kingsholm as his side comfortably beat Newcastle Falcons 36-7.

Gloucester's starting XV included all five players called up to Warren Gatland's Wales squad this week, with fly-half Gareth Anscombe back after missing last weekend's trip to Leicester due to concussion, to join Williams, uncapped lock Freddie Thomas, in-form centre Max Llewellyn and full-back Josh Hathaway in the side.

And the Welshmen were at the forefront of the action as Gloucester scored six tries against basement side Newcastle, dotting down through Jack Clement, Williams, Seb Blake, Jack Singleton, Christian Wade and Hathaway. Anscombe added six points with the boot having been given the kicking duties for the first time this season.

Newcastle had to make do with a consolation try for Jamie Balmire, with replacement Brett Connon adding the conversion.

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