Leicester Tigers claimed a dramatic 25-24 win over league leaders Bath with the final kick of the game and Harlequins snatched a late victory via a 79th-minute penalty away at Bristol, while Exeter Chiefs thrashed Sale 43-0
Saturday 28 October 2023 18:30, UK
Leicester fly-half Jamie Shillcock returned to haunt former side Bath as he scored the winning penalty with the last kick of the game as the Tigers edged a 25-24 Gallagher Premiership win to move off the bottom of the table.
It seemed that his opposite number Finn Russell had snatched victory with a penalty at the other end but Bath were penalised at a scrum from the restart and Shillcock calmly found the target from near the touchline as the rain teemed down at the Recreation Ground.
It earned Shillcock - who signed a short-term deal with Bath in 2022 - a match tally of 20 points, including a conversion of Tommy Reffell's 67th-minute try.
Bath, who had come into the game as early Premiership leaders, celebrated tries from left-wing Will Muir and prop Thomas du Toit, plus four penalties and a conversion from Russell.
Jarrod Evans kicked a 79th-minute penalty from 45 metres to give Harlequins a dramatic late Gallagher Premiership victory over Bristol at a rain-sodden Ashton Gate.
A strong second-half performance from Bristol's pack had overturned an early 13-0 deficit heading into the closing stages.
However, when Quins captain Alex Dombrandt was tackled high by Jake Heenan, the Bristol replacement was shown a yellow card and Evans held his nerve to secure the win.
Virimi Vakatawa and Harry Thacker scored Bristol's tries, with Callum Sheedy adding three penalties and a conversion. George Hammond scored two tries for Harlequins, while Evans kicked three penalties and two conversions.
Exeter showed their 11-try thrashing of defending Premiership champions Saracens on the opening day of the campaign was no fluke as they managed an equally emphatic 43-0 victory over last season's beaten finalists Sale.
Despite losing a host of internationals during the summer, Exeter's new young guard once again showed they are going to be a force to be reckoned with.
Sale went into the game having won their first two matches of the season, but they were strangely off colour as an error-strewn display saw them suffer their biggest-ever defeat to the Devon side.
Tries from Greg Fisilau, Dan Frost, Josh Iosefa-Scott and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso had the bonus point wrapped up for Exeter before half-time, before scores from Joe Hawkins, Niall Armstrong and a penalty try rounded off the win. Henry Slade made a penalty and four conversions, as Exeter completed their first Premiership shutout since 2014.
