Saracens are back on course

Christmas is just around the corner and there were early presents on offer for some Gallagher Premiership Rugby fans in Round 8.

Gloucester Rugby continued their resurgence with a remarkable 14-0 win at home to Harlequins, while Bristol Bears produced an incredible attacking performance to win 54-24 away at Leicester Tigers.

Bath Rugby stayed top with a 40-15 win at Newcastle Falcons and Sale Sharks beat Exeter Chiefs 28-10 before Saracens got some slight revenge on reigning champions Northampton Saints with a 39-24 win.

Plenty of action but what did we learn? Here are three of the best.

Gloucester keep going

It has been quite the few weeks for Gloucester Rugby, who have transformed their domestic prospects either side of European competition.

The Cherry & Whites made it three wins in a row with victory over Harlequins, impressively limiting their opponents to zero points for the first time in a decade.

It means George Skivington’s men now sit sixth, just a point off the Play-Offs, despite winning just one of their opening five fixtures.

Scoring tries has not been an issue, their 229 points scored is the fourth best in the league, but the Cherry & Whites showed on Friday night they can grind out victories too – an important trait that could serve them well in the New Year.

Just the two tries were required at Kingsholm on Friday, though there was still plenty of attacking swagger about the way Gareth Anscombe and Tomos Williams combined to put it on a plate for Josh Hathaway’s opener.

But it will be the way his side defended that will please Skivington most, with the Cherry & Whites coming out on top in that department to leapfrog Quins in the table.

Gloucester travel to Exeter Chiefs after Christmas looking to continue their run, before Sale Sharks and Leicester Tigers travel to Kingsholm in January.

Sarries back on course

It appeared, just for a moment, that Saracens’ season was in danger of veering off course after back-to-back defeats but Mark McCall’s men righted the ship in emphatic style with a 39-24 defeat of Northampton Saints.

It was a cathartic afternoon at StoneX Stadium, as the hosts excised some of last season’s demons that saw Saints get the better of them in all three of their meetings, including the thrilling Play-Off semi-final at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

Saints ran out 18-12 winners in a tetchy contest where all but three points came after the break, but Sunday’s offering could have been more different.

Saracens blasted out of the blocks and had the bonus point wrapped up before half time thanks to Rhys Carre, Theo Dan, and a double from Fergus Burke.

Saints responded after the break and made the scoreline less one-sided than it was threatening to be at one stage, even claiming a bonus point of their own at the death, but Saracens still came away with a morale-boosting victory.

Defeats to Tigers and Falcons saw them lose precious ground on the top two of Bath Rugby and Bristol Bears but McCall’s side stepped it up when it mattered to regain their momentum just at the right time.
Sarries travel to The Rec for a mouth-watering post-Christmas clash with Bath on 28 December before they start the New Year with the visit of Bristol Bears to the capital. It could be a defining two weeks for all three sides.

Bears do not need home comforts

It has been a good time to be a Bristol Bears fan this season, especially one that travels to matches away from home.
Pat Lam’s side are four from four on the road, extending their unbeaten away record to a new Gallagher Premiership Rugby record to 10 matches.
They brought up double figures in sparkling style with a 54-24 win over Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, producing yet another scintillating attacking display.

Their first half-century of point for the season ensured they were the first side to hit the 300 mark in the points scored column this season, with 40 coming before half time against Tigers.

Rich Lane and Gabriel Ibitoye both demonstrated superb handling skills as the former dotted down to finish a stunning end-to-end move for Bears’ fifth try before the break and the latter got his seventh try of the season just a minute after the restart.

It was an irrepressible display of attacking at times, and the question now is simply, can they carry it through to 2025?

Their stellar away record will be put to the test with a trip to Saracens in the New Year, before visits to Kingsholm and cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens await later down the line.