![Prost International [PINT]](https://prostinternational.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PINTtFontLogoRoboto1536x78.jpg)
Peter Moore rounds up the first week of Gallagher Premiership action.
A West Country derby on Friday night opened the brand-new Gallagher Premiership season when rivals Bristol Bears faced Bath Rugby at Ashton Gate.
Marquee signing Nathan Hughes stole the show on his debut for new club Bristol Bears in a comprehensive 43-16 victory against Bath.
The hosts took just two minutes to open the scoring when Luke Morahan went sliding over in the corner.
Five minutes later it was the turn of Hughes to score on his league debut. A couple of Rhys Priestland penalties kept the visitors in the game before Zach Mercer powered over for Bath’s first try of the game to edge the visitors ahead.
But the Bears got their noses back in front just before a half-time when Mat Protheroe crossed. Bristol claimed the bonus point try when Piers O’Connor dotted down.
Bath’s Lewis Boyce was shown a yellow card with 15 minutes left, before John Afoa added a fifth try for Bears moments later to seal the bragging rights for Bristol.
Pat Lam’s men rounded off a perfect night when Bristol’s youngest ever Premiership rugby player Loan Lloyd scored moments after coming on before Morahan bagged his second try of the match in the dying seconds to cap a memorable night for the Bears.
Worcester Warriors began their Premiership campaign with a 24-16 victory over Leicester Tigers at Sixways on Saturday.
Tigers opened the scoring with a penalty from Tom Hardwick, but Warriors quickly responded when Ted Hill went over with Duncan Weir adding the extras.
Leicester nudged back ahead when Tom Youngs dotted over from a lineout with Hardwick extending the advantage, but Warriors responded when Perry Humphrey’s went over.
Both sides traded penalties just before the break with Hardwick’s penalty putting Leicester back in front with half an hour remaining.
Weir then edged Worcester ahead and with two further penalties awarded in the final ten minutes and both successful it was enough for Worcester to claim victory.
Gabriel Ibitoye’s two tries were not enough for Harlequins to seal victory at Sandy Park as they were beaten 22-19 by Exeter Chiefs.
It was the South West London outfit who scored the first try of the match when Ibitoye went over just before the half-hour mark. But the lead only lasted five minutes when Jonny Hill scored a converted try.
Marcus Smith slotted over a penalty kick before half-time before Joe Simmonds responded for the home side. Two further strikes from Simmonds increased Chiefs lead to eight points.
Quins hit back when Ibitoye benefited from an outstanding offload from Alex Dombrandt for his second try of the game, but it wasn’t enough to earn anything more than a losing bonus point for Harlequins.
Sale Sharks fell victim to a stunning 18-point comeback by Gloucester, who overturned a 10-0 half-time deficit to start their campaign with a dramatic 18-16 victory at the AJ Bell Stadium on Saturday.
The hoists raced in to a 10-0 lead in the early stages thanks to the boot of Robert du Preez and a try from Byron McGuigan. After another du Preez penalty Gloucester hit back in dramatic fashion with two tries in six minutes through Mark Atkinson and Tom Marshall. After Billy Twelvetrees and du Preez exchanged penalties Sale held a slender single point lead, but the boot of Twelvetrees nudged the visitors into the lead with nine minutes remaining.
In a tense finish, du Preeze’s penalty struck the post from which the visitors scrambled the ball into touch to claim a narrow victory.
James Grayson slotted over a late penalty as Northampton Saints stunned champions Saracens at Allianz Park on Saturday by claiming a 27-25 victory.
Saints earned a shot at goal with only 90 seconds remaining with Grayson’s successful effort earning them their first win at Allianz Park since March 2016.
Sarries looked to have sealed victory with Ben Spencer kicking six penalties and converting Matt Gallagher’s try. But it was down to Northampton to have the final say after leading 21-16 at the break through tries from David Ribbans, Rory Hutchinson and Henry Taylor.
On Sunday newly promoted London Irish started life back in the top flight of rugby with a 29-26 victory at the Ricoh Arena against Wasps.
Blair Cowan put the visitors ahead with a try in the eighth minute before Lima Sopoaga’s second penalty of the afternoon nudged the hosts in front. Zach Kibirige crossed to give Wasps a three point advantage before Irish hit back with a Paddy Jackson penalty and a try to give them a 16-11 lead.
Kibirige grabbed his second try of the afternoon, only for a Jackson penalty on the stroke of half-time giving Irish a slender three point cushion.
Ollie Hassell-Collins crossed for the visitors straight at the start of the second half and with a conversion and penalty from Jackson, Irish had a comfortable 13 point advantage to lead 29-16.
On 62 minutes Irish’s Ruan Botha received a yellow card with Wasps capitalising on the one-man advantage with Dan Robson going over. Sopoaga kicked the extras and with Jacob Umaga slotting over a penalty kick with eight minutes to go the hosts had reduced the deficit to just three points. But London Irish held the nerve to complete an opening weekend victory for the exiles.
