Saracens 25 Newcastle 5: McCall demands more of over-elaborate champions

Saracens did not add to their score in the final 35 minutes of a game where they failed to collect a bonus point and missed three tries to go with the three they did score.

“We made a catalogue of errors and it was very frustrating not to come away with the bonus point, and we left two or three tries out there that should have been taken,” said McCall.

“But I cannot criticise the players for their efforts. We scored three tries in 45 minutes and have moved up to second in the table.

“We have our World Cup players returning now and they’ll get a chance to freshen up before we resume Premiership action in three weeks.

“I actually feel we have done well during the World Cup period, probably because we have not treated players as if they are anything other than Saracens players, not players selected while others are away. Once we correct the small errors the scores will follow. I am very pleased with our ambition.”

Newcastle head coach Alan Tait praised his players for their defiance in the last 35 minutes.

“I’m delighted with their efforts and believe it could be a real turning point for the rest of the season,” Tait insisted.

“A lot of lads came down and put their hands up, and while we did suffer a few injuries, the boys accept that when you play the big sides you’ll have to come to terms with that.

“I also felt we were unlucky when Ally Hogg went over only to have the try disallowed, and it was worse when they went up the other end and scored their third try. That was tough.

“I never thought we would have to battle through the first six games with so many injuries, but the young lads have done very well. Losing James Hudson to suspension is a blow and we have decided to appeal the length of the ban.

“But now we get a couple of weeks in the LV= Cup and that’s a chance for us to regroup.”

Joe Maddock scored the opening try after 15 minutes only for Luke Fielden to equalise with a try two minutes later.

But it went downhill for the visitors thereafter as Saracens threatened to run riot with tries by Alex Goode and James Short, while impressive former England fly-half Charlie Hodgson added two conversions and two penalties.

Instead, Saracens tended to over-elaborate or err in their approach work, which meant 35 minutes during which Newcastle put up a defiant and commendable defence.

Winger Christian Wade, this season’s Premiership leading tryscorer, grabbed his sixth of the campaign as Wasps overcame visitors Bath 27-24 at Adams Park. Former Leicester and England flyer Tom Varndell, on the opposite wing, also touched down for the home side.

Their other 17 points came from the boot of Welsh fly-half Nicky Robinson, who landed five penalties and a conversion on his return from a three-match injury-enforced absence.

Bath replied with tries from 20-year-old prop Kane Palma-Newport and flanker Guy Mercer with 19-year-old fly-half Tom Heathcote marking his first senior start with a 14-point kicking haul.

Heathcote kicked Bath into a first-minute lead with his opening penalty but Robinson replied with two for Wasps to edge them 6-3 ahead after 12 minutes.

The hosts stretched their early lead to 13-3 when full-back Hugo Southwell’s through-kick was deflected into the hands of Wade, who grabbed the opportunity to race in from 25 metres.

Lively scrum-half Michael Claasens was the springboard for most of Bath’s early attacks. His quickly-taken tap penalty put the home side on the back foot and another attack instigated by the South African’s break ended with prop Palma-Newport driving over from close range.

Heathcote kicked Bath level on the half-hour mark. It took Wasps only three minutes to go ahead again with a superbly-crafted try finished by Varndell.

Heathcote and Robinson exchanged penalties at the start of the second half as Wasps maintained their five-point lead.

Bath, conceding a rash of penalties, were punished again when Robinson landed his sixth kick with a 65th-minute penalty.

A sustained late spell of Bath forward pressure produced a 73rd-minute try for Mercer which earned them a losing bonus point – the least they deserved.

Tom Homer scored 22 points as London Irish gave Worcester a five-try Aviva Premiership beating at the Madejski Stadium.

The full-back converted four of his side’s scores, added a couple of penalties and also crossed himself.

Centre Steve Shingler, No 8 Chris Hala’ufia, wing Adam Thompstone and centre Jonathan Joseph also went over for the Exiles while wings Marcel Garvey (2) and Miles Benjamin touched down for the Warriors.

Sale Sharks 13 Gloucester 11

Sale executive director of sport Steve Diamond could not hide his delight after a home win over Gloucester lifted his side to second in the Aviva Premiership.

Diamond’s men held off a spirited fightback from Gloucester to claim their fourth win from six Premiership outings after edging a hard-fought encounter at a rain-soaked Edgeley Park.

Sharks skipper David Seymour crashed over the line in the first half and a conversion and a penalty from fly-half Nick MacLeod helped the hosts into a 10-0 half-time lead.

But two penalties from Tim Taylor got Gloucester off the mark after the restart and a late try from centre Henry Trinder, which Taylor failed to convert, set up a grandstand finish.

Diamond said: “We did enough just to win and I think that’s testament to the lads and how they stuck together and delivered.

“It was a bit hairy in the last 10 minutes but we held on and I’m very happy. Gloucester are a top-four side every year and we wanted to come away with four points and we did that.”

Northampton boss Jim Mallinder hailed the performance of Ryan Lamb after the fly-half’s man-of-the-match display helped Saints end a four-match losing run with a crushing 33-3 win over Exeter at Franklin’s Gardens.

Lamb, a summer recruit from London Irish, created first-half tries for James Downey and Paul Diggin, and added a haul of 16 points as he booted two conversions and four penalties.

Wing Scott Armstrong – who Northampton signed from Leeds Carnegie last summer – went on to complete the scoring late on with Saints’ third try, and while Mallinder was pleased with the overall display, he reserved special praise for Lamb.

But he stopped short of saying the performance had made the former Gloucester man his No 1 fly-half ahead of Stephen Myler.

Halifax-born Mallinder said: “We said we are a good team and we can play well and we proved that today. We played some good rugby, our defence was good last week and this week it was outstanding so I am really pleased with the performance.”

Leaders Harlequins maintained their unbeaten record with their first league win at Welford Road since 1997 and condemned Leicester to their third consecutive home defeat.

Harlequins fought back from an early deficit to make it six wins out of six with tries from Sam Smith, Seb Stegmann and Joe Marler, combined with 12 points from the boot of Nick Evans..

Boris Stankovich and Scott Hamilton crossed for Leicester and Jeremy Staunton kicked eight points, but it was not enough.