Saturday's Premiership round-up: Wins for Leicester Tigers, Saracens, Gloucester and Exeter

Gloucester hold off a determined Sale, Leicester produce the goods against London Irish, while Saracens and Exeter also claim wins in Saturday's Premiership action.

Gloucester 33-32 Sale Sharks

Gloucester clung on for a 33-32 victory after Sale's remarkable late fightback came up just short in the Gallagher Premiership.

An under-strength Sale looked down and out as they trailed 33-15 with just over five minutes left but stunningly scored three late tries.

But replacement Tom Curtis was unable to convert the third from the touchline as hosts Gloucester scraped to victory.

Sale were missing half-a-dozen of their best side but contested throughout and outscored their opponents five tries to four.

Louis Rees-Zammit marked his return from Lions duty by scoring two tries for Gloucester, with Jack Singleton and Ben Morgan also touching down and Adam Hastings adding two conversions, two penalties and a late drop goal.

Raffi Quirke, Arron Reed, Gus Warr, Tommy Taylor and Daniel du Preez scored Sale's tries with Kieran Wilkinson kicking five points and Curtis two.

London Irish 16-21 Leicester Tigers

An impressive second-half kicking performance from George Ford maintained Leicester Tigers' 100 per cent Gallagher Premiership record this season and left London Irish still searching for their first win as they edged to a 21-16 success at the Brentford Community Stadium.

Irish's winless streak in the Premiership now stretches to 10 games but Tigers return to the top of the table, having been briefly usurped by Harlequins following their Friday-night victory, with a fourth victory from four.

Two Paddy Jackson penalties versus yet another driving maul try from young Tigers hooker Nic Dolly gave London Irish a one-point lead at the interval before Hanro Liebenberg's score put Leicester on top.

Given eight of Irish's 12 Gallagher Premiership tries this season had come in the second half, it was no surprise when Agustin Creevy dotted down on 55 minutes but three Ford penalties, in addition to his conversion for a total haul of 11 points, ensured the visitors hit back in style.

Saracens 37-23 Newcastle Falcons

Jamie George and Mako Vunipola overcame their recent snubs by England to produce the decisive tries in a 37-23 Gallagher Premiership victory over Newcastle at StoneX Stadium.

Mike Brown celebrated his Falcons debut by the scoring the opening try as his new club surged 17-3 clear, Ben Stevenson also crossing and Brett Connon's boot contributing five points.

A week after falling to a late defeat by Leicester, Saracens were reeling as they made mistake after mistake to help Dean Richards' visitors reach a commanding position.

But the five-time Premiership champions clawed their way back into contention through a penalty try and in the third quarter George and Vunipola struck from close range.

Neither score was pretty but the front rows delivered when their team needed them and from their newly established position of superiority, Saracens closed the game down.

Exeter 42-5 Worcester

Exeter moved into the top half of the table with a five-try victory over disjointed Worcester, who were spared a first Premiership whitewash by a late Justin Clegg try.

Law trials were introduced this season designed to open up the game and make a staple of Exeter's - the driving maul - loaded with risk.

It appears to have made no difference to the Chiefs, whose 21-0 interval lead was made up of three tries which followed penalties that were kicked to touch.

Worcester had only beaten Exeter once in 18 Premiership meetings and it was all over for them three minutes after the restart when another penalty was kicked to touch and Cordero secured the try bonus point after the Chiefs switched direction.

Simmonds scored his second after a 30-metre burst and Exeter, playing in a one-off kit which will be auctioned in support of the NHS, toyed with opponents whose torment would have been greater but for Lawrence before another penalty resulted in a try for Joe Simmonds.