Saints got a last-gasp win over Gloucester in their opening match, after spending long portions of the game on the back foot, despite opening the scoring through Jamie Elliott.

The Cherry and Whites had already come close to scoring, Apo Satala stopped by John Brake, and they managed a pair of tries before the break through Jake Carter and Dan Robson.

But Saints tied things up early in the second half through James Rodwell’s try and Charlie Sadler’s conversion, taking advantage of Ryan Mills’ yellow card.

Back from the sin bin, Mills came within a couple of metres of a redemption try, denied only by a Ryan Glynn tackle that forced a fumble. But Glynn was then forced over his own line, and it took another desperate effort to stop Paul Jarvis from scoring.

Saints still needed to go the end of the field though, and they did just that with a 95-metre run from Simon Hunt. Sadler’s conversion was wayward, but it didn’t matter as his team had the points.

Teams:
Saints – Powell, Glynn, Nutley, Rodwell, Brake, Elliott, Hunt
Reps – Sadler

Gloucester – Satala, Langley, Stevenson, Robson, P Jarvis, T Jarvis, Carter
Reps – Mills, Hayes, Evans

Scorers
Saints – Tries: Elliott, Rodwell, Hunt; Con: Sadler

Gloucester – Tries: Carter, Robson; Con: Robson

Yellow card – Mills

GAME 2
Saints 19-7 Bath
(Half-time 0-0)

By the time Game 2 came around the Gardens pitch had seen more rain in one evening than it had in virtually the whole week.

It was therefore understandable that the greasy surface played a dominant role with both teams finding it difficult to maintain their footing, let alone the ball in the hand for consistent periods.

Scoring opportunities were predictably few and far between in the first half, with just the one for each team. But Charlie Sadler was pulled back for using his own player as a shield to create space, and Bath’s Paul Roberts was denied by a superb John Brake tackle.

Nil-nil at half-time, the game burst into life after the break. That man Simon Hunt broke the deadlock with another breakaway try with less than 30 seconds gone, followed over the whitewash soon after by Sadler and Brake.

Sadler’s two conversions made the score 19-0 and for the last two minutes Saints were chasing the bonus point. But while both Mike Haywood and Hunt came within sight of the line it was Bath who got the final score through Jamie Collins.

Teams:
Saints – Powell, Sadler, Glynn, Nutley, Rodwell, Brake, Hunt
Reps – Haywood, Farmer, Hughes, Elliott

Bath – Tyas, Collins, Skirving, Cook, Roberts, Scott, Woodburn
Reps – Ellyat, Marr, Keyte

Scorers:
Saints – Tries: Hunt, Sadler, Brake; Cons: Sadler (2)

Bath – Try: Collins; Con: Collins

GAME 3
Saints 17-12 Exeter
(Half-time 5-0)

With both teams undefeated and just the one bonus point separating them in the league table, the final game of the evening was set up perfectly to decide who would head to the Recreation Ground as Group C winners.

Saints received a boost in the first couple of minutes thanks to Drew Locke’s sending off for a dangerous tackle. But as the Chiefs remained dangerous and inventive it took the pool hosts until the final minute of the half to make the most of their man advantage, Tom Powell crossing the line to open the scoring.

However it took one of the best pieces of skill of the night to keep Exeter scoreless as the half-time interval approached. Garrick Cowley looked for all the world to be motoring unstoppably towards the line, only for Brake not just to pull him down over the line but strip him of the ball as well.

The Chiefs got on the scoreboard in the second half through Mike Canty, but by then they were further behind thanks to Powell’s second try, and when Ryan Glynn crossed with two minutes to go Saints had a two-score cushion, thanks also to Charlie Sadler’s conversion.

Canty pulled one try back, but by then it was too late and the Saints had the points, and the Group C title.

Teams:
Saints – Powell, Haywood, Glynn, Rodwell, Brake, Elliott, Hunt
Reps – Sadler, Nutley

Exeter – Stupple, Reakes, Cowley, Walker, Locke, Canty, Coote
Reps – MacKenzie

Scorers:
Saints – Tries: Powell (2), Glynn; Con: Sadler

Exeter – Tries: Canty (2)

Red card – Locke