Sunday's Premiership rugby union as it happened

Summary

Exeter Chiefs 20-12 Northampton Saints
Wasps 39-12 Sale Sharks
Leicester Tigers 21-13 Saracens
London Irish 23-18 Gloucester

Live Reporting

Rob Stevens and Nathan Middleton

Try (Woodburn, missed con)published at 52 mins
Exeter 8-12 Northampton
Replacement scrum-half Will Chudley has just added some quickness to the Exeter play and they have their first try.
He fizzes it out to Henry Slade, whose delightful delayed pass allows Olly Woodburn to cross on the right touchline.
The usually reliable Gareth Steenson is very wayward with his conversion.
Quote Message
Olly Woodburn has been excellent so far today, every time he's made a bit of ground. Any space like that and he'll fly through it. Chiefs back in the game. At last they've got some pace and tempo and the crowd have come to life.
John Lockyer, BBC Radio Devon
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 50 mins
Just as it looks as if the Chiefs' driving maul is about to crash over, Northampton's pack responds and pushed them back. Even better than that, they win themselves a scrum.
Still work to do as they have a five metre scrum...
Sin-bin (Haywood)published at 49 mins
Exeter 3-12 Northampton
It's been all Exeter after the break and after Jack Yeandle goes close to crossing, his opposite hooker Mike Haywood given a 10 minute rest for stopping the ball coming out.
Chiefs line-out, five metres out...
Try (Miller, missed con Gopperth)published at 14:08
Wasps 12-0 Sale
Image source, Getty Images
Wasps are on fire! The Piutau brothers combine and Rob Miller goes in at the corner.
There's only seven minutes on the clock and Wasps are already halfway to a bonus point.
Quote Message
Wasps are in a rich vein of form and the backs look absolutely brilliant. They are ripping Sale to shreds. Sale need to buck their ideas up or this is going to be a cricket score.
Richard Moon, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 47 mins
A stoppage in play as there is a couple of knocks on either side, with Exeter skipper Jack Yeandle receiving some treatment. Alex Hepburn, with some 80s frizz in his hair, on for Ben Moon.
Kahn Fotuali'i on as a blood replacement for Northampton for Lee Dickson.
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 45 mins
Olly Woodburn holds his head in his hands and that's because the Exeter winger knock on with when a huge gap appears in the Northampton defensive line.
Things just have not clicked so far for the Chiefs.
Try (C Piutau, con Gopperth)published at 14:03 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Wasps 7-0 Sale
Well, that didn't take long. Twenty five seconds to be precise. Number eight Nathan Hughes smacks a hole in the Sale defence and Charles Piutau goes over.
Jimmy Gopperth adds the extras and I think that's what you call a dream start for Wasps.
Image source, BBC Sport
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 43 mins
Rob Baxter looks to have got stuck into his troops at half-time and they've flown at Northampton in the opening minutes.
Exeter work it smartly to Olly Woodburn and they're on top inside the 22...
Kick-offpublished at 14:02 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
We're under way at the Ricoh.
Kick-offpublished at 41 mins
Exeter 3-12 Northampton
We're back underway at Sandy Park, with Gareth Steenson getting us going.
A reminder that Exeter, who would go temporarily top above Saracens with a win, are in all black and Northampton in light grey tops with sky blue sorts and socks.
James Wilson comes on for Saints in place of the injured Ahsee Tuala.
get involved
Get Involved at #bbcrugbypublished at 13:56 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Just the 100 miles between these two, but this is the closest club to Manchester-based Sale...
Team newspublished at 13:55 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Wasps v Sale (14:00 GMT)
Sale make seven changes to the side that lost at Northampton, with first Premiership starts of the season for Tom Brady and Mark Jennings.
Fly-half Danny Cipriani faces his old club for the first time since agreeing to re-join them next season.
Image source, BBC Sport
Replacements: Neild, Flynn, Parker, Fihaki, Ioane, Mitchell, Ford, James.
Team newspublished at 13:53 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Wasps v Sale (14:00 GMT)
Number eight Nathan Hughes replaces the injured George Smith in the only change from Wasps' 38-24 win over Leicester.
Loosehead prop Simon McIntyre, who started his career at Sale, makes his 100th appearance, while Sam Jones captains the side in Smith's absence.
Image source, BBC Sport
Replacements: Festuccia, Bristow, Swainston, Rowlands, Rieder, Stevenson, Jackson, Macken
1,000 up for Cipriani?published at 13:51 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Wasps v Sale (14:00 GMT)
Image source, Getty Images
Danny Cipriani might have missed out on England's Grand Slam celebrations, but he might have good reason to raise a glass to himself this evening.
The Sale fly-half goes into the game at the Ricoh Arena on 998 Premiership points, knowing his first score of the day will take him into four figures.
How fitting it would be if that should come against Wasps - the club he started with and who he is rejoining next season.
Wasps buzzing at Fortress Ricohpublished at 13:48 Greenwich Mean Time 20 March 2016
Wasps v Sale (14:00 GMT)
Image source, Getty Images
Second up today is Wasps' home game against Sale.
Victory would boost third-placed Wasps' hopes of a top-four finish - and it would be a brave man to bet against them today.
Why? Well, Dai Young's side have won their last five games at their Ricoh Arena home in all competitions and have lost only twice this calendar year - although one of those came at Sale.
Coming up...published at 13:46
We're only 15 minutes away from kick-off in our second game, with Wasps facing Sale.
Let's just take a look at what we can expect at the Ricoh.
Half-timepublished at 40+1 mins
Exeter 3-12 Northampton
Image source, Rex Features
Tries from Lee Dickson and Ken Pisi have put Northampton, who had the wind behind them, in control.
They have been much more fluent with the ball in hand, with Exeter strangely subdued in front of their home fans.
Work for Chiefs head coach Rob Baxter to do in the dressing room.
Quote Message
Exeter have just got to lift their spirits and raise the performance. They're off the pace, particularly at the breakdown where they are being beaten badly. That's as poor as the Chiefs have played for a very long time.
John Lockyer, BBC Radio Devon
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 40 mins
From the scrum, Harry Mallinder drives it forward off Lee Dickson's pass.
George Pisi tries the Ben Foden flick-pass but it goes forward and Exeter will have the scrum in the final play of the first 40 minutes.
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 38 mins
Northampton win a penalty from the first scrum as they drive forward. They opt to scrum again, knowing their pack is on top when packing down...
Exeter 3-12 Northamptonpublished at 37 mins
Clever kick from Northampton, who want to play the closing minutes of the first-half in Exeter's 22.
The Chiefs line-out is held up five metres out and can the Saints add to the scoreboard before the break?