Saints, Chiefs, Sale & Coventry win in cup openers

Exeter Chiefs claimed their first win of the season and Northampton Saints beat Leicester Tigers to kick off the pool stages of the Premiership Rugby Cup.

A strong Chiefs side avoided a seventh straight defeat of the season with a 68-7 Pool E victory in their first competitive fixture away to Cornish Pirates in 14 years.

Northampton extended their year-long unbeaten home run with a 31-12 victory over their East Midlands rivals in Pool B.

Sale Sharks survived an almighty scare to pip Championship side Doncaster 43-37 in a Pool A thriller, while Coventry defeated Nottingham 34-15 in the other Pool B tie.

The early stages of the cup are traditionally used by Premiership sides to give fringe and academy players a run out, particularly against second-tier opponents.

But after opening the season with six successive defeats, Exeter took no chances against the Championship’s second-bottom side, going almost full-strength at a sold-out Mennaye.

The Chiefs kicked off with nine of the XV which started in defeat at Harlequins last weekend and an early try double from Paul Brown-Bampoe helped the Devonians race into a 21-0 lead inside 18 minutes.

Bruce Houston responded, but further tries from Josh Hodge, Dan Frost and Will Rigg took the Premiership side into a commanding 40-7 half-time lead.

Rob Baxter rang the changes after the break, with replacement Harvey Skinner crossing before Hodge added his second.

Jack Innard went over before in-form winger Brown-Bampoe completed his hat-trick to cap a 10-try demolition.

Sale kicked off without an away win this season and having shipped 40 points or more in each of their three defeats on the road.

The Premiership side eased into an early 17-6 lead as Tadgh McElroy crossed, but the Knights, who sit ninth in the Championship, roared back.

Jordan Olowofela, George Wacokecoke and Tom Currie crossed before the break and Olowofela’s second try, shortly after the break, made it 26 unanswered points at 32-17.

Two tries in eight minutes from Will Riley and Obi Ene brought Sale - who made 11 changes from last weekend’s defeat in Bath - back to within three points, but Telusa Veainu replied immediately to extend Doncaster’s lead to 37-29.

But a 73rd-minute penalty try cut the deficit to a single point before Le Roux Roets broke home hearts with three minutes left to sneak a 43-37 win.

Northampton extended their year-long unbeaten home run and avenged their Premiership defeat away to last season’s beaten finalists Leicester just three weeks ago.

Malelili Satala’s first senior try gave Leicester an ideal start but that was as good as it got for the in-form Tigers at a sold-out Franklin’s Gardens.

Nineteen-year-old back-row Henry Pollock responded as the much-changed East Midlands rivals traded early scores, and the Saints did not look back as they clicked into gear.

James Ramm put them ahead before centre Tom Litchfield finished a slick backs move to make it 19-7 at the interval.

Pollock teed up George Hendy for Northampton’s bonus-point try and academy product Ewan Baker underlined an impressive night for the young Saints before Will Wand gave Tigers the final say.

In the other Midlands tie in Pool B, Championship leaders Coventry extended their 100 per cent start to the season away to second-tier rivals Nottingham.

Matt Arden booted the hosts into the lead, but Charlie Robson and Matt Johnson scores put the visitors 12-3 up at the break.

Ryan Olowofela cut the deficit to two points, but Ryan Hutler, Jordan Poole, David Opoku and Will Lane secured a bonus-point win despite Jay Ecclesfield’s consolation score.

Fixtures

Saturday

Pool A: Caldy v Newcastle Falcons (14:00)

Pool C: London Scottish v Harlequins (14:00); Ealing Trailfinders v Saracens (15:00)

Pool D: Ampthill v Bath (13:30); Bristol v Bedford Blues (15:00)

Pool E: Hartpury RFC v Gloucester (14:30)