Saturday’s Premiership fixtures delivered a surprising away triumph for Gloucester at Exeter’s Sandy Park, while the Bristol Bears comfortably outscored Sale Sharks, dampening the homecoming of England veteran Courtney Lawes. Gloucester, sporting a refreshed lineup, kicked off their campaign with a dominant 45‑24 win that also secured a valuable bonus point against last season’s runners‑up Exeter. The victory was especially sweet as it marked the club’s first league success on Devon soil since 2015. New signings such as Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Jean Kleyn quickly made their presence felt, helping the team to a performance that suggested a bright season ahead.
Exeter, already hampered by a spate of illnesses and a number of key absences, never seemed to find their rhythm for the majority of the match. Only when the result was effectively decided did they display glimpses of their usual intensity.
Early on, Gloucester’s full‑back Ben Redshaw produced a perfectly timed kick‑pass that set winger Ben Loader on the path to a try after just five minutes. Exeter answered with a period of sustained pressure, culminating in a short‑range effort from tight‑head prop Josh Iosefa‑Scott, which Henry Slade converted.
Gloucester’s clever kicking game soon turned the tide. Scrum‑half Caolan Englefield executed a delicate chip over the Exeter defence, allowing England centre Seb Atkinson to dive onto the ball for a try. Fly‑half Charlie Atkinson added the conversion and later supplied a cross‑field kick that found Loader again, enabling the winger to touch down his second try of the day. Back‑rower Ethan Roots, a member of England A, then broke down the left touchline, finishing a powerful run that added another Gloucester score.
Exeter’s woes continued when they conceded a soft penalty from the restart; Gloucester kicked to the corner, and captain‑hooker Dewi Lake emerged from a driving maul to plant the ball in the corner for a bonus‑point try, which Charlie Atkinson slotted from the touchline, extending the lead to fourteen points at halftime. The second half saw Lake double his tally after just six minutes, further cementing his impact on the game. Gloucester nearly sealed the contest on the hour mark when winger Will Joseph burst from the halfway line, evading multiple tackles before grounding the ball for a try that Atkinson converted.
Exeter managed a consolation score when Italian scrum‑half Stephen Varney, playing against his former club, crossed the line, with Slade adding the conversion to bring the score to 38‑19. A determined Redshaw tackle prevented Varney from adding a second try, and even after blind‑side flanker Freddie Thomas received a yellow card for an infringement near his own line, Gloucester’s defence held firm. Near the end, Exeter secured a bonus‑point try when replacement hooker Louie Gulley, on his Premiership debut, powered over from a five‑metre lineout.
Junior Denny then added a seventh Gloucester try, finalising a comprehensive victory. In the other fixture, the 37‑year‑old England stalwart Courtney Lawes made his Premiership debut for Sale Sharks, but the match ended in defeat as Bristol Bears ran in five tries to claim a 34‑24 win at Salford. Lawes, who last appeared in the competition when he captained Northampton to the 2024 title at Twickenham, was unable to prevent the Bears from taking the spoils under Pat Lam’s guidance.
Bristol began the game by applying early pressure, though former Sale fly‑half AJ MacGinty missed a relatively straightforward penalty. Sale then enjoyed a spell of possession, culminating in a close‑range try by Cowan‑Dickie after solid work from Roe, with George Ford converting to give Sale a 7‑0 lead. Bristol responded quickly, however, when a long pass from James Williams found the Welsh wing Louis Rees‑Zammit, who dived over in the right corner for the Bears’ first try. Ford kicked a penalty for Sale, but Rees‑Zammit struck again in the 23rd minute, taking a pass from Tom Jordan and crossing the line in the right corner for his second try.
Just before halftime, scrum‑half Randall collected a loose ball and dived over from close range, giving Bristol a third try. Williams added a penalty later, and Randall’s conversion pushed the Bears to a 20‑10 lead at the break.
The second half opened with Sale winger O’Flaherty sprinting clear to score in the right corner, and Ford’s second conversion narrowed the gap to three points. Bristol, however, maintained pressure and in the 57th minute Randall slithered over from close range for the Bears’ fourth try. O’Flaherty added a second try for Sale, but Bristol’s Gwilliam powered over from close range for the fifth, with Williams converting his third successful kick. The match concluded with Sale unable to overturn the deficit, leaving the Bears victorious and Lawes’ return to Premiership action marked by a loss.
Overall, the weekend showcased Gloucester’s resurgence under a new coaching direction and highlighted the depth of talent in the league, while Bristol’s attacking flair proved too much for Sale on their home ground, despite the presence of seasoned internationals on both sides.