Saturday’s Premiership fixtures delivered a surprising away victory for Gloucester, who out‑performed Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park, while Bristol Bears comfortably dispatched Sale Sharks, spoiling Courtney Lawes’s much‑anticipated homecoming. Gloucester’s revamped side kicked off the season with a bang, securing a commanding 45‑24 win – complete with a bonus point – over last year’s beaten‑finalists Exeter. The triumph was particularly sweet as it marked Gloucester’s first league success on Devon soil since 2015. The team’s fresh influx of talent, including the likes of Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Jean Kleyn, proved decisive, injecting energy and skill that the Chiefs could not match.
Exeter, already hampered by a spate of illnesses and a roster already thinned by injuries, appeared disjointed for much of the match. Only in the dying minutes, when the result was beyond doubt, did they briefly resemble their usual high‑calibre selves.
The opening five minutes saw Gloucester’s full‑back Ben Redshaw unleash a perfectly timed kick‑pass that set winger Ben Loader over for the first try of the game. Exeter answered swiftly, applying intense pressure that culminated in a short‑range effort from tight‑head prop Josh Iosefa‑Scott, converted by Henry Slade. Gloucester, however, displayed superior tactical kicking. Scrum‑half Caolan Englefield executed an incisive chip over the defensive line, allowing England centre Seb Atkinson to dive on the ball for a try.
Fly‑half Charlie Atkinson added the conversion and soon after, a second Loader try materialised when Atkinson’s cross‑field kick found the winger in space. Back‑rower Ethan Roots, an England A representative, then embarked on a blistering run down the left touchline, grounding the ball after a break by Greg Fisilau.
Exeter’s woes continued when a soft penalty from the restart allowed Gloucester to kick deep. Hooker and captain Dewi Lake surged from a driving maul to touch down in the corner, securing the bonus‑point try, with Charlie Atkinson nailing a challenging conversion from the touchline to give Gloucester a 14‑point lead at halftime. The second half opened with Lake adding a second try within six minutes, extending the lead further. Gloucester appeared to seal the contest when winger Will Joseph, starting from midfield, evaded multiple tacklers and sprinted to the try‑line, his effort capped by another Atkinson conversion.
Exeter tried to claw back, with Italy’s scrum‑half Stephen Varney breaking away to score against his former club, and Slade adding a conversion to narrow the gap to 38‑19. A determined Redshaw tackle denied Varney a second try shortly thereafter. Even after blind‑side flanker Freddie Thomas received a yellow card for an infringement near his own line, Gloucester’s defense held firm.
The Chiefs managed a consolation bonus‑point try in the final minutes when replacement hooker Louie Gulley, on his Premiership debut, scored from a five‑metre line‑out, only for Junior Denny to add a seventh Gloucester try, sealing a comprehensive victory. In the other fixture, the 37‑year‑old England stalwart Courtney Lawes made his Premiership return for Sale Sharks, only to be bested by Pat Lam’s Bristol Bears, who opened their campaign with an entertaining 34‑24 win at Salford. Lawes’s first appearance since captaining Northampton to the 2024 title at Twickenham was a bittersweet affair as Bristol’s dynamic backline proved too potent. Bristol applied early pressure, but Sale’s former fly‑half AJ MacGinty missed a relatively straightforward penalty, allowing the Sharks to build momentum.
A sustained period of pressure culminated in a try for Sale’s Cowan‑Dickie, who powered over from close range after a well‑executed move by Roe; George Ford added the conversion, putting Sale ahead 7‑0. Bristol responded quickly, however, when a line‑out was taken hastily and a potential Tom Jordan try was ruled out.
The Bears broke through in the 12th minute when James Williams delivered a long pass to Wales wing Jonah Rees‑Zammit, who dived into the right corner for the first try. Sale’s Ford then slotted a penalty, but Rees‑Zammit struck again in the 23rd minute, receiving a pass from Jordan and crossing for his second try. Just before halftime, scrum‑half Randall collected the ball and dived over from close range for Bristol’s third try, with Williams converting and adding a penalty in the 31st minute, giving the Bears a 20‑10 lead at the break. The second half began with Sale winger O’Flaherty sprinting clear to score in the right corner, and Ford’s second conversion narrowed Bristol’s advantage to three points.
Yet Bristol’s relentless attack soon restored a comfortable margin. In the 57th minute, Randall again found the try‑line, sniping over from close range for his second try of the match. O’Flaherty added a second try for Sale, but Bristol’s Gwilliam powered over from close range for the Bears’ fifth try, with Williams converting his third conversion of the game, cementing a 34‑24 victory and leaving Sale empty‑handed. Overall, the weekend showcased Gloucester’s resurgence under a new‑look roster, highlighted by the impactful arrivals of Lake, Morgan and Kleyn, while Bristol demonstrated why they remain a force in the Premiership, combining swift back‑line movement with disciplined forward play.
Both matches offered plenty of excitement for fans and set the tone for a competitive season ahead.