Saturday's Premiership fixtures delivered a surprise when Gloucester travelled to Sandy Park and secured a commanding victory over Exeter Chiefs, while Bristol Bears comfortably outscored Sale Sharks, dampening the homecoming of England veteran Courtney Lawes. Gloucester, bolstered by a wave of fresh signings, kicked off their campaign with a 45-24 win that also earned them a valuable bonus point, marking their first triumph on Devon soil since 2015. The match showcased the impact of newcomers Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan and Jean Kleyn, whose energy helped the Cherry and Whites dominate early and maintain pressure throughout.
Exeter, already hampered by a spate of illnesses and a depleted roster, struggled to find rhythm for much of the encounter. They only began to resemble their usual form in the dying minutes, when the result was already beyond doubt. The opening five minutes saw Gloucester’s full‑back Ben Redshaw launch a perfectly timed kick‑pass that set winger Ben Loader free for an early try, signalling Gloucester’s intent.
Exeter answered with a period of sustained pressure, culminating in a short‑range effort by tight‑head prop Josh Iosefa‑Scott, which Henry Slade successfully converted. Gloucester, however, responded with superior tactical kicking. Scrum‑half Caolan Englefield delivered a deft chip over the Exeter line, allowing England centre Seb Atkinson to dive on 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 notch his second try of the day. The back‑row forward Ethan Roots then embarked on a blistering run down the left touchline, finishing a break started by Greg Fisilau and extending Gloucester’s lead. A soft penalty from Exeter at a restart gave Gloucester an opportunity: they kicked to the corner, and captain and hooker Dewi Lake emerged from a driving maul to touch down in the corner, securing the bonus‑point try. Charlie Atkinson’s conversion from the touchline was immaculate, pushing the half‑time margin to 14 points.
In the second half, Lake continued his fine form, adding a second try within six minutes of the restart. Gloucester’s dominance was further cemented when winger Will Joseph, starting from midfield, evaded multiple defenders, sprinted the length of the field and grounded the ball under the posts, with Atkinson converting again. Exeter attempted a comeback, with Italy‑born scrum‑half Stephen Varney breaking away and scoring against his former club, and Slade adding another conversion to narrow the gap to 38‑19.
A determined tackle by Redshaw denied Varney 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 managed a consolation bonus‑point try when replacement hooker Louie Gulley, on his Premiership debut, gathered a line‑out ball five metres out and touched down, 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, but the team fell to Bristol Bears, who opened their campaign with an entertaining 34‑24 win at Salford.
Lawes, who last featured in the competition when he captained Northampton to the 2024 title at Twickenham, could not prevent Pat Lam’s Bears from taking the spoils. Bristol applied early pressure, though Sale’s former fly‑half AJ MacGinty missed a relatively easy penalty. Sale then built a brief lead when Cowan‑Dickie powered over from close range after solid support play from Roe, with George Ford converting to make it 7‑0. Bristol responded quickly, overturning a potential try by full‑back Tom Jordan after a rapid line‑out, and then James Williams delivered a long pass to the Welsh wing Louis Rees‑Zammit, who dived over in the right corner for the Bears’ first try.
Ford’s penalty reduced the deficit, but Rees‑Zammit struck again in the 23rd minute, finishing a move that began with Jordan’s pass and crossing again in the right corner. Just before halftime, scrum‑half Randall collected a loose ball and dove over from close range, giving Bristol a third try. Williams added a penalty, and Randall’s conversion took the lead to 20‑10 at the break. The second half saw Sale’s winger O’Flaherty break free and score in the right corner, with Ford’s second conversion narrowing Bristol’s advantage to three points.
However, Bristol’s relentless attack soon restored a comfortable margin. In the 57th minute, Randall sliced through the defense to score his second try of the match, and O’Flaherty added his second for Sale later on. Bristol’s forward Gwilliam powered over from close range for the Bears’ fifth try, and Williams completed his hat‑trick of conversions, leaving Sale empty‑handed. Overall, the weekend highlighted Gloucester’s resurgence under a new‑look squad and Bristol’s attacking flair, while Sale’s efforts were undermined by missed opportunities and a strong opposition performance.