Worcester produced a dogged defensive display at Sixways to shut out Newcastle Falcons 13-0 and seal a vital win in their fight against relegation.
The Warriors began the game one point clear of bottom-placed Leeds and needed plenty of heart to secure victory on their home patch. Replacement lock Will Bowley crashed over for the killer try with just under 10 minutes left on the clock, having earlier been promoted to the bench following Greg Rawlinson's late withdrawal.
As on so many occasions this season the boot of Willie Walker proved vital. The former Gloucester utility back knocked over the conversion and also landed two penalties to put the spotlight back on Leeds before their tough home tie with Wasps.
Newcastle dominated the early exchanges but a combination of handling errors and committed home defence denied them a score, while the Warriors punished two scrum indiscretions through Walker.
The Falcons continued to press despite errors from both sides marring the game, with Bowley's killer blow coming from a poor Falcons pass. The tall lock sprinted 20 metres to score and give Walker the easiest of conversions.
No.8 Phil Dowson scored the only try of the game as Northamption beat local rivals Leicester 19-3 at Franklin's Gardens to close the gap at the top of the Guinness Premiership to a single point.
The Saints have a game in hand on the leaders and were good value for their victory in soaking wet conditions. The result had added importance given their disappointing defeat at Harlequins last weekend and in front of a partisan crowd their efforts were duly rewarded.
Stephen Myler, in ahead of Shane Geraghty at fly-half, slotted four first-half penalties to secure a comfortable 12-3 half-time lead, with Tigers flanker Craig Newby sin-binned on the half-hour mark.
Immediately after the break Dowson struck, picking up from the base of an attacking scrum and pirouetting under the remaining tacklers to score. Myler's conversion was the last score of the game as the Saints closed ranks and snuffed out any attacking threats from the visitors.
Gloucester v Sale:
Former England international Lesley Vainikolo struck twice in Gloucester's seven-try 47-3 demolition of a hapless Sale Sharks side at a muddy Kingsholm on Saturday afternoon.
The Cherry and Whites simply swept their visitors aside, securing the bonus point inside the opening half hour thanks to an early penalty try, a quick-fire brace from Vainikolo and a needlessly spectacular finish from Akapusi Qera. The hosts did not play with quite the same level of intensity in the remaining 50 minutes but they did add three further tries in the final quarter, through Nicky Robinson, James Simpson-Daniel and Andy Hazell.
It was an utterly demoralising afternoon for the Sharks, who managed just a solitary Charlie Hodgson penalty over the course of 80 horribly one-sided minutes.
They were overwhelmed right from the off and conceded a penalty try just six minutes after coming under intense pressure in the scrum right under their own posts. Vainikolo then crossed twice before the end of the first quarter and the fit-again Mike Tindall, making his first appearance for the club since October, played a part in both.
Sale were reeling and a fourth Gloucester try was inevitable. It arrived on 27 minutes, the explosive Qera blazing through a gaping hole in the Sharks defence before threatrically diving over under the sticks.
Hodgson got the beleaguered Sharks off the mark just before half time but there was to be no dramatic second-half comeback. Indeed, they didn't even manage to save face. After converting three of the four earlier tries, Robinson touched down after getting on the end of his own chip forward. Simpson-Daniel followed suit moments later before Hazell completed the scoring when allowed to saunter through unopposed with just over five minutes to go.
According to the Premiership table, these teams would have the best shot at making the semi's even though including both of the two sides tied on points for that last spot:
Guinness Premiership - Round 16 Review
February 28, 2010
At the other end of the table, Leeds Carnegie continued their battle for survival with a 26-10 victory over London Wasps at Headingley on Sunday. Ceiron Thomas was the star of the show for the home side with an assured and accurate first-half kicking display put the hosts on course for their first home win in the top flight since March 2008.
A converted try from fly-half Danny Cipriani kept the hosts in touch but their cause was not helped by the sin-binning of prop Ben Broster for knocking the ball away. A flurry of second-half penalties allowed Thomas to guide Leeds to their fourth win of the season with the Welsh fly-half finishing with an 18-point haul. The home side's victory was given extra garnish with Hendrie Fourie's late try and Joe Ford's penalty.
Elsewhere, London Irish were emphatic 29-14 winners over local rivals Harlequins at the Madjeski Stadium. Quins were made to pay for their frequent misdemeanours with Exiles fullback Tom Homer finishing with a personal tally of 22 points.
The home side were first on the scoreboard, taking the lead after five minutes with a 30-metre penalty from Homer after Quins lost a lineout on their own 22. Quins were rewarded with a penalty try midway through the half after a series of five-metre scrums but a try from Steffon Armitage and the boot of Homer saw the home side regain and cement a lead. Quins continued to be the architects of their own misfortune and the game was effectively sealed in Irish's favour after 58 minutes when Bob Casey intercepted a stray Quins pass to send fellow lock Nick Kennedy on a 35-metre run to the line, Homer converting with an excellent touchline kick. Quins at last got something for their battling effort when George Lowe finished off a neat movement, with Nick Evans adding the conversion.
Bath's march up the table continued as Saracens crashed to a 19-14 defeat at Vicarage Road - their fourth league reverse in five outings. Referee David Rose littered the game with penalties, mostly against the hosts, and turned the game when he gave Bath a second-half penalty try.
Ryan Davis fired Bath into an early lead with a penalty but Derick Hougaard levelled things up midway through the half and Saracens took the lead soon after when Wikus van Heerden pounced on a loose lineout ball to score a try. Davis and Hougaard then exchanged further penalties that gave the hosts a narrow 11-9 lead at the break.
After a series of close-quarter infringements Rose ran out of patience with Saracens just short of the hour and awarded a penalty try, converted by Davis. But the crowd reacted with fury and made their feelings known towards the official. Saracens hit back with another penalty from Hougaard but the Sarries No.10 was off-target with a drop goal attempt and two penalties as the game drew to a close - his last miss coming in the closing seconds of the game.
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Guiness Premiership round 16
Guiness Premiership round 16
