Quins cement spot, Falcons win

Chris Robshaw was among the try-scorers as Harlequins rubber-stamped their Premiership semi-final berth with a 33-17 home win over Wasps.

Robshaw was joined on the scoresheet by Ugo Monye, George Robson and Jordan Turner-Hall as Quins - for whom Rory Clegg kicked 13 points - secured a bonus-point victory.

But while it was all smiles for Quins the defeat rounded off a terrible day for Wasps, who saw relegation rivals Newcastle move to within four points of them after victory at Gloucester.

Dai Young's side played some entertaining rugby at The Stoop with Christian Wade and Ross Filipo crossing for scores - and Nicky Robinson kicking seven points - but it was Quins, and Robshaw's, day.

England fly-half Toby Flood kept Leicester on course for an eighth successive Aviva Premiership final with a fabulous performance at Northampton on Saturday.

Flood, who has dropped to third in the England fly-half pecking order, proved he was back to his best with a 25-point haul as Leicester demolished their great rivals at a sell-out Franklin's Gardens, chalking up a fifth successive bonus-point win, a Premiership record.

Flood scored two of the Tigers' four tries in the win - he also kicked three conversions and three penalties - with the others coming from wingers Alesana Tuilagi and Horacio Agulla.

Northampton's tries came from England pair Lee Dickson and Chris Ashton, with Ryan Lamb kicking three penalties and Stephen Myler a conversion.

Newcastle recorded a stunning 29-20 victory over Gloucester at Kingsholm to give themselves renewed hope of avoiding relegation.

The Falcons' first league away win for almost 14 months was secured through tries by flanker Ally Hogg and replacement back-row forward Mark Wilson, while captain Jimmy Gopperth kicked 19 points.

Gloucester wiped out a 19-6 interval deficit to lead by a point with nine minutes left, but Newcastle finished strongly and are now just four points behind 11th-placed Wasps with two games remaining.

The home side conjured a try for flanker Akapusi Qera, with fly-half Freddie Burns booting five penalties, but Gloucester's hopes of a Heineken Cup qualification were severely dented as they even failed to secure a losing bonus point.

Newcastle remain bottom, but their survival chances have increased as they prepare to host Saracens next Friday and then visit Wasps a fortnight later.

Exeter produced an astonishing finish to record a remarkable 31-26 win over Worcester in a thrilling game at Sixways.

With less than two minutes of the game remaining they trailed 26-19 before tries from Phil Dollman and Sireli Naqelevuki and a conversion from Gareth Steenson broke the Warriors' hearts.

Exeter also overcame the loss of two players to the sin-bin in the second half with wing Gonzalo Camacho fortunate to escape with a yellow card for a dangerous tip tackle.

Bryan Rennie and Luke Arscott also claimed tries for the visitors, while Worcester's try scorers were Craig Gillies and Miles Benjamin, both converted by Andy Goode, who also also added four penalties.

Delon Armitage marked his return to the London Irish starting line-up with two tries - but they were not enough to save the Exiles from their seventh successive Aviva Premiership defeat as they lost 28-19 to Saracens.

Armitage, who had been on the bench for the previous two matches, struck in each half for Irish, whose other nine points came from three Tom Homer penalties.

Saracens won the match on the back of an immaculate kicking display from England fly-half Charlie Hodgson.

He landed five penalties from five attempts, struck two drop goals and converted Sarries' only try, scored by flanker Will Fraser.

But the victory was not enough to stop the reigning Premiership champions dropping from second to third as Leicester moved above them with their bonus-point win at Northampton earlier in the day.

Rob Miller's try eight minutes from full-time sealed a dramatic 16-9 triumph over Bath on Friday night to boost Sale Sharks' chances of qualifying for the Heineken Cup.

Although both teams looked to move the ball wide, two Nick Macleod penalties to Olly Barkley's one was all they had to show for their first half efforts, as the Sharks led 6-3 at the interval.

The two kickers then traded three-pointers in the second period before Barkley levelled the scores.

But, in front of England head coach Stuart Lancaster, it was left to Miller to touch down late on and move the Sharks up to sixth in the standings.