Aviva Premiership
Northampton ensured they kept their lead at the top of the table with a 30-25 win over Harlequins at Twickenham last Saturday's but Bath's 31-14 win over Exeter means that the Saints only have a one point lead. Harlequins struck first but then tries from Samu Manoa, who earned another Man of the Match performance, and George North, along with the kicking of Stephen Myler put the Saints ahead. Harlequins made a late second half push but it wasn't enough. Bath had a much easier time. Exeter had a try a piece in each half but Bath had two and better kicking. Saracens are still in the picture but are nine points back. They beat Newcastle 25-23. Leicester, Exeter, Wasps, and Sale are also within the playoff picture. Leicester beat Sale 32-30 while Wasps beat Gloucester 30-23. Lastly, London Irish beat London Welsh 24-9.
Take the jump to read more.
Top 14
Stade Francais are the new leaders in the Top 14 thanks to a comprehensive 30-6 win over Toulon. Stade took the lead early through Sergio Parisse and then added to that with kicks from Jules Plisson. Toulon had a penalty from Leigh Halfpenny and a drop goal from Nicolas Sanchez. The match stayed relatively tight until late when Stade piled on two more tries. The loss bumps Toulon down to second two points back. Clermont are third and missed an opportunity to gain points when they lost to Lyon 16-13. A last minute try from Kendrick Lynn won the match for Lyon. It also moves them out of a relegation spot. Castres surprisingly still hold one of those spots despite beating Montpellier 27-9. Toulouse did their best to move up the table as they beat fourth place Racing Metro 15-9. In other scores, Bordeaux beat Brive 46-10, La Rochelle beat Grenoble 19-15, and Oyonnax beat Bayonne 12-9.
Guinness Pro12
The table is still tight in the Guinness Pro12 with the Ospreys holding a narrow lead. They narrowly held on to beat Scarlets 17-15 thanks to tries from Aisea Natoga and Dan Lydiate. Glasgow, Munster, and Ulster are all within five points. Glasgow are the closest after beating their rivals Edinburgh 16-6. Munster came up with a huge 28-13 win over Leinster while Ulster beat Connacht 13-10. Both Italian sides sit at the bottom of the table but one was bound to pick up points as they went head to head. Benetton Treviso was the one to prevail 26-16. Finally, the Dragons beat Cardiff 23-17.
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship finished it's string of holiday matches with Bristol beating Bedford 28-24, Moseley topping Rotherham 26-22, and the Cornish Pirates beat Plymouth 27-19. Worcester also beat Leeds 36-17.
Pro D2
The Pro D2 had the weekend off.
Top League
The race is tight in Group 1 of the Top League. The Panasonic Wildknights hold a three point lead over Toshiba Fuchu Brave Lupus. The Wildknights beat Suntory Sungoliath 45-8 while Toshiba beat the Canon Eagles 31-10. The Kobelco Steelers are third thanks to their 54-19 win over the NTT Shining Arcs while Yamaha Jubilo beat Toyota Verblitz 26-10.
In Group 2, the Ricoh Black Rams and NEC Green Rockets are tied for the lead. The Black Rams beat the Kubota Spears 28-26 and the Green Rockets beat the NTT-Docomo Red Hurricanes 40-14. In other scores, the Kintetsu Liners beat the Fukuoka Sanix Blues 43-32 and the Coca-Cola West Red Sparks beat Toyota Shokki Shuttle 39-17.
Eccellenza
The Eccellenza had the weekend off.
All-Ireland League
The All-Ireland League had the weekend off.