John O’Sullivan
There’s no doubting the performance of the day in the Aviva English Premiership belonged to Bath as they thumped the Leicester Tigers by an astonishing 45-0 at the Recreation Ground.
Former Ireland and Munster scrumhalf Peter Stringer claimed his side's fifth try and based on reports it's worth searching out for a look. The Tigers lost their centre partnership Manu Tuilagi and Anthony Allen before the game and there was a real disconnect to the way they defended.
Niall Morris started on the right wing for Leicester but there was little he could do to prevent a rout to a Bath team coached by former Ireland Defence coach, Mike Ford.
London Irish suffered an agonising 36-32 home defeat to Saracens, succumbing to a late try from the visiting number eight Billy Vunipola. Fergus Mulchrone and Tom Court started, Tomas O'Leary was a second half replacement while Eamon Sheridan didn't get a run from the bench.
Former Ireland Under-21 international Gareth Steenson kicked four penalties and a conversion in the Exeter Chiefs 25-22 victory over their hosts, Gloucester at Kingsholm.
Ian Whitten had an afternoon that began with the disappointment of a yellow card after just five minutes when he was censured for catching Gloucester's England wing Charlie Sharples in the air. Whitten returned to play his part in the win.
Former Blackrock College schoolboy Shane Cahill came on as a second half replacement for a London Welsh team that suffered a 46-8 mauling by the Sale Sharks.
In the English Championship former Kilkenny College and Seapoint outhalf Peter Lydon kicked a penalty and four conversions in London Scottish's 36-30 win over the Bedford Blues.
Lydon, playing at fullback, joined the Scottish Exiles club in the summer, having spent time in the Stade Francais Academy set-up. He shared the victory with former Ireland international Neil Best and one-time Irish underage international and Leinster Academy prospect, the Welsh born, tighthead prop Stewart Maguire.
Eoin Sheriff, on loan from Saracens, was a second half replacement for the Bedford Blues. Another Irish underage international Michael Keating made an impressive return following a hernia operation to score a typically classy try for the Rotherham Titans in their 30-25 victory over Plymouth Albion.
The Clontarf wing was joined on the score-sheet by former Ulster outhalf, James McKinney, now in a second spell with the club who kicked three penalties and three conversions. Flanker Eoghan Grace, who joined Plymouth from Connacht, came on after 52 minutes.
Another Ulsterman David McIlwaine was a try scorer for Leeds Carnegie as they beat the Kevin Maggs coached Moseley 32-28.
In France, Bernard Jackman's Grenoble, enjoyed a 24-15 victory over Bayonne in the Top 14. Former Ulster and Ireland underage international Chris Farrell came on as a replacement for Jackson Willison in the centre while Clontarf born scrumhalf James Hart was an unused replacement.
In French Pro D2 Jeremy Davidson's Aurillac, which included Ulsterman Conor Gaston on the left wing, beat Carcassonne 15-10. James Coughlan was at number eight as Pau beat Dax 22-15.
