Bottom club Sale claim shock first win at Exeter

Bottom club Sale Sharks claimed a shock first victory of the Premiership Women's Rugby season at the 13th attempt, winning 12-7 at play-off chasing Exeter Chiefs.

Tries either side of half-time proved enough for the Sharks, who held on after conceding with just over 15 minutes to play.

Molly Wright put them ahead on 33 minutes, touching down on the back of a driving maul, while Bea Rigoni ran through the heart of the Chiefs defence four minutes into the second half to add a second.

Emily Robinson finally got a try on the board for fourth-placed Exeter but they had to settle for a losing bonus point, which moved them a point clear of Bristol Bears in the final play-off place.

The Bears had missed out on the chance to crank up the pressure on Exeter, falling to a 39-38 defeat at Trailfinders on Saturday.

Grace Moore zipped under the posts to run in what turned out to be the winning try, putting Trailfinders 39-26 up after adding to scores from Kate Zackary, Lisa Thomson, Tyson Beukeboom and two from Liz Musgrove.

Late tries from Millie David and Lark Atkin-Davies - who both scored twice for Bristol - made it a one-point game but the hosts were able to hang on.

Elsewhere, Saracens scored five tries at high-flying hosts Harlequins in a 33-10 win that boosted their play-off chances and put a dent in second-placed Quins' title challenge.

The visitors moved up to third place in the table, two points behind Harlequins - who remain three points behind league leaders Gloucester-Hartpury with three games of the regular season remaining.

Saracens' USA international Lotte Sharp scored tries at the start of each half, beating the final defender out wide to get the ball rolling in the 10th minute before then racing under the posts four minutes after the break.

Bryony Field had gone over from the back of the maul to extend Sarries' advantage in the first half, only for Ellie Kildunne to peg them back before the break by finishing off a well-worked Quins move.

After Sharp put the visitors back in control, further second-half tries from Sophie Bridger and Akina Gondwe, either side of an Abbie Fleming score for Quins, completed the win.

In Saturday's other game, second-bottom Leicester Tigers lost 61-12 at home to sixth-placed Loughborough Lightning, who had eight different scorers in their nine tries, with Krissy Scurfield managing a double.