Big wins for Gloucester and Saints in Prem Rugby Cup

Gloucester and Northampton boosted their chances of reaching the Prem Rugby Cup semi-finals with bonus-point wins that eliminated Sale and Newcastle.

Impressive Gloucester scored seven tries as they thrashed an out-of-sorts Sale 43-17, with full-back Ben Redshaw grabbing one try in each half.

Gloucester were 19-0 up at half-time and further scores from Danny Eite and Will Trenholm put the result beyond doubt, with Sharks scoring three second-half tries.

Northampton fell behind early on before securing a comfortable 49-21 win over Newcastle as Toby Thame scored two tries and France international Anthony Belleau slotted all seven of his conversion attempts.

Victory moves Gloucester to the top of Pool A before Exeter v Bath on Saturday, with only two of those three able to make it to the semi-finals going into the final round of pool games next weekend when Gloucester visit West Country rivals Bath.

Saints are also on the brink of the semi-finals as they moved five points ahead of third-placed Saracens, who they play at home in the final pool match next weekend, with Northampton knowing a point will be enough to qualify.

Redshaw scored Gloucester's opener when a quick pass gave him space to sprint over the line from 30 metres out and apply a diving one-handed finish in the corner.

Sale then lost Nathan Jibulu for 10 minutes when the hooker was yellow carded for a tip tackle on Ollie Thorley and the Cherry and Whites took advantage when Seb Blake went under the posts after 20 minutes.

Gloucester took a firm grip of the game as half-time approached when Caolan Englefield fed Charlie Atkinson and the fly-half converted his own try to make it 19-0 at half-time.

But Atkinson was sin-binned early in the second period for making head contact in a tackle on Jibulu and Sale scored their first try soon after through a nicely worked move that saw Rob du Preez send Alex Wills into the corner.

However, Gloucester hit back immediately when lock Eite charged down a box kick from Sale scrum-half Gus Warr, who had only just joined the action as a replacement, to give George Skivington's men a bonus point.

The hosts were breaking tackles and making metres at will and Matias Alemanno's offload allowed Trenholm to grab a fifth before another error, this time from Sharks winger Arron Reed, gave Redshaw an easy second.

A lovely kick and gather from Gloucester's Wales international wing Josh Hathaway rounded off a fine night at Kingsholm, with Sale scoring consolations via a second for Wills and one for Ethan Caine.

At Kingston Park, Newcastle took the lead in the sixth minute when Harrison Obatoyinbo darted through a gap in midfield but Saints replied quickly through Luke Green's close-range score.

The visitors went in front after 16 minutes through Tom James and stretched the lead to 21-7 at the break after Charlie Ulcoq scored his first Northampton try.

It only took five second-half minutes for Saints to bring up the bonus-point try as Thame found a gap near the Newcastle line.

Thame grabbed another and substitute George Hendy added Saints' sixth on 66 minutes before Richard Palframan burrowed over for Newcastle's second score.

Ollie Sleightholme showed his pace to cross the whitewash before Newcastle added a late consolation through Ollie Fletcher.