- Last-gasp converted try for London Welsh sees off the Chiefs
- Two-try England Sevens wing Dan Norton helps Bristol to comfortable win
Bristol Rugby have established an eight point lead at the Championship summit after a last-gasp London Welsh try condemned Exeter to a third straight defeat.
Former Scotland and Leeds fly half Gordon Ross converted flanker Guy Mercer’s late score with the last kick of the game to give the Exiles the 12-10 win, their first over the Chiefs in four years.
Exeter hooker Saul Nelson and London Welsh wing Greg Evans exchanged tries before Chiefs winger Matt Jess nudged the visitors ahead.
Exeter fly half Danny Gray was unsuccessful with four kicks at goal, leaving the match in the balance before Mercer’s late intervention.
To view the latest Championship table, try and points scoring charts and an overall statistical look at the season to date, read the Championship Statistical Review – Week 16 (PDF 164kB).
England Sevens wing Dan Norton scored two tries – his 10th and 11th of the season – as Bristol defeated Cornish Pirates 31-15 at the Memorial Ground.
Lee Robinson, Tom Arscott and James Phillips also registered for the home side in front of a record Championship crowd of 7, 714, while Gavin Cattle and Rob Cook scored for the Pirates.
The Westcountry giants have now won eight games in succession, which, coupled with Exeter’s slump, has put Bristol in pole position with six rounds of the season remaining before the playoffs.
Birmingham & Solihull lose again at ‘home’
Struggling Birmingham & Solihull Bees went down 49-10 in their home fixture with Bedford after the match was played at Godlington Road.
The Bees’ Sharmans Cross Road pitch remains unplayable and the side wanted to avoid a third successive postponement.
Centre Cameron Mitchell gave Birmingham an early lead but Bedford surged back, with former Bees flanker Chris Brightwell scoring a brace against his former club.
Bedford are fourth in the Championship standings, a point behind London Welsh and a point ahead of Cornish Pirates as the race for third place gathers pace.
Fly half Tristan Roberts and flanker Neil Mason scored second half tries as Moseley completed a league double over Plymouth Albion at Brickfields.
The 20-10 win sees Moseley climb into the playoffs and simultaneously damages Albion’s hopes of making the end of season shot at the Premiership.
Elsewhere, the games between Rotherham and Nottingham and Coventry and Doncaster were postponed because of the weather.