The third round of the U18 Aviva Premiership saw Leicester Tigers, Gloucester, and Harlequins all complete their third victories of the season, and therefore maintain their unbeaten records.

Tigers won at a canter last year and are off to a flyer again this year but Northampton Saints put them under real pressure on Saturday, with Tigers only just emerging as victors 29-26.

Harlequins toppled the previously practically unplayable London Irish at Braywick Road on Friday night. Quins won 20-13 to leave them going into their rest round with a perfect record.

Gloucester’s 22-14 victory over Worcester on Saturday morning was one of the tighter of their victories but it sets up an enticing head to head with Leicester at Hartpury College on the 5^th January, a game that could go a long way to deciding the North section.

Bath picked up their first win of the competition on Friday afternoon, condemning Bristol to a third defeat in a row in the process with their 31-19 victory at Filton College.

Saracens also registered their first victory of the campaign, edging out London Wasps by a point to win 14-13 at Allianz Park, avenging the heavy defeat to London Irish on the opening weekend.

Wrapping up the action on Saturday was Leeds Carnegie v Newcastle Falcons at Queen Ethelburga’s College. Leeds turned in a superb performance to beat the Falcons 48-12, their first victory of the campaign, leaving Newcastle still winless after three games.

The league takes a break this weekend but is back fro the first weekend of the New Year, with Leeds again playing at Queen Ethelburga’s College, where they will host Northampton Saints.

That game is on Saturday 4^th, when London Wasps will also be playing, they host Exeter Chiefs at Braywick Road, where London Irish and Bath will be playing on the Friday afternoon.

Also on Friday 3^rd is Saracens v Bristol at Allianz Park, where Bristol will go in search of their first victory of the season, as will Worcester when they travel to Sale on the Sunday.

Surely the most anticipated clash though will be Gloucester v Leicester at Hartpury College, where the winner will become the only side in the North section to remain unbeaten.

U18 Premiership Results:

Friday

Bristol 19-31 Bath 12.00 – Filton College

London Irish 13-20 Harlequins 19.30 – Braywick Road

Saracens 14-13 London Wasps 19.30 – Allianz Park

Saturday

Worcester Warriors 14-22 Gloucester 11.00 – Malvern Rugby Club

Leicester Tigers 29-26 Northampton Saints 12.00 – Welford Road

Leeds Carnegie 48-12 Newcastle Falcons 12.30 – Queen Ethelburga’s College

3^rd/4^th/5^th January Fixtures:

Friday 3^rd

Saracens v Bristol – 13.30, Allianz Park

London Irish v Bath – 14.00, Braywick Road

Saturday 4^th

Leeds Carnegie v Northampton Saints – 13.00, Queen Ethelburga’s College

London Wasps v Exeter Chiefs – 14.00, Braywick Road

Sunday 5^th

Gloucester v Leicester Tigers – 13.00, Hartpury College

Sale Sharks v Worcester Warriors – 14.00, Heywood Road

Previous Weekend’s Results:

Exeter Chiefs 53-5 Bristol

Leicester Tigers 64-6 Worcester Warriors

Glocuester 24-7 Leeds Carnegie

Bath 12-29 Harlequins

Newcastle Falcons 26-29 Sale Sharks

London Wasps 5-34 London Irish

Team News:

Bristol N/A

Bath:

1 Crowther  2 Frost  3 Catlin  4 Rice  5 Ewels  6 Radford  7 Harris  8 Morris-Mean  9 Homer  10 Jennings  11 Mackenzie  12 Clark  13 Kelly  14 Atkins  15 Coulson.

Replacements: 16 Thompson  17 John  18 Lynas  19 Maylam  20 Broom  21 Small  22 Waters  23 Whitely.

London Irish:

1. Jake Waterman (St Pauls Catholic College) 
2. Ollie Adams (St Pauls Catholic College) 
3. Tyler White (St Pauls Catholic College) 
4. Ollie Curry (Captain, St Pauls Catholic College) 
5. Theo Vukasinovic (Reeds’ School) 
6. Ryan Bifield (St Pauls Catholic College) 
7. Greg Brown (St Pauls Catholic College) 
8. James McRae (Eton College) 
9. Conor Murphy (St Pauls Catholic College) 
10. Theo Brophy Clews (Abingdon School) 
11. Harry Lightfoot-Brown (St Pauls Catholic College) 
12. Ross Neal (RGS High Wycombe) 
13. John Williams (St Pauls Catholic College) 
14. Bradley Greer (John Fisher School) 
15. Cameron Cowell (St Pauls Catholic College).

Replacements: 16. Curtis Langdon (St Pauls Catholic College) 
17. George Sewell (St Pauls Catholic College) 
18. Max Hayes (Wellington College) 
19. Charlie Stonehill (St Pauls Catholic College) 
20. Max Berry (St Pauls Catholic College) 
21. Eddie Lewis (St Pauls Catholic College) 
22. Ross Catlin (Wellington College) 
23. Matt Williams (Wellington College).

Harlequins:

Forwards: Wilkey, Adeniran-Olule, Mount, Ibuanopke, Lasis, South, White, Treadwell, Forshaw, Thomas, Cheeseman, Keunan.

Backs: Saunders, Jackson, Marchant, Hogg, Bellamin, Taylor, Sackey, Simmons, Ibitoye, Aspland-Robinson.

Saracens N/A

London Wasps N/A

Worcester Warriors:

15 Jon Hughes (RGS Worcester)
14 Tom Horward (Warwick School)
13 Matt Edwards (Hartpury College)
12 Max Himbury (Worcester Sixth Form College)
11 Ryan Scott-Young (Worcester Sixth Form College)
10 Luke White (Bromsgrove)
9 George de Cothi (Warriors);
1 Joe Wrafter (Hartpury College)
2 Callum Young (Bromsgrove)
3 Trae O’Sullivan (Worcester Sixth Form College)
4 Andrew Kitchener (Adams Grammar)
5 Jamie Clegg (Bromsgrove)
6 Huw Taylor (Old Swinford Hospital, Captain)
7 Sam Smith (Old Swinford Hospital School)
8 Andrew Boyce (Warriors).

Replacements: 16 Will Priestly (Warwick School)
17 Joe White (Worcester Sixth Form College)
18 Charlie Robinson (Bromsgrove)
19 Miles Edwards (Worcester Sixth Form College)
20 Will Elt (King’s School Worcester)
21 Ben Williams (Worcester Sixth Form College)
22 Jamie Shillcock (Warwick School)
23 Scott Smith (Worcester Sixth Form College).

Gloucester N/A

Leicester Tigers:

O George Fossey  N David Williams  M Wesley Douglas  L Charlie Thacker  K George Worth  J John Hargreaves  I Emilio Fusco;  A Owen Hills  B Jake Farnworth  C Neale Farthing  D Matt Jones  E Joe Maksymiw  F Josh Bevan-Brown  H Will Owen  G Charlie Beckett (c).

Replacements: P Fred Tuilagi 
Q George Nairn  R Dan Hogan 
S Charlie Harvey 
T Joe Green 
U Munraj Atwal
V Sam Melville 
W Paolo Odogwu.

Northampton Saints:

15 Tristan Rawcliffe 14 Josh Skelcey
13 Howard Packman
12 Rotimi Segun
11 George Wacokecoke
10 Harry Mallinder
9 Cameron Lee-Everton 
1 Jake Byrne
2 James Fish
3 Oli Lamprell
4 Jordan Onojaife
5 Josh Peters
6 George Cox
7 Lewis Ludlum
8 Ollie Lyons.

Replacements:
16 Owen Griffiths 17 Harrison Marshall
18 Karl Wilkins 19 Will Allman
20 Michael Morris
21 Conor Bullivant
22 George Furbank.

Leeds Carnegie:

1. Lewis Boyce
2. Jack Walker
3. Charlie Capps
4. Dan Preston-Routledge
5. Guy Borrowdale
6. Raffen Cherrington
7. Josh Bainbridge
8. Tom Burridge
9. Jack London
10. Max Green
11. Dan Tai
12. Max Wright
13. Cam Leadley
14. Nick Rawsthorne
15. Taylor Prell.

Replacements: 16. Jordon Poole
17. Toko Tedoradze
18. Will Scholey
19. Harry Wales
20. Jimmy McDaniel
21. Tom Bullough
22. Ben Magee.

Newcastle Falcons:

1 Jake Ellwood (Durham School) 2 Jack Beckwith (Barnard Castle School) 3 Lorcan O’Donnell (Gosforth Academy) 4 Michael Walton (Durham School) 5 George Hedgley (Giggleswick School) 6 Jonny Coser (Barnard Castle School) 7 Guy Coser (Barnard Castle School) 8 Callum Chick (Gosforth Academy) 9 Dan Taylor (Durham School) 10 Brett Connon (Austin Friars School) 11 Dan Marshall (Gosforth Academy) 12 Luke Wilson (Hartlepool 6th Form College) 13 Adam Redman (Durham School) 14 Callum Burn (Kirkley Hall College) 15 Johnny McPhillips (Sedbergh School).

Replacements: 16 Ben Wilkinson (Gosforth Academy) 17 James Orritt (Sedbergh School) 18 Mark Forster (Austin Friars School) 19 Aidan Coulthard (West Lakes College) 20 Theo Nwosu-Hope (Queen Elizabeth Hexham) 21 Owen Clemmett (Gosforth Academy) 22 Lloyd Purser (Durham School) 23 Dan Osborn (Gosforth Academy).