PREM Rugby Cup - Round 2: Louis Rees-Zammit plays the villain in Gloucester home-coming

Louis Rees-Zammit was at the heart of the drama for Friday night's West Country derby, as the Welsh wing returned to to his former home of Kingholm, as Gloucester hosted Bristol Bears. Northampton and Leicester's stars of tomorrow were out in force for their respective trips to London, before England stalwart Henry Slade spear-headed Exeter to bag the bragging rights, from the PREM Rugby Cup Final re-match against Bath.

Bristol Bears made the trip to Kingsholm one to remember, leaving Gloucester Rugby trailing 40-24 in a high-octane encounter that highlighted both attacking flair and disciplinary lapses. The fixture also marked Louis Rees-Zammit’s emotional return to Gloucester, and the Welshman did not disappoint—though not without controversy.

Gloucester started brightly, with Will Knight powering over after just four minutes, though George Barton’s conversion was missed. Bristol responded almost immediately; Gabriel Oghre drove over from a maul to level the scores. Rees-Zammit then showcased his pace and finishing ability in the 22nd minute, breaking the Gloucester defence to score, only to be met with boos from the home crowd.

A heated exchange later saw him sin-binned in the 36th minute alongside Caio James, underscoring the intensity surrounding his return. Sam Grahamslaw and Joe Owen added further first-half tries, with AJ MacGinty converting three times, leaving the Bears 26-5 ahead at the break.

Discipline remained an issue for Bristol, with Joe Jenkins also yellow-carded, yet the Bears’ attacking momentum continued. Oghre’s second try came within 90 seconds of the restart, and Paddy Pearce’s slick support line saw him cross for the sixth score. Gloucester fought back late through Max Knight, Rhys Davies, and teenager Ewan Caven, but it was too little too late.

Tries: 4 (Will Knight, Max Knight, Rhys Davies, Ewan Caven)
Cons: 2 (George Barton 2)
Pen: 0
Yellow cards: 1 (Caio James)

Tries: 6 (Gabriel Oghre 2, Louis Rees-Zammit, Sam Grahamslaw, Joe Owen, Paddy Pearce)
Cons: 5 (AJ MacGinty 3, Sam Worsley 2)
Pen: 0
Yellow cards: 2 (Louis Rees-Zammit, Joe Jenkins)

Round Two of the PREM Rugby Cup delivered a thrilling encounter at StoneX Stadium, with Northampton Saints’ new signings making a major impression in a 49-34 away victory over Saracens. The visiting Saints started the brighter, with debutant Callum Chick powering over from close range, converted by fellow newcomer Anthony Belleau, setting the tone for a clinical performance.

Saracens responded immediately, Louie Johnson landing a penalty before Max Malins’ cross-field kick found Rotimi Segun, giving the hosts a temporary 10-7 lead. Malins himself then broke through to score, though the conversion hit the posts. Northampton regained control as JJ Van Der Mescht scored, and Chick completed a stunning hat-trick before half-time, giving the Saints a commanding 28-15 advantage.

Despite a late first-half try from Segun, Saracens looked set to mount a comeback after the interval. Jack Bracken’s electric runs saw him score twice, helping the hosts briefly regain momentum. However, Northampton’s forwards and backs combined perfectly in response. Craig Wright’s pick-and-go try and James Ramm’s double late in the game sealed a comprehensive victory, with Belleau converting all six attempts to underline his outstanding debut.

The Saints’ cohesion, attacking sharpness, and the immediate impact of their new signings stood out, leaving Saracens chasing shadows in a high-scoring affair. Northampton’s performance sends a strong statement as the PREM Cup campaign enters Round 3.

Saracens 34
Tries: 4 (Rotimi Segun, Max Malins, Jack Bracken 2)
Cons: 1 (Louie Johnson)
Pen: 3 (Louie Johnson 3)
Yellow cards: 1

Northampton Saints 49
Tries: 6 (Callum Chick 3, JJ Van Der Mescht, James Ramm 2)
Cons: 6 (Anthony Belleau 6)
Pen: 0
Yellow cards: 0

A young Leicester Tigers side secured their second straight PREM Rugby Cup win with a hard-fought 25-17 victory at Twickenham Stoop. The Tiger cubs showed boundless composure in the final stages to fend off a spirited Harlequins fightback.

Leicester made a fast start from turnovers and strong decision-making out of their own half. Will Wand’s clever kick into Quins territory set up George Pearson’s try in the corner, with Charlie Titcombe’s long-range penalty putting Tigers ahead 10-5. Just before the break, captain Charlie Clare powered over from the side of a driving maul, with Titcombe converting to give Leicester a comfortable 17-5 interval lead.

Harlequins started the second half strongly, scoring two quick-fire tries, including a lineout maul finish from hooker Jack Walker, while Joshua Manz received a yellow card. Despite being under pressure, Leicester absorbed the revival, with Joseph Woodward and Titcombe kicking crucial penalties to maintain their advantage.

The match was sealed late when on-loan wing Ryan Crowley finished a slick passing move in the corner, showing power and precision in his debut performance. Tigers’ blend of academy talent and debutants, including Crowley, Tarek Haffer, and Osian Thomas, proved decisive, combining energetic defence with attacking flair to secure the win and maintain momentum in Pool B.

Tries: 2 (George Pearson, Charlie Clare, Ryan Crowley)
Cons: 2 (Charlie Titcombe 2)
Penalties: 2 (Charlie Titcombe 2)

Harlequins 17
Tries: 2 (Jack Walker, Joshua Manz)
Cons: 0
Penalties: 0
Yellow cards: 1 (Joshua Manz)

Exeter Chiefs gained revenge for last year’s PREM Rugby Cup final with a 23-14 win over Bath at a wet and windy Recreation Ground. The game was a scrappy, attritional affair, with the elements and yellow cards hindering the flow of play.

Bath struck first in the closing minutes of the first half, with wing Austin Emens breaking through before feeding Thompson Cowan to power over. Debutant James Linegar added the conversion for a 7-0 lead. Exeter, down to 14 men with Rusi Tuima in the sin bin, struggled to find rhythm, but Henry Slade’s penalty kept them in touching distance.

The second half saw a seesaw contest between the West Country rivals. Dan John’s try from close range finally breached Bath’s resolute defence, while Louis Hennessey restored the home side’s advantage after a sloppy Chiefs’ pass. Bath’s efforts to repel Exeter were impressive, including a maul held up by determined defenders in blue, black and white.

Late in the game, Bath were reduced to 13 men following yellow cards to Mikey Summerfield and Scott Kirk, leaving space for Exeter to strike. Joseph Dweba powered over from a rolling maul, with Stephen Varney adding the final try to seal the Chiefs’ first win of the season. Exeter’s patience and disciplined finishing in the closing stages, allowed them to overcome Bath’s early dominance for a solid statement of intent in the PREM Rugby Cup.

Bath 14
Tries: 2 (Thompson Cowan, Louis Hennessey)
Cons: 2 (James Linegar 2)
Penalties: 0
Yellow cards: 2 (Mikey Summerfield, Scott Kirk)

Tries: 3 (Dan John, Joseph Dweba, Stephen Varney)
Cons: 3 (Henry Slade 3)
Penalties: 2 (Henry Slade 2)
Yellow cards: 1 (Rusi Tuima)