Simmonds and Hill bag hat-tricks for Chiefs, Thorley goes on four-try spree

Sam Simmonds and Jonny Hill scored hat-tricks as Premiership leaders Exeter Chiefs routed Worcester 59-7 to go 14 points clear at the top.

The home team were at their formidable best, with Worcester’s consolation try from Ashley Beck the last score of the game.

By half-time the lead was up to 38-0, with second-row forward Hill having already completed a hat-trick and Simmonds dotting down twice.

Jack Nowell also got in on the act before the break, and the rampant scoring continued beyond the interval, with Stuart Hogg, Jacques Vermeulen and Simmonds going over.

Joe Simmonds almost matched his brother’s 15-point haul, falling one short as he booted seven conversions.

At Kingsholm, Ollie Thorley went one better than the hat-trick feats of Simmonds and Hill, plundering four tries in the opening 30 minutes of Gloucester’s 46-30 win over Leicester Tigers.

 – @thorlo joins an exclusive club, with only two other players scoring first-half tries in a @premrugby game before today!#GLOvLEI pic.twitter.com/fayZyVLTTO

— Gloucester Rugby (@gloucesterrugby) August 30, 2020

The 23-year-old winger did his England prospects no harm, having already caught the eye of Eddie Jones, by showing a clinical finisher’s touch.

Joe Simpson, Chris Harris and Lloyd Evans also crossed for Gloucester, with tries from Harry Potter, Jordan Taufua and Cameron Henderson leading a forlorn Tigers fightback after the home team’s early onslaught.

Chris Robshaw and Chris Ashton were among the home team’s scorers as Harlequins beat Northampton Saints 30-17 at Twickenham Stoop, in a mid-table battle.

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