Round-up: Bristol pluck win from demoralised Falcons

A week of turmoil for Newcastle ended in a demoralising 28-8 home defeat by Bristol in the Premiership yesterday.

It was the Falcons' worst performance of the season and came hot on the heels of the departure of the director of rugby, John Fletcher, by mutual consent in midweek.

Two weekends after beating the Premiership leaders Gloucester, Harlequins stopped Bath going top with a superb 22-9 win. The visitors needed a bonus-point victory to go above Leicester and Gloucester, but their only compensations as they left The Stoop were the losing point secured with the last move of the match and the fact that they still have a game in hand on both the clubs above them.

Harlequins are back up to fifth and still entertaining play-off hopes.

A spirited rearguard action and some inept Worcester execution kept Leeds' Premiership survival hopes alive for another week after a 10-10 draw at Sixways.

After victories against Sale Sharks and Leicester in the past fortnight, Worcester put themselves 14 points clear of the basement club before kick-off and a win would almost certainly have condemned the Yorkshiremen. All the points came in the first half, with Leeds scoring a try through prop Mike MacDonald after eight minutes, Alberto Di Bernado adding the extras.

Worcester went in front with tries from Aleki Lutui and Miles Benjamin before a Di Benardo penalty levelled the scores. Leeds withstood a late push, but remain 14 points adrift .