Exeter hammers Bath to go eight points clear
Exeter Chiefs ran riot in the first half at Sandy Park to set up an emphatic win, while Wasps and Gloucester also claimed victories.
Rampant leader Exeter Chiefs extended its winning run to nine matches with a 42-29 defeat of Bath and Kearnan Myall's try right at the end snatched a dramatic 32-25 victory for Wasps over Leicester Tigers.
Exeter edged a top-of-the-table clash with Saracens last weekend and the defending champion maintained its outstanding form by running in six tries to see off Todd Blackadder's men at Sandy Park and go eight points clear.
The Chiefs blew Bath away in the first half, Luke Cowan-Dickie, James Short, Mitch Lees and Don Armand going over to give them a 28-3 lead at the break.
Barnstorming number eight Thomas Waldrom added a fifth try as Exeter ran riot and Gareth Steenson added another, the five-eighth converting his own score to take his tally for the afternoon to 17 points.
Bath was soundly beaten in the absence of Taulupe Faletau and Sam Underhill, but showed character to salvage a losing bonus point, England duo Jonathan Joseph and Anthony Watson crossing before Aled Brew and Matt Banahan touched down in the closing stages.
Wasps have now won four Premiership games in a row but there was a sense of deja vu for the Tigers as they were beaten right at the death at Ricoh Arena once again, the hosts moving above them and into fifth spot.
Josh Bassett scored a last-minute try to give Dai Young's side a semi-final win over Leicester last season and this time it was Myall who burst his way over for the decisive try.
A quick-fire second-half double from Tigers wing Jonah Holmes, replacing the injured Jonny May, on his Premiership debut against his former club put the visitors in front and George Ford's penalty made it 25-25 after an Elliot Daly try but Myall had the final say.
In-form Gloucester moved into second place after hammering bottom side London Irish 39-15, Billy Burns claiming a double as the Exiles endured another miserable outing and were a man down for the second half after David Paice's red card for a tackle on Willi Heinz off the ball.