Aviva Premiership weekend review: Is this shaping up to be the finest season ever?

Northampton 31 Bath 24
Last season's Premiership appeared to outstrip most but some of the rugby I have seen this season so far has been beguilingly brilliant. And this was yet another example as the clash of styles - Northampton's power and kicking game faced Bath's pace and craft methods - produced a cracker of a match.

Yes, there has been dross down at the bottom - London Welsh and Newcastle look like they will be fighting the first of two relegation battles a week on Saturday - but at the top there has been some scintillating stuff, not least because Leicester and Harlequins are currently off their usual perches in the top four.

At the moment the top three in the table are Saracens, Northampton and Bath. I know it is ridiculously early but that sounds about right now, doesn't it? Those three are by far the top three. Steve James

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

IS DEAN RICHARDS THE RIGHT COACH FOR NEWCASTLE?

Wasps 35 Newcastle 18
After their uninspiring defeat at Wasps, head coach Dean Richards said he had no concerns over his job security. It may well be true that the axe is not yet looming over the former England No 8 after he successfully kept his side up last season, but questions must be asked over how they are progressing.

They are without a win since October last year and avoided relegation less on their own merits and more because of the haplessness of Worcester. This season looks like being more of the same given London Welsh's travails so far, but rugby is an unpredictable game and an upturn in the fortunes of the Exiles could leave the Falcons in a very sticky situation.

The two sides meet in two weeks in a match that Newcastle should win to avoid relegation, but if that's the limit of their ambition then it represents a dramatic slide for a coach who was so highly decorated at Leicester and Harlequins. Dan Lucas

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FANS DEMAND IMPROVEMENT FROM QUINS

Exeter 36 Harlequins 13
Do you invest in flesh and bone, or bricks and mortar? It's a finely-balanced equation, whichever way you go at it. Harlequins paid a price for their investment in upgrading the Stoop a decade ago and were relegated. Since then they have been champions and the Stoop is a fine place to watch rugby.

On this showing, though, the fans will want to see significant improvement on what is on offer on the field. This is the second time this season that director of rugby, Conor O'Shea, has been left fuming about his side's ineptitude. Exeter did not have to play that well to rattle up such a scoreline. As O'Shea said: "The season can slip away from us very quickly if we don't react quickly."

Exeter have no such concerns. And that will be a relief to their board who have just spent £10million on an impressive refurbishment for Sandy Park ahead of next year's Rugby World Cup. This was only Exeter's second home win in the league in 2014. That's what you call timely.

Exeter is a club very much of its locale, proud of its roots. For some reason, though, the Chiefs have not been able to deliver at home. They will hope that this was a break-through moment, well-earned on the back of tries from man-of-the-match Thomas Waldrom, captain Jack Yeandle and the rapidly-developing young England centre, Henry Slade. Gareth Steenson directed operations well, sharing five penalty goals with Slade.

Exeter were purposeful, Harlequins error-strewn. The outcome was inevitable. Mick Cleary

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

HODGSON GIVES CIPRIANI A FLY-HALF MASTERCLASS

Saracens 40 Sale 19
Stuart Lancaster was absent from Allianz Park but no doubt he would have been keeping a close eye on events there, partcularly at No 10.

Danny Cipriani was hoping to press his claims for some heavy Twickenham action against the Southern Hemisphere giants this Autumn. Unfortunately, the Sale Sharks man, whose six-year international exile ended with a trip to New Zealand in June, failed to take advantage of injury concerns over Owen Farrell just a month before Lancaster names his squad.

He was subdued, unable to make any real impact in a game Saracens dominated from start to finish, and left a mere spectactor at times as Charlie Hodgson gave a fly-half master class.

Evergreen Hodgson, who, at 33 continues to thrive and impress in the twilight of his club playing career, displayed skill, intelligence and outstanding execution.

On this form, class act Hodgson would have easily added to his 38 caps during the two years he has been retired from international rugby, despite all the young half-back guns around right now.

He would also have been firmly in Lancaster's mind for the Autumn and Six Nations battles ahead this season, and possibly World Cup in a year's time. Especially with the distinct possibility that the likes of Farrell, George Ford, Stephen Myler and Cipriani may pick up injuries along the way. Gary Fitzgerald

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TIGERS FANS LET THE SIDE DOWN

Leicester 19 London Irish 22
One of the enjoyable aspects of visiting Welford Road is that Leicester remain an old-fashioned rugby club who uphold many of rugby's old-fashioned values.

The ground is usually packed, the home supporters are passionate and partisan but they are usually sporting and appreciative of good rugby by the opposition.

Above all there is usually respectful silence for opposition kickers but some Leicester supporters let themselves down with behaviour that would have been frowned on at the nearby football ground.

There was frustration with the performance of referee Greg Garner but that did not excuse the loud boos as Shane Geraghty stepped up to take the winning penalty or the abuse that was hurled at the referee as he left the pitch.

Attempts by Martin Ballard, the public address announcer, to stifle the boos went unheeded and it may be that Leicester have to take tougher action to prevent this becoming a regular occurrence. Paul Bolton