Saracens beat Sale 24-23 after a week which Eddie Jones had described as his "worst ever" in rugby and with players in tears after 18 of them had been told they were being axed by the club at the end of the season.

Jones is being replaced by Brendan Venter as director of rugby this summer and the South African delivered the bad news last week, leaving the Australian to pick up the pieces.

Jones said: "I've never seen anything like it. Some of the guys have been in tears all week and there has also been a meeting with lawyers. I am disappointed. I brought my family here and I wanted to build a strong club, the best in Europe.

"There's never a right time for this. The impact of culling so many of your best players has a massive effect. But I've told the players I am fighting their corner and my job is to leave the club in the best shape I can. I guarantee I will."

Wing Ugo Monye, currently being ignored by England, scored the late try to help Harlequins defeat Bristol 17-14. London Irish picked up two losing bonus points as they went down 31-28 against Leicester and London Wasps lost 13-12 at Worcester.