Bath climbed into the Premiership top four for the first time this season as they powered their way to victory at rain-lashed, windswept Worcester.

After tries from visiting forwards Zach Mercer, skipper Francois Louw and Josh McNally, Bath failed with a late bid for a try bonus point.

But they could have lost it when Chris Pennell's penalty drifted just wide.

Cornell du Preez scored Warriors' first-half try before winger Nick David added another.

David's try came in the left corner on his Premiership debut, with 12 minutes still to go.

But Duncan Weir was off target from the touchline, before Pennell then just missed from around 55 metres with an added-time penalty - the last kick of the game.

Scotland stand-off Weir was successful with only four kicks at goal from nine attempts - admittedly on a day very much not made for kickers.

Battening down the hatches

Storm Dennis was already settling in long before kick-off at Sixways and, although playing on an all-weather surface ensured that the game would at least go ahead, it was always likely that the wind and rain would play a big part.

As it was, aside from the difficulties facing the kickers, both handled the increasingly extreme weather conditions well in what proved a far more entertaining contest than expected.

And it was Bath who made the storming start when number eight Mercer went over inside 90 seconds.

Rhys Priestland converted, then added a penalty after Weir had kicked the second of his two penalty attempts. And when Du Preez bullocked his way over and Weir converted, it was 10-10 after 13 minutes.

Weir's second penalty gave Worcester a 13-10 half-time lead, although Bath prop Beno Obano was so close just before the break when he knocked on as he tried to snake out an arm to touch down.

After Weir's next penalty attempt was visibly thwarted by the wind, Warriors hoped to have the advantage of the elements at their back after the break, but instead it was Bath who took over the contest.

Graham Kitchener seemed unfortunate to be sent to the bin for knocking the ball out of Bath scrum-half Will Chudley's grip, but Bath quickly cashed in on numbers when Louw went over.

And, after Priestland added the extras and Weir missed another penalty, Bath extended their lead to two scores.

McNally finally ended a 10-minute bout of sustained pressure to score in the right corner.

Priestland missed the kick, the day's only off-target effort by the former Wales stand-off, but that 22-13 lead then got whittled, first by Weir's penalty from 45 yards.

Weir then missed another penalty shot before David went in at the corner.

But Weir missed the tough touchline kick and Pennell failed with that even tougher long shot - and that meant Warriors, also beaten narrowly by Wasps going into the three-week break, having to settle for a losing bonus-point defeat for the second home game running.

Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons told BBC Sport:

"In fairness to the kickers, the conditions were very difficult. The wind was swirling like crazy.

"Chris Pennell has done it before. He has had a big kick here to win us the game and he obviously had the confidence to think he could win us this game too.

"We'd had a kick to touch just before and given away a penalty, so it was understandable that the players decided, rather than risk that again, they'd have a shot at goal.

"The margins are fine in the Premiership and, at the moment, we are just falling on the wrong line of those margins. But, if you keep at it, eventually the wheel will turn."

Bath boss Stuart Hooper on Zach Mercer:

"I thought he was exceptional. He didn't just get through the 80 minutes, I thought he was consistently dominant with his ball-carry, and he was consistent in his collision-dominance.

"He has worked unbelievably hard. I know people always say that, but he has been out for three months, so for him to come back on a very fast surface and get through 80 minutes is a credit to him and the work he has put in."

Worcester: Pennell; Van Breda, Lawrence, Venter, David; Weir, Hougaard; Waller, Moulds (capt), Schonert, Brelser, Kitchener, Hill, Mama, Du Preez

Replacements: Taufete'e, Bower, Palframan, Kitchener, Lewis, Heaney, Lance, Mills

Bath: Homer; Rokoduguni, Willison, Matavesi, McConnochie; Priestland, Chudley; Obano, Dunn, Judge, McNally, Stooke, Ellis, Louw (capt), Mercer

Replacements: Walker, Boyce, Nixon, Williams, Faletau, Cook, Burns, Wright

Referee: Christophe Ridley

London Irish recorded back-to-back away Premiership wins for the first time since September 2014 with a fine bonus-point victory at Harlequins.

With the wind behind them the visitors built a 17-3 half-time lead, Curtis Rona and Matt Rogerson scoring tries.

Quins moved to within seven when Alex Dombrandt crashed over but Rona charged down a kick to score another for Irish.

A Cadan Murley try gave the hosts hope before Ollie Hoskins grabbed a deserved fourth score for Declan Kidney's side.

Irish's first successive Premiership triumphs this season see them rise to eighth in the table, level on points with Harlequins but below them on points difference.

Their two first-half tries both came down the right-hand side, Rogerson cutting inside to slide over and Rona diving under the posts after a break from Ben Meehan.

Ross Chisholm had a score ruled out for obstruction as Quins toiled, and they were unable to turn the tables after the break despite having the wind with them.

A comeback looked on when Dombrandt took a short ball on the run and burst over but Brett Herron saw his kick charged down by Rona which restored Irish's buffer.

The impressive Dombrandt teed up Murley to score in the corner before Hoskins had the last word for Irish from a rolling maul to cap a great second-half display against the elements.

London Irish assistant coach George Skivington:

"Ben Donnell was outstanding. He was called in late with Blair [Cowan] ill and has stepped up as if he was in the team all week. That hard graft, you can't put that in people it is just the way they are wired.

"We have got a couple of lads that have never played in the Prem, I don't think they appreciate how hard it is to go and win at these places.

"Those of us who have been in the league a long time, we understand. As the season goes on, we will see how important these wins are, we will keep chipping away and try and get a few more."

Harlequin head coach Paul Gustard:

"We are struggling with injuries, we had Niall Saunders - a young scrum-half - covering our wing because we have no one else. We have 10 fit backs, and they are all out there, people playing out of position as well," he said.

"We didn't get anywhere and that is testament to the team that Declan [Kidney] has built.

"He has got a lot of international experience there, 300 tier-one international caps and some of that expertise and nous probably showed at times in wet weather. We have to learn to play in those conditions better."

Harlequins: Morris; R Chisholm, Murley, Lasike, Ibitoye; Smith, Ladajo; Garcia Botta, Gray, Collier, Young, Symons, J Chisholm (capt), Evans, Dombrandt.

Replacements: Baldwin, Lambert, Kerrod, Cavubati, Kunatani, Care, Herron, Saunders.

London Irish: Loader; Naholo, Rona, Hepetema, Hassell-Collins; Myler, Meehan; Elrington, Porecki, Kepu, Van der Merwe (capt), Coleman, Rogerson, Donnell, Tuisue.

Replacements: Atkins, Dell, Hoskins, Mafi, Ioane, Phipps, Williams, Stokes.

Referee: JP Doyle (RFU).

Ospreys fly-half Luke Price kicked a 76th-minute winning penalty to end a four-month losing sequence for the Welsh region with victory over Ulster.

Price kicked 11 points to complement two tries from hooker Scott Otten and a further score from returning Wales centre Owen Watkin.

Ulster responded with tries from wing Robert Baloucoune, full-back Matt Faddes and centre Stuart McCloskey.

In terrible conditions in Swansea, Ospreys broke a 13-match losing run.

More to follow...

Ospreys: C Evans; Dirksen, O Watkin, K Williams, L Morgan, L Price, A Davies; N Smith, Otten, S Gardiner, A Beard, B Davies, D Lydiate (capt), O Cracknell, G Evans.

Replacements: S Parry, G Thomas, G Gajion, L Ashley, S Cross, S Venter, T Thomas-Wheeler, J Hook.

Ulster: M Faddes; R Baloucoune, L Marshall, S McCloskey, L Ludik; B Burns, D Shanahan; E O'Sullivan, A McBurney, M Moore, A O'Connor (capt), K Treadwell, M Rea, S Reidy, M Coetzee.

Replacements: J Andrew, J McGrath, T O'Toole, D O'Connor, J Murphy, J Stewart, B Johnston, C Gilroy.

Referee: Marius Mitrea (FIR)

Assistants: Nigel Owens (WRU), & Manuel Bottino (FIR)

TMO: Alan Falzone (FIR)

Edinburgh battled to the top of Pro14 Conference B with a 14-9 win over Scarlets at storm-hit Parc y Scarlets.

Tries from Duhan van der Merwe and Matt Scott, both converted by Jaco van der Walt, saw clinical Edinburgh lead 14-6 at the break.

Scarlets completely dominated second-half territory, but could only manage a third Dan Jones penalty.

Edinburgh's defence stood firm in the wind and rain of Storm Dennis, Bill Mata earning man-of-the-match.

Edinburgh had six players back from the Scotland Six Nations squad to the Scarlets' two from Wales, while experienced prop Samson Lee was a late withdrawal from the home ranks with a calf problem.

The visitors struck in their first real attack after six minutes as Nick Haining made ground from a home clearance and van der Merwe took advantage of some poor tackling to charge over for his sixth league try of the season, Jaco van der Walt converting.

Scarlets enjoyed plenty of pressure, but could only muster two Dan Jones penalties for all their efforts as Edinburgh stole a series of line-outs.

The Scottish side then struck again late in the half as van der Merwe came off his wing from a scrum to slice clean through for Scott to score, van der Walt's kick making it 14-6 at the break.

The second period was virtually one-way traffic as Scarlets battered away in vain in the wind and rain, with open rugby impossible and the forwards unable to make their pressure count.

Jones' third penalty after 48 minutes ended the scoring as Edinburgh stood firm, though they lost replacement lock Fraser McKenzie to a serious-looking shoulder injury.

That saw ex-Scarlet John Barclay come on to help frustrate his former team-mates.

Scarlets coach Brad Mooar told BBC Sport Wales:

"I'm really proud of the guys in horrendous conditions, as bad as they've ever played in with the wind swirling around.

"I don't think we could have played the game much better or different. Tactically we got it right, but we couldn't execute and Edinburgh took their opportunities for two tries which they didn't have to work really hard for.

"We kept going back to the well, but we couldn't get a drink. The bonus point could be really significant."

Edinburgh coach Richard Cockerill told BBC Sport Wales:

"In the second half we just didn't have the ball, when we did we coughed it up in our own 22, but the defensive display across the board was very good.

"We spoke all week about making it work in the weather conditions, we were on the back fields at Murrayfield training in the wind and rain.

"Everyone was saying 'it's impossible', but it might be impossible on a Saturday so you have to dig in and see where you get to. It wasn't pretty and we were a bit lucky at times."

Scarlets: O'Brien; Conbeer, Fonotia, S Hughes (capt), S Evans; D Jones, Hardy; P Price, T Davies, Kruger , Rawlins, Lousi, A Shingler, Macleod, Cassiem.

Replacements: Booth, R Evans, Sebastian, Ratuva, D Davis, Blacker, Asquith, Cummins.

Edinburgh: Hoyland; Sau, Bennett, Scott, D van der Merwe; J van der Walt, Pyrgos (capt); Schoeman, Cherry, WP Nel, Carmichael, Gilchrist, Haining, Crosbie, Mata.

Replacements: Willemse, Bhatti, Ceccarelli, McKenzie, Barclay, Groom, Hickey, G Taylor.

Referee: Frank Murphy (IRFU)

Assistants: Dan Jones (WRU) & Eddie Hogan O'Connell (IRFU)

TMO: Simon McDowell (IRFU).

Relegated Saracens showed they will still be a force this season with a four-try win over third-placed Sale.

The Sharks beat Sarries last week to reach the final of the Premiership Rugby Cup, but were undone inside a minute when Rhys Carre crashed over.

Byron McGuigan gave Sale hope with a try at the end of the first half.

Rotimi Segun, Nick Isiekwe and Richard Barrington added second-half tries for the bonus, with Dan du Preez and Rob du Preez scoring late on for Sale.

Saracens were the more controlled and clinical at a blustery Allianz Park, while Sale were made to pay for a series of errors and indiscipline, mostly avoidable.

Carre scored the early try after an error on their own lineout from Sale, while the visitors were made to pay for a moment of indiscipline at the start of the second half.

After Segun was released to score in the corner, McGuigan was penalised for sliding in late and Manu Vunipola kicked a restart penalty after his successful conversion.

As well as the bonus point, Sarries' four tries also contributed £4,000 to the charity pot for Worcester forward Michael Fatialofa, who suffered a serious spinal injury in the Premiership loss to Sarries on 4 January.

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall:

"We're chuffed with the way we played, and the unity and togetherness that we showed.

"It was difficult conditions and Sale chose to play with the wind in the first half. We needed to roll our sleeves up and we did that. Our half-backs were fantastic in the first half, Tom Whiteley in particular, the way he kicked into that breeze.

"We were good value at 14-3, but they got a good try. One mistake by one person and it's 14-10. I thought the response to that in the second half was great."

Sale director of rugby Steve Diamond:

"We come from Manchester, it pours it down every day. We trained with the wind all week, but it was just a bit more experience in their team to put us to the sword in that first half.

"Fair play to Saracens, their strength in depth runs deep. Players come in and stay in structure, and they did that really well.

"I think we've been playing well over the past six weeks, we just didn't play [today], we didn't get past one phase. I'm a little bit disappointed with that."

Saracens: Goode; Segun, Lozowski, Barritt (capt), Lewington; Manu Vunipola, Whiteley; Carre, Woolstencroft, Koch, Kpoku, Hunter-Hill, Isiekwe, Clark, Wray.

Replacements: Singleton, Barrington, Ibuanokpe, Christie, Reffell, Spencer, Taylor, Crossdale.

Sale: Hammersley; Ashton, S James, Van Rensburg, McGuigan; R du Preez, Cliff; Harrison, Webber, John, Evans, J-L du Preez, Ross (capt), B Curry, D du Preez.

Replacements: Van der Merwe, Oosthuizen, Cooper-Woolley, Phillips, Wilson, Warr, L James, Solomona.

Referee: Wayne Barnes (RFU).