Bristol secured their first home victory of the season with a hard-fought bonus-point win against a significantly altered Northampton team.
Northampton started strong, with George Hendy and Josh Kemeny helping the Saints to establish a 15-0 lead within the first 20 minutes. However, Bristol responded with two quick tries from Kalaveti Ravouvou and Gabriel Ibitoye, closing the gap. Ravouvou’s second try on his initial start of the season allowed Bristol to take a slim lead, which was later extended by Joe Batley’s fourth try, putting the game out of reach for the visitors with 10 minutes remaining. James Ramm managed to score for Northampton with just a minute left, but it was too late for the Saints, who suffered their sixth consecutive away defeat in the Premiership.
This victory marks Bristol’s fourth straight win over Northampton and positions them 10 points ahead of their opponents at the top of the league before the weekend’s remaining matches. Northampton was without several international players, as coach Phil Dowson made 10 changes for this match. They still managed to capitalize on Bristol’s uncharacteristic errors during the first half.
With Fin Smith among five England players absent, debutant George Makepeace-Cubitt opened the scoring for Northampton with a penalty, as Bristol struggled to find their rhythm. The Saints quickly surged ahead, scoring two tries in a matter of minutes. Tom Pearson set up Hendy for the first try, and shortly after, Pearson assisted Kemeny for an easy score.
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