Bristol secured their first home victory of the season with a hard-fought bonus-point win over a significantly altered Northampton side. The match saw Bristol triumph 31-23 against the Saints.
Northampton jumped to an early 15-0 lead within the first 20 minutes, thanks to tries from George Hendy and Josh Kemeny. However, Bristol quickly responded with two tries from Kalaveti Ravouvou and Gabriel Ibitoye, reducing the deficit. Ravouvou’s second touchdown put Bristol narrowly ahead, and Joe Batley added a fourth try with just 10 minutes remaining, sealing the win for Bristol.
Despite a late try from James Ramm, which came just a minute before the final whistle, the Saints could not overcome the deficit, marking their sixth successive Premiership loss away from home. This victory also marked Bristol’s fourth consecutive win over Northampton, and they moved 10 points clear of them at the top of the table before the weekend’s remaining matches.
Saints were without many of their international players, as coach Phil Dowson made 10 changes for this match. Despite their missing stars, the Saints capitalized on Bristol’s errors to open the scoring through debutant George Makepeace-Cubitt with a penalty. They extended their lead with two quick tries as well, showing they could be a threat despite the changes in their lineup.
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