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Northampton claim overdue win as Tommy Freeman and Dan Biggar down Bristol
Northampton ended a five-game Gallagher Premiership losing streak against Bristol by claiming an impressive 36-20 victory at Ashton Gate.
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It was Saints’ first win in the fixture since 2018 and halted Bristol’s minor recovery that had seen them claim back-to-back successes against London Irish and Worcester.
But while Bristol remain in the Premiership’s bottom three, Northampton comfortably retained a top-half place and they did it in bonus-point fashion.
Wing Tommy Freeman scored two tries, and there were also touchdowns for prop Paul Hill and full-back George Furbank, with Dan Biggar kicking four penalties and two conversions.
Bristol were level early in the second-half, but they then fell away after tries from hooker Jake Kerr and centre Alapati Leiua, while Biggar’s opposite number Callum Sheedy added two penalties and two conversions.
Bristol welcomed back lock Chris Vui as one of three changes following their last Premiership game, while there were also starts for Kerr and wing Henry Purdy.
International stars Biggar and Courtney Lawes were among a host of players returning for Northampton following the Autumn Nations Series, with Lawes back in club colours after captaining England to victories over Australia and South Africa at Twickenham.
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Bristol blasted out of the blocks and were ahead after just four minutes when they relentlessly drove a close-range lineout and Kerr claimed the touchdown, with Sheedy converting.
Biggar landed a penalty three minutes later that opened Northampton’s account, and there was refreshing intent from both teams to move possession wide at pace.
Biggar’s strike helped Northampton gained a foothold in the contest, before his second successful penalty ended an enterprising opening quarter that Bristol shaded by a point.
A Sheedy penalty took Bristol into double figures, yet Northampton continued creating on the back of impressive work by half-backs Biggar and Alex Mitchell and they drew level seven minutes before the break.
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Bristol were asked questions of their defence, and Saints simply punched one hole too many as Hill crashed over from close range before Biggar’s conversion tied things up.
“A golden try would be amazing for this league”
– With London Irish the draw specialists of English rugby, Curtis Rona suggested a solution that @heagneyl ??? has now asked Declan Kidney about#LondonIrish #HARvLIR #GallagherPrem
https://t.co/jtDFGj4a59— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 26, 2021
And the visitors then struck from their next attack as Freeman sprinted over from 30 metres out, making the most of poor tackling, before another Biggar conversion made it 20-13 approaching half-time.
It was a quickfire double setback for Bristol, yet they still had a chance to score before the break after Biggar’s try-line drop-out went straight into touch and handed the home side a five-metre scrum.
But the Northampton forwards responded by shunting Bristol backwards and gained a penalty that Biggar booted into touch.
Bristol, though, had to wait barely three minutes of the second period to draw level, and they did so following a flowing move that ended with Leiua and wing Toby Fricker linking impressively before Leiua touched down.
Sheedy’s conversion made it 20-20, only for Biggar to restore Saints’ lead through a 54th-minute penalty as Northampton’s dominant scrum grew increasingly influential.
And it was an imposing scrum that gave the visitors a rock-solid attacking platform from which Mitchell darted clear and found Freeman, who finished impressively as Saints secured an eight-point advantage with 20 minutes left.
Bristol looked ragged, and Northampton punished them again as more impressive approach play resulted in a bonus-point touchdown for Furbank.
Saints then had a try for outstanding captain Lewis Ludlam disallowed but they were already home and dry before Biggar’s late penalty, underlining claims as genuine play-off contenders and leaving Bristol to reflect on a frustrating night.
Comments on RugbyPass
An on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
10 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
1 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusades , you can keep going.
1 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
24 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
24 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to commentsGood to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
24 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
9 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
24 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
10 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
10 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
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