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Seven-try Bristol crush inexperienced Northampton side
Bristol reclaimed second place in the Gallagher Premiership after swamping Northampton 47-10 at Ashton Gate. The play-off hopefuls made short work of an inexperienced Saints side, moving clear through tries in the opening 20 minutes by hooker Harry Thacker, wing Alapati Leiua and scrum-half Andy Uren.
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Captain Callum Sheedy converted all three touch downs, although Bristol did not score again to claim the Premiership bonus point until midway through the second half when flanker Chris Vui scored.
But that try opened the floodgates as Sheedy converted and also added the extras to scores from centre Piers O’Conor and flanker Ben Earl before wing Luke Morahan crossed as Bristol moved three points above Sale on the Premiership table, with Sharks hosting Saracens on Wednesday.
The game moved to uncontested scrums in the 55th minute after Saints lost starting loosehead prop Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi and his replacement Nick Auterac through injuries, meaning they also went down to 14 men.
Substitute Josh Gillespie scored a try for Northampton, with James Grayson adding a conversion and penalty, but it was their fifth defeat from six Premiership games since the competition restarted last month.
Total rugby ??
It's far too easy for Bristol!
Rampant. pic.twitter.com/lEWlQ94jOf
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) September 8, 2020
Bristol centre Siale Piutau missed out due to suspension, so O’Conor switched from right-wing as his replacement and Morahan wore the No14 shirt. Northampton boss Chris Boyd, meanwhile, changed the entire starting line-up on duty against Exeter last time out, handing opportunities to the likes of 19-year-old full-back Tommy Freeman and scrum-half Tom James.
Bristol almost took a second-minute lead, but full-back Charles Piutau missed out by inches on a try following centre Semi Radradra’s cleverly placed kick. England head coach Eddie Jones and his assistants John Mitchell and Simon Amor looked on as both sides sought early supremacy, and Saints struck first when Grayson kicked a 35-metre penalty.
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Bristol were soon off and running, though, and they rocked Northampton by scoring two tries in five minutes. Thacker claimed the first, rounding off a driving maul, then Sheedy flicked possession on to an unmarked Leiua and he had a simple run-in following another attacking lineout.
Sheedy converted both tries, and much-changed Northampton were already up against it, trailing 14-3 after 15 minutes. It then got worse for Saints approaching the midway point of a one-sided half, with Earl making a searing midfield break before delivering a scoring pass to Uren.
It was all too easy as Sheedy’s conversion left Bristol one try short of a bonus point and Northampton wondering what they could do to stop their high-flying opponents. Thacker then wasted a gilt-edged chance by failing to pass when Radradra would have coasted over the line, but Saints were under relentless pressure as Bristol dominated in every department.
Northampton had to dig deep and they prevented Bristol from adding any further points before the break, yet trailed 21-3 at half-time. Saints spent the opening 15 minutes of the second-half camped inside Bristol’s 22, but they could not reduce the deficit and Bristol eventually moved away following a lengthy Sheedy touch-finder.
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The game moved to uncontested scrums due to Northampton’s front row injuries, yet Saints conjured a fine try for Premiership debutant Gillespie. Grayson converted to reward a dominant spell by the visitors, only for Bristol to finally release the shackles and set up Vui’s try that Sheedy converted from the touchline.
Bristol were now in top gear and Saints proved powerless to curb them as Earl and O’Conor added tries in rapid succession as they cut loose. Morahan then scored, completing a spell of four tries in nine minutes.
Northampton's form since their restart – five points from four matches – has seen them fall off the pace in the top four race
https://t.co/aJ2tSt4j3D— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 4, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks 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?
4 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.
4 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.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
13 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
13 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
4 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
13 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
12 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
13 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
13 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
13 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
13 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
45 Go to comments