NORTHAMPTON SAINTS 8

BRISTOL RUGBY 14

Guinness Premiership round 14

Franklin's Gardens

Saturday, 27 January, 2007

With Bristol coming to Franklin's Gardens as league leaders a bonus point would have been welcome before kick-off. But following a proverbial game of two halves a solitary point seemed scant reward.

Rarely can Saints have played so well for 40 minutes and yet score only eight points. The home side dominated all facets of play throughout the first half, working their way over the line four times, although only one of these opportunities ended in a try for Ben Cohen - his 100th for the Saints.

Indeed the Saints should have taken the lead in the fifth minute. After a lively opening, Paul Diggin recovered a Jason Strange sliced clearance to run deep into Bristol territory. Soane Tonga'uiha - making his first GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP start - also made dents into the visitors' defence and eventually a kickable penalty was awarded. However Carlos Spencer pushed it wide and the match remained scoreless.

It remained so in the 11th minute following another Tonga'uiha charge. Dragged down just short of the line the big Tongan international nonetheless set up several fringe attacks and the TMO was called into action. A Mark Robinson knock-on was ruled but tomorrow's headlines will focus on the consequent scrum.

England hopeful Dan Ward-Smith picked up and was driven back over the line. He stayed down and was stretchered off. Saints had the scrum though and when Bristol came offside in midfield Spencer slotted the first three points of the evening. There was the added bonus of Brian Lima's yellow card for not rolling away; the first of five sinbinnings in a far from dirty match.

Strange missed a straightforward opportunity to level following the kick-off. Instead Diggin's kick ahead was dropped and Saints had another opportunity. Again they went over the line, again the TMO was called into action and again the hosts - this time Paul Tupai - were denied a try.

Tupai certainly looked on a mission and was held up again shortly after. But Saints' fantastic start was rewarded in the subsequent passage of play. The five-metre scrum, and several phases in midfield, created space on the left. Robbie Kydd fed Diggin, who in turn sent Cohen over for the try - with a trademark dive to boot.

Spencer missed the touchline conversion but the Gardens was rocking - although Bristol would have been relieved to have conceded only five points during Lima's absence.

Bristol did manage a short threatening spell in the last 10 minutes of the half, but this was repelled. Saints almost managed a final flourish, but Darren Fox's blindside charge ended in touch and the half-time score was Saints 8, Bristol 0.

The second half began in the worst possible fashion for the Saints. Though Spencer missed a long-range penalty it looked not to matter as Sean Lamont's run was turned into a four-on-one overlap on Saints' left. But Daniel Browne's popped pass was plucked by Lima, who evaded the despairing Cohen to score between the sticks.

It proved to be the game's turning point.

Strange added the conversion and Bristol had their tails up at 8-7. And two quick penalties saw them deep in Northampton territory. Both were kicked to touch and Bristol's pack went on the march. Saints also suffered a setback when Tonga'uiha was sent to the sin-bin for pulling the maul down.

Indeed the visitors were enjoying a near-constant stream of possession thanks to a succession of penalties and were only held out by a huge forward defensive effort. However when Gareth Llewellyn was sinbinned for punching in the 54th minute things looked to have evened up.

Strange missed a long-range penalty and when Tonga'uiha and Tupai (who had been replaced at a scrum) returned Saints still had a one-point lead with 20 minutes to go. But it was backs to the wall stuff as the second half had become the complete opposite of the first.

The forwards were having a massive game though and ended another Bristol attack by winning the ball on the deck. And some good interplay had the visitors on the rack with Strange being forced to clear from his dead-ball line.

This was a rare home attack however and Bristol were soon back on the offensive with another driving maul. This resulted in a third yellow card of the half for Christian Short. The visitors made full use of their advantage this time however and Alfie To'oala was driven over. Strange added his second conversion and Bristol were six points clear with nine minutes left.

Shaun Perry nearly ended the contest with a smart blindside run which again called the TMO into action. But Saints recovered for one last push for glory, aided by a series of penalties during which Sean Hohneck became the fifth player to see yellow. But there was not enough time to make those final last 22 metres, let alone cross the whitewash.

Teams:
Northampton Saints - Diggin: Lamont, Kydd, Quinlan (capt), Cohen; Spencer, Robinson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley (Richmond 79mins), Budgen, Damien Browne, Short, Tupai (Emms 52mins), Fox (Lewitt 64mins), Daniel Browne.

Bristol Rugby - Taumalolo; Lima, Brew, Higgitt, Lemi; Strange, Perry; Clarke (Hilton 64mins), Regan, Crompton, Winters, Llewellyn (Hohneck 64mins), Salter (capt), To'oala, Ward-Smith (Pennycook 14mins).

Scorers:
Northampton Saints - Try: Cohen; Pen: Spencer.

Bristol Rugby - Tries: Lima, To'oala; Cons: Strange (2).

Yellow card:
Lima (15mins)
Tonga'uiha (48mins)
Llewellyn (54mins)
Short (70mins)
Hohneck (80mins)

Guinness man of the match:
Alfie To'oala

Attendance:
12,876

TIMELINE:
15mins BRISTOL Yellow card Lima (Not rolling away)
16mins SAINTS Pen Spencer 3-0
25mins SAINTS Try Cohen 8-0
HALF-TIME SAINTS 8 BRISTOL 0
44mins BRISTOL Try Lima Con Strange 8-7
48mins SAINTS Yellow card Tonga'uiha (Pulling maul down)
54mins BRISTOL Yellow card Llewellyn (Punching)
70mins SAINTS Yellow card Short (Pulling maul down)
71mins BRISTOL Try To'oala Con Strange 8-14
80mins BRISTOL Yellow card Hohneck (Killing ball)
FULL-TIME SAINTS 8 BRISTOL 14