Starting Lineup
Subs
Opposition Lineup
15
Richard Lane
14
Noah Heward
13
Virimi Vakatawa
12
Benhard Janse van Rensburg
11
Gabriel Ibitoye
10
Callum Sheedy
9
Harry Randall
1
Jake Woolmore
2
Harry Thacker
3
Max Lahiff
4
James Dun
5
Joe Batley
6
Fitz Harding
7
Daniel Thomas
8
Magnus Bradbury
Subs
16
Will Capon
17
Sam Grahamslaw
18
George Kloska
19
Josh Caulfield
20
Jake Heenan
21
Kieron Marmion
22
James Williams
23
Piers O'Conor
| pos | team | team name | pld | w | d | l | f | a | diff | tf | ta | tb | lb | pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |  | Northampton SaintsNOR | 16 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 453 | 410 | 43 | 60 | 53 | 9 | 2 | 55 |
4 | | Bristol BearsBRI | 16 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 523 | 378 | 145 | 72 | 53 | 7 | 2 | 49 |
Full Time
Northampton Saints
27
Bristol Bears
33
Saints throw everything at it in the final passages of the game with a series of carries in the 22 but cannot unlock the Bristol defence, and the final attack ends with a knock on, bringing the game to an end. Saints take two bonus points from the 33-27 home defeat.
78
Saints win a penalty! But the kick to touch is kept in by Ibitoye. Saints have it on halfway.
Lockett replaces Graham.
77
Williams pushes the penalty wide. Play restarts with a 22.
76
Bristol are awarded a penalty on the Saints 22, tight to the left touchline.
Smith...
... kicks a penalty over from in front of the posts. Saints trail by six with seven minutes remaining.
71
The TMO steps in and rules it wasn't a forward pass, so it's Saints scrum, 25 metres out.
71
Grayson is on for Ramm.
70
Penalty to Saints after Smith is hit from behind by Thomas after the ball was gone. Smith kicks to 25 metres out but a neat bit of interplay ends as an Alex Waller pass is ruled forward...
67
A third penalty in succession goes Saints way and Smith, from a kickable position, goes for the corner. Graham returns to the field, so Saints have 15 men and a lineout six metres out.
McParland is on for James.
65
Huge turnover from Alex Waller as Thacker attempts a dart from his own lineout throw. Smith kicks Saints up to half way.
63
An offload doesn't go to hand and Sheedy kicks brilliantly deep into the Saints 22 where Seabrook does well to scamper back and muscle away from the goalline. James clears to touch and from the lineout, Bristol work the ball infield but knock on from the base of a ruck, seven metres from the Saints line.
59
Sheedy puts the conversion wide, Bristol lead by nine.
Try Bristol
The rolling maul takes a while to get going but extra resources are added and it is driven to the line where Thacker grounds beneath a pile of bodies.
Deliberate knock on from Graham sees the Saints skipper sent to the sin bin. Sheedy kicks Bristol to five metres out.
Munga is on for Moon.
Garside is on for Freeman
Bristol win a penalty almost immediately from the kick off and Sheedy sends it through the posts from 45 metres out.
All change in the Saints front row as Smith, Alex Waller and Millar-Mills are on for Ethan Waller, Langdon and Davison.
Sheedy adds the conversion, Bristol lead by a point.
Try Bristol
Saints stop the driving maul but Bristol remain patient as Lahiff rolls out of a couple of goalline tackles to cross the line.
47
Play will restart with a scrum, Freeman is up and in the defensive line. The scrum penalty goes to Bristol who kick to eight metres out.
47
There's a worry for Saints as play stops with Freeman in some discomfort after he helped bring down Ibitoye.
44
O'Conor is isolated in the tackle and Saints win a penalty. Smith kicks to the Bristol ten-metre line but Langdon's throw is not straight. Scrum Bristol.
42
Smith misses the conversion, Saints lead by six.
SAINTS TRY!!!
Smith pounces and scoops up a loose ball, he grubbers ahead while being tackle and it's weighted perfectly for Freeman to race on, kick ahead and ground. What a try!
Sheedy gets the second half underway, there's no half-time changes.
Half-time: Saints 19-18 Bears
Saints tries: Seabrook (2), Pearson
Saints cons: Smith (2)
Bristol tries: Bradbury (2)
Bristol pens: Smith (2)
Bristol cons: Smith
Sheedy converts the try to cut Saints' lead to one at the break.
Try Bristol
Bears pounce with the last play of the half as Randall makes a half break and the forwards rap around, with Bradbury finishing well reaching around for the line after initially being stopped just short.
40
Bristol burst through a gap as Thomas advances into the 22. We're back for a penalty though and Sheedy kicks to 15 metres out. We're in first-half stoppage time.
Sheedy kicks three points from the tee.
38
Bristol are awarded a penalty bang in front of the posts after Saints are guilty of tackling the man without the ball. Sheedy is having a go at goal.
35
Vakatawa is off after going down a few times with injury, O'Conor is on. Freeman is unlucky as a booming kick forward bounces off the end of the pitch. Bristol scrum, ten metres in from the left touchline, 30 metres out.
31
Randall kicks brilliantly into the Saints 22, but the ball is retained by Saints and James clears to 25 metres out.
29
The scrum penalty goes to Saints, presenting Smith with. achance to clear his side up to near their own ten-metre line.
28
Ramm produces a fine tackle on Vakatawa as a grubber through bounces kindly for the France centre. Play will restart with a Saints scrum, inside their own 22, five metres in from the left touchline.
27
Saints break the line once more as Scott-Young storms into the 22, however, with number outside, the ball goes wide but the pass is forward. Bristol clear from deep.
24
Smith pushes the conversion wide.
TRY SAINTS!!!
Saints immediately make the extra man pay as James teases a pass out in front of Pearson, teasing the intercept, but the flanker pulls in the ball and glides in untouched on a diagonal run to the line!
Ibitoye sees yellow and leaves the field for ten minutes.
22
TMO check. Ibitoye races out of the line with a one-handed interception attempt as Saints attack on the Bristol ten-metre line down the short side.
20
James delivers a brilliant kick from just outside his own 22 to just outside the Bristol 22, a superb touchfinder from the Saints scrum-half.
Sheedy makes no mistake from the tee this time, reducing Bristol's deficit to six.
16
The kick-off is fumbled and from the scrum, Bristol drive well and win a penalty. Captain Harding points to the posts.
Smith...
... picks up the tee immediately after striking the ball from the left touchline, the flags go up and Saints are nine points up!
TRY SAINTS!!!
Seabrook at the double, and this one is a beauty! Ramm offloads beautifully with his left arm to the winger who uses brilliant footwork to bamboozle the Bristol defence and go over in the left corner for his second try in the opening 15 minutes!
13
Sheedy strikes a post with the conversion, so Saints lead by two.
Try Bristol
Coles nearly gets to the lineout ball but Bristol retain it. Vakatawa takes the ball up to under the posts, where he freed up his arms and passes to Bradbury on the pivot who angles a run to the line.
11
Saints are penalised for not rolling away, Sheedy kicks to five metres out. Thacker to throw in.
10
Saints are penalised for coming into the side of a ruck, Sheedy boots Bristol down into the 22 for a lineout.
7
A promising Saints break through Ramm and Seabrook gets the hosts into the 22, but Bristol pounce on a breakdown and win a penalty for holding on. Sheedy will clear to touch after an injury stoppage.
Smith...
... confidently knocks over a touchline conversion!
TRY SAINTS!!!
Saints are off to a flying start! The forwards truck the ball up well before Coles flicks it out the back, Smith, Freeman and Ramm work the ball wide for Seabrook to leap over in the left corner!
2
Smith kicks a penalty to the corner, the lineout works well and Graham peels off, and is tackled five metres from the Bristol line.
1
Late change
George Hendy was selected in the starting line-up but was injured in the warm-up, so Tom Litchfield comes into the XV. Jake Garside comes onto the bench.
Smith gets Saints' first home game of the Gallagher Premiership season underway!