Northampton Saints vs Bristol Bears

Bristol maul at the lineout and have the advantage coming. Crane breaks off and gets close but Saints defence holds for now.

A bit of a mess but Bristol keep possession. Wood looks to have broken but the referee blows for a penalty to Bristol. Madigan sends it into the corner. 

Davies, Furbank and Kellaway get play back up to halfway but Saints knock on there and Bristol play on.

Worley - who took a large knock in the build up - comes off for a HIA with Burrell taking his place.

Bristol keep the ball odd the scrum but knock on just after. Scrum Saints.

Craig leaves for a blood injury and Barrow returns to the field.

Saints come forwards but just knock on. Bristol play on with the advantage but as Haywood and Craig clash heads we pause. 

Penalty Bristol at the breakdown and Stirzaker takes it quickly. Saints' defence holds them at the 22 but a clever chip goes over...

Garside takes his leave with Higgins coming on to become Saint #2003.

Saints attacking again from the lineout and make their way up to Bristol's five metre...

Furbank chips over the top and though Bristol get there, the wing slides into touch and Saints will have the lineout.

Saints steal the ball at the lineout though and come forwards again.

Bristol earn a penalty at the lineout though and clear. Lineout Bristol outside Saints' 22. 

Saints maul forwards off the lineout and have another penalty advantage coming. They charge forwards and Davis is over the line but is deemed to be held up. We come back for the penalty and Saints choose the lineout.

Eventually we come back for the advantage and Furbank sends it into the corner.

Saints come forwards off the lineout and have the advantage coming too.

Haywood, Onojaife and Strachan - who comes Saint #2002 - enter play with Marshall, Ludlam and Burrell making way.

Eadie and Davies team up off the scrum, with Burrell and Dingwall doing the same after that. Furbank sends a grubber through but Bristol just get there first. Stirzaker clears and Saints will have the lineout.

Davies boxes long off the restart and Bristol come forwards. Barrow turns over there and though Bristol get it back they knock on. Scrum Saints.

Craig and Kellaway enter play as we restart with Grayson and Barrow making way.

Saints are pushing hard again...

Bristol take the restart but Ludlam steals at the breakdown and Saints play on.

Free kick Bristol at the lineout and they take it quickly. The away side look to come wide before Lloyd races down the left. He's nearly in but Furbank does brilliantly to keep him out. Bristol are close though...

Davies clears and Sleightholme chases to make the tackle but Bristol earn the penalty there. Madigan clears to touch. 

Good scrum from Saints, who pressure their guests well. Bristol go to clear but the kick is charged down. The away side hold onto possession but Saints are pressuring well here. Stirzaker chips over and Furbank is there.

Davis and Davies replace van Wyk and Mitchell to become Saints #2000 and #2001 respectively.

Madigan chips over and Sleightholme is there. He drinks through a couple before he's taken. Grayson clears but it goes dead. We come back for the scrum. 

Mitchell clears the restart and Bristol play on. 

Bristol get the ball away but Eadie turns over and Saints are within inches again. 

Armstrong replaces Thomas as we set the scrum.

Barrow is up for the lineout and Burrell sets Dingwall free through the middle. The centre's offload to Mitchell just comes forwards though. Bristol play on and send looping pass wide but Sleightholme gets a hand to it. The wing knocks on though and Bristol will have the scrum.

Stirzaker clears off the scrum and Saints will have the lineout outside Bristol's 22. 

Eadie feeds Mitchell off the scrum but his offload to Dingwall comes forwards off the centre. Scrum Bristol.

Penalty Saints at the scrum and the home side opt for the scrum again.

HIA for Heenan and Dun takes his place for Bristol.

Advantage coming as Bristol are penalised for being offside and eventually come back for it. Saints opt for the scrum. 

Sleightholme is away down the left and makes it up to the five metre before he's taken down. Wood nearly gets over the line before the phase play begins. 

Sleightholme takes the restart but Grayson clears well. Bristol take the high ball but knock on in contact and Saints will have the scrum.

Madigan gets things restarted here at the Gardens.

Moon is up for the lineout and Saints come forwards...

The clock is red here but we just have time for the lineout. It's scrappy from Saints but they earn a penalty just afterwards. Grayson sends it to the corner again. Lineout Saints on the five metre.

Solid from Saints at the scrum and Bristol look to come wide. Perkins breaks for the away side to get them to halfway but Saints scramble back in defence. The penalty comes to Saints though as Bristol are penalised for being offside. Grayson sends it into touch. Lineout Saints on Bristol's 22. 

Bristol are forced to clear but Saints just knock on the high ball. Scrum Bristol

Grayson chips through into space but the ball goes dead and Madigan has the 22 drop. Furbank is there to take it and he sends the ball high before taking down his opposite man. Bristol still have the ball though and push to get out of their own 22. 

Moon up for the lineout but the ball comes loose in the midfield. Bristol collect but knock on just after and Saints play on. 

Bristol clear off the scrum and Saints will have the lineout just outside the away 22. 

Burrell offloads and Dingwall bursts through the middle off the scrum and is nearly up to Bristol's 22 on his own. It goes through Eadie and Ludlam before Grayson gets up to the line. But the fly half just knocks on over the line. Scrum Bristol on their five metre.

Bristol come forwards off the scrum but knock on and Saints will have the put in this time. 

Pisi barrels through the middle but Burrell puts in a huge hit to slow things. But the ball is deemed to have come forwards off the Saints centre and Bristol will have the scrum.

Bristol earn a penalty at the restart and send it into the corner but Saints get up to steal the lineout and Mitchell clears well. Lineout Bristol up near halfway this time.

Free kick Saints and Eadie takes it quickly. Saints are close...

Worley gets the restart again and Saints clear. Grayson gets in the air for the ball and comes away with it. Teaming up with Worley he races forwards before chipping through. Bristol just get there first but ground the ball over the try line. Scrum Saints then.

Eadie feeds Mitchell off the top of the lineout and Burrell trucks it up the middle. Sleightholme drinks through several defenders before Furbank has a go. Penalty advantage coming for Saints and we come back for it. Points says Grayson.

Barrow gets up to disrupt but Bristol manage to keep possession. Madigan clears but its straight out and Saints will have the lineout just outside Bristol's 22.

Worley takes the restart again and Mitchell boxes. Grayson is there in chase and he tackles his Bristol counterpart hard. The away side keep the ball for a time before Saints work the turnover. Dingwall chips through for Sleightholme to chase but Bristol just get there first. And the away side earn a penalty there too. Madigan sends it to touch.

Good pressure from Sleightholme at the restart holds Bristol deep and the forwards get over the ball for the penalty. Grayson points for the posts.

... sends the conversion wide though and we'll restart.

Bristol looks to maul from the lineout and eventually get it going...

Bristol maul but it's going sideways. They have the advantage coming and eventually we come back for it. Madigan sends it into the corner again.

Bristol keep looking for space and have the advantage coming which we eventually come back for. Madigan sends it into the corner.

Bristol steal the lineout and try to come wide. They lose momentum as their centre Below slips in the wet but keep possession and work back up to the 22.

Skipper Wood is up for the lineout and Saints maul forwards before Mitchell clears. Bristol are there and come forwards but are pushed into touch on the halfway line. Lineout Saints there.

Madigan clears after good pressure from the home side and Saints have the lineout just outside their own 22.

Grayson clears the restart well and Bristol have a lineout back at halfway.

Grayson, again, sends the touchline conversion just wide and Madigan restarts once more. 

Despite some pressure from the away side, Saints keep possession at the restart. Mitchell boxes and Bristol just get there first. Good pressure from Saints forces the error from Bristol and Saints have the advantage. Grayson sends the kick through and Saints come forwards to pressure. Charging down Bristol's first clearing kick, the repeat it and have the ball close to the line...

The fly half can't quite get the touchline conversion over from his own score and Madigan gets us restarted in the middle.

Saints try to maul forwards but Mitchell is forced to use it. Marshall darts forwards before the home side work their way up to the five metre line.

We eventually come back for that advantage and Grayson sends it into the corner for a Saints lineout.

Grayson clears from the back of the scrum but Bristol return and Furbanks comes forwards. Ludlam charges down the left and Saints have the advantage coming too.

But pressure from Saints forces Bristol to box too and though they chase it, they knock on. Scrum Saints.

Bristol maul forwards from the kick-off before Madigan clears. Worley is there and he comes forwards into contact. Mitchell boxes and Madigan takes it.