Northampton Saints secured their spot in the Gallagher PREM play-offs as they put Bristol Bears to the sword, scoring 14 tries in a record-breaking 94-33 win at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
The jaw-dropping Friday night encounter saw Saints score more points than they had ever before in a league match and equal their most tries in a match as well. George Hendy claimed some four of those scores, kicking off the scoring after just three minutes, while Rory Hutchinson, Callum Chick, Alex Coles, Archie McParland, George Furbank and Josh Kemeny also all crossing before the break.
That brought up a record number of first-half points scored by any team in the PREM, and while Bristol managed to cross five times themselves, Saints began the second half as the first – sending Henry Pollock over after just two minutes.
McParland added a second, with Sam Graham’s score bringing up the tally for most combined points scored in a match before Hendy completed his quartet of tries and secured Northampton a guaranteed place in the PREM’s final four.
First Half
Saints were in full attacking flow from the off with wave after wave of pressure coming at Bears until eventually Pollock found an edge and whipped out pass to Hendy, who ran it in for an easy score inside three minutes. Bristol responded with a try of their own immediately after, as Harry Randall broke the defensive line and Harry Thacker crashed over from a metre out.
Saints immediately came back as Tommy Freeman chipped the ball in behind, putting the pressure on the Bristol defence. Pollock turned the ball over inches from the Bears’ line and Hutchinson went in under the posts.
It was utter attacking pandemonium that put Saints in for their next. Chick would finish it off, getting on the end of Fin Smith’s break and Freeman’s grubber for an impressive finish in the corner.
It wasn’t long before Bristol came back, launching a set-play on the Saints’ ten-metre line, which set Louis Rees-Zammit’s pace free for the finish.
Bristol were then sent down to 14 men as referee Luke Pearce showed Kalaveti Ravouvou a yellow for a deliberate knock-on. Saints capitalised on their extra man immediately, scoring their fourth and fifth tries through Coles’ and McParland’s sensational finishes.
The tries kept flooding through for the hosts at cinch Stadium with captain Furbank adding to the tally after Hendy gassed his man on the outside and passed it back to his captain.
Hutchinson added Saints’ seventh of the night after the unlikely combination of McParland and Emmanuel Iyogun won a turnover inside Bristol’s 22, swinging the momentum back Northampton’s way and seeing Kemeny over for a solo stunner.
Saints had one left before the break, when Hendy brought up his brace and sealed the record number of points scored in a first half after Tom Litchfield screamed around the outside to put the winger over.
Second Half
To open the scoring for the second period, it could only be one man. A brilliant half-break from McParland freed up Freeman in space once again, with the winger finding Pollock who went over with a trademark splash.
The scrum-halfs exchanged scores next. First, Harry Randall registered Bristol’s third of the night when he exploited a numbers advantage on the right to get around Saints’ defence; then it was McParland’s turn, with Bristol’s missed catch on the restart landing perfectly for the Saintsman.
The Hendy hat-trick came not long after, when Chick broke down the blindside and gave the ball back to his winger to cross over.
It was Saints’ turn to lose a man to the sin bin, with Ed Prowse the man who was shown a yellow card for his side’s collective penalty concessions. Bristol, like Saints had in the first half, made the most of their extra man quickly, sending Luka Ivanishvili over.
The rest of Prowse’s sin-bin period remained largely uneventful, at least by this game’s standards; however, Bristol eventually added another with ten minutes left on the clock when Noah Heward finished a neat solo score under the posts.
A third yellow card of the match was to be brandished from Pearce’s pocket in the 75th minute, this time for Matias Moroni for a scuffle he started with Pollock. As with the two previous Bristol cards, a score came soon after. A returning Tom Pearson almost broke through Bristol’s line and tipped the ball onto a charging Graham, who barrelled his way forwards before stretching over the whitewash.
Saints finished with a flourish and Hendy made it four to break Saints’ points scoring record in the PREM, this time the winger was sent through under the posts when quick hands from Northampton created a space big enough for the winger to spin into.
That result sealed Saints’ highest ever points haul in the league and booked them a spot in the PREM play-offs with two matches to spare, with a home class against Gloucester Rugby next on the agenda in two week’s time.
Line-ups
Saints: 15 George Furbank (c), 14 Tommy Freeman, 13 Tom Litchfield, 12 Rory Hutchinson, 11 George Hendy, 10 Fin Smith, 9 Archie McParland, 1 Emmanuel Iyogun, 2 Robbie Smith, 3 Elliot Millar Mills, 4 Alex Coles, 5 Ed Prowse, 6 Josh Kemeny, 7 Henry Pollock, 8 Callum Chick.
Replacements: 16 Henry Walker, 17 Danilo Fischetti, 18 Luke Green, 19 JJ Van Der Mescht, 20 Tom Pearson, 21 Sam Graham, 22 Alex Mitchell, 23 Fraser Dingwall.
Bristol: 15 Rich Lane, 14 Louis Rees-Zammit, 13 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 12 James Williams, 11 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 Harry Randall; 1 Ellis Genge, 2 Harry Thacker, 3 George Kloska, 4 James Dun, 5 Joe Batley, 6 Joe Owen, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 8 Santiago Grondona.
Replacements: 16 Tomas Gwilliam, 17 Jake Woolmore, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 George Taylor, 20 Luka Ivanishvili, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 Matias Moroni, 23 Noah Heward.