Seven-try Saints Dent Bristol Hopes Of Home Play-off

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton 48 (27)

Tries: Mitchell, Langdon, Freeman 2, Iyogun, Augustus, Pollock Cons: Smith 4, Hutchinson Pens: Smith

Bristol 31 (12)

Tries: Bailey, Ibitoye 2, Williams, Marmion Cons: MacGinty 2, Williams

Northampton Saints put a further dent successful Bristol Bears' location Premiership semi-final hopes pinch an enthralling 48-31 triumph astatine Franklin's Gardens.

In a frenetic first half, Deago Bailey scored first for nan visitors earlier Alex Mitchell, Curtis Langdon and 2 efforts from Tommy Freeman gave nan location squad a commanding lead.

Gabriel Ibitoye's spectacular effort connected nan verge of half-time brought Bristol backmost into nan game, but further tries from Emmanuel Iyogun, Juarno Augustus and Henry Pollock put nan crippled beyond nan visitors contempt precocious consolation efforts from James Williams, Ibitoye and Kieran Marmion.

The consequence leaves Bristol successful 4th connected 47 points, 4 points down second-placed Leicester Tigers, while nan Saints move up to 7th.

Following their mediocre caller tally of form, Bristol knew a triumph was captious successful their efforts to unafraid a location semi-final successful nan play-offs and they started strongly.

Camped successful nan Saints' twenty-two, Rich Lane played nan last walk to merchandise Bailey connected nan outside, who burned past Rory Hutchinson to people successful nan corner.

But that lead did not past for long.

Saints struck backmost done Alex Mitchell; nan England scrum-half dummying magnificently to break nan Bristol line, earlier sidestepping Bailey successful beforehand of nan appreciative location crowd.

The Saints past doubled their lead pinch a effort scored successful different circumstances.

With nan shot kicked done into nan Bristol half, first Finn Smith past Pollock were stripped of nan shot by abstracted Saints' defenders, earlier nan shot rebounded disconnected nan posts for Langdon to dive connected it and score.

The Saints' 3rd people of nan time was alternatively much prosaic.

Following a lengthy play of unit successful nan Bristol twenty-two, nan location squad yet recovered a spread connected nan outside, pinch James Ramm feeding Freeman to dive complete successful nan corner.

Phil Dowson's men were playing champagne rugby and came very adjacent to a 4th erstwhile Ramm went complete again pursuing an intricate attacking move, only for nan referee to norm that a walk earlier successful nan move had gone forward.

The Australian was successful nan heavy of it again astatine nan different extremity of nan section conscionable minutes later, delivering a textbook pat tackle to forestall Kalaveti Ravouvou from scoring an almost definite effort arsenic Bristol divided nan location defence.

With nan lucifer being played astatine a frantic pace, nan Saints secured nan effort prize constituent soon aft arsenic Freeman forced his measurement complete from short scope aft being fed by Mitchell.

But Bristol, stung by nan Saints onslaught, had a instrumentality to play of their ain conscionable earlier half-time.

Ibitoye's attempted footwear up was charged down earlier falling into nan hands of Harry Randall, who burst up section earlier returning nan shot to nan flying winger.

Smith tried to tackle him, but Ibitoye slipped from nan fly-half's grasp and waltzed complete nan statement arsenic Saints' defenders collided astir him.

Down by 15 points astatine half-time, Bristol tried to onslaught from their ain twenty-two aft nan restart, but pinch Lane driven backmost by Freeman, nan shot was spilled, allowing Iyogun to stitchery and unit himself complete nan statement for nan Saints' 5th score.

Following repeated Saints' attacks nan location broadside were successful again.

With Bristol incapable to get retired of their ain half, Augustus powered his measurement complete from adjacent range, contempt nan attentions of Ravouvou.

The strength hardly dropped arsenic nan last 10 minutes beckoned, pinch Saints inches distant from a seventh people arsenic Tom Seabrook knocked connected pursuing a magnitude of nan section counterattack initiated by Alex Coles.

But pinch nan crippled gone, Bristol continued pressing. Siva Naulago recovered himself successful abstraction down nan wing, driving into nan Saints half.

The shot was past recycled by Steven Luatua, who successful his 150th quality for nan Bears, fed Williams for Bristol's third.

Replacement Tom James past fed Pollock for nan Saints' last try, earlier Ibitoye and Marmion restored immoderate respectability to nan scoreline pinch a precocious flourish.

Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Litchfield; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Millar Mills, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.

Replacements: Walker, West, Green, Lockett, Scott-Young, James, Seabrook, Glister.

Bristol: Lane; Bailey, Ravouvou, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randall; Genge, Thacker, Lahiff, Caulfield, Owen, Luatua, S Grondona, Harding.

Replacements: Oghre, Thomas, Kloska, Mata, B Grondona, Marmion, Williams, Naulago.

Referee: Adam Leal.