Saints hang on as hosts rue ill-discipline
“Were you guys surprised that Harlequins beat Gloucester?” Northampton Saints’ director of rugby Chris Boyd asked the media after his side hung on to beat Bristol Bears in a match that served up 11 tries but also plenty of errors.
Boyd, who has arrived this season from Wellington-based Super Rugby franchise the Hurricanes, turned inquisitor as Harlequins had been the only team his side had managed to beat before Saturday during this campaign.
But he was not the only coach asking questions about Premiership sides outside of their Saturday opposition as Bristol head coach Pat Lam pondered what it would take for the other 10 teams in the league to catch table-toppers Saracens and Exeter.
Lam, who has not hidden his ambitions for newly promoted Bristol to challenge for a minimum of a top six-finish, believes sides need time to grow to consistently challenge the top two.
“Saracens and Exeter, you look at their players and coaching groups, they have been together for a long time,” he said.
“That is their growth and understanding, that all the rest of us are trying to do as we have all come in to try to overcome these teams. That is what I am excited by, what we will get to.
“We have a long way to go, we saw again with the other results, like Harlequins winning away to Gloucester, that there is no easy game.”
Lam’s sentiments are pertinent considering Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons claimed that the chase for Premiership honours had become a two-team race between Saracens and Exeter after his side were beaten by the Devon outfit.
Bristol outside centre Will Hurrell scored the opening try here before Northampton replied through prop Ehren Painter and Australian Andrew Kellaway, who was an early replacement after Piers Francis failed a head injury assessment for a second consecutive week.
The visitors led 24-17 at half-time after a further Bristol try from hooker Harry Thacker followed by a score from Saints’ open side Lewis Ludlam.
A sense of frustration lingered at Ashton Gate after the match because of both sides’ defensive struggles. Bristol again bemoaned ill-discipline as they lost back row Jack Lam to the sin-bin for 10 minutes as well as a high penalty count.
Northampton’s try scorers in a frantic second half were wing Taqele Naiyaravoro, prop Alex Waller and replacement hooker Mike Haywood.
Bristol’s Luke Morahan scored and they sealed their try and losing bonus points via touchdowns from Hurrell, to complete his brace, and wing Alapati Leiua.