Fabulous Foden helps Saints sink Bristol
Northampton Saints 30 Bristol 8
Ben Foden scored a sensational try and set up another to steer Northampton Saints to an all-important win over bottom side Bristol.
The win moves Saints 10 points clear of the Premiership trap door and opened up the old debate as to whether Foden is better at full-back or scrum-half.
Saints got the first shot at the posts after winning their own kick-off, but from 25m Stephen Myler missed.
After turning down an effort from 45m, Ed Barnes fancied his chances from two metres closer, but the Bristol fly-half missed, so it was still 0-0 after 12 pretty dire minutes.
The better rugby, what little of it there was, was coming from Saints and the home scrum squeezed a second penalty out of Bristol for Myler to have a crack from the touchline and he landed it. Saints were finally 3-0 up after 29 minutes.
And two minutes later Mark Easter turned over Bristol 30 metres and Foden, in his first start at full-back, joined the line at pace to punch a hole and fed Paul Diggin. The little winger cut inside David Lemi and from 30m sprinted home to touch down under the posts. Myler converted to make it 10-0 after 34 minutes.
Two minutes before half-time a deliberate knock-on from Shaun Perry saw Myler just about land a penalty from 45m to make it 13-0 at the break.
Saints were now looking to keep the tempo high and run from everywhere. A speedy attack ended in a high tackle on Jon Clarke for Myler to land a penalty from 40m to make it 16-0.
But a knock-on at the re-start saw Bristol threaten for the first time off a lineout through David Lemi and Lee Robinson. Saints coughed up a penalty and Barnes made it 16-3 after 52 minutes.
Saints' scrum squeezed another penalty out of the visitors, but Myler shanked the kick wide from 35m.
Bristol came within inches of a try through Nathan Brew, but then Foden showed his electric pace.
On 75 miniutes Luke Arscott cleared from his 22 and Foden took the ball just inside his own half. He smashed through two tacklers then sped past the covering defence to score. Myler landed the conversion to make it 23-3.
From a 10m scrum Carlos Spencer darted to the line and fed Clarke to dive over. Myler landed the conversion in a rush to make it 30-3 as Saints went for the fourth try, but a knock-on ended the last attack.
Instead David Lemi sped down the wing and chased down his own kick to score a try. Barnes missed the conversion, but it was job done for Saints.
Att: 13,090
Northampton Saints – Foden; Diggin, Clarke, Downey, Lamont; Myler, Dickson; Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Murray, Fernandez Lobbe (capt), Kruger, Easter, Gray, Wilson.
Replacements – Shields, Smith, Day, Hopley, Reihana, Spencer, Mayor.
Bristol – Arscott; Robinson, Eves, Neil Brew, Lemi; Barnes, Perry (capt); Irish, Regan, Crompton, Winters, Sidoli, Budgett, To'oala, Ward-Smith.
Replacements – Linklater, Thompson, Sambucetti, Salter, Beveridge, Ashwin, Nathan Brew.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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