How Gallagher PREM Rugby history unfolded on record-breaking night as Northampton Saints thrash Bristol Bears at Franklin's Gardens

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Danny Care was left ”lost for words” after seeing rampant Northampton Saints tear Bristol Bears to pieces on a record-breaking night in Gallagher PREM Rugby.

Highlights: Northampton run in 14 TRIES in record-breaking win over Bristol

Video credit: TNT Sports

Saints ran riot by scoring nine first-half tries and 61 points to smash a 22-year-old league record.

The most points previously racked up in a single half came in May 2004, when Leicester put 54 past Rotherham.

But the try-scoring did not stop flowing after the break, and Saints’ 14th score of the night - making it 94-33 late on - sealed another league record for the most aggregate points in a match at 127, beating the previous benchmark of 118 set in 1999.

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Their 94-point haul also beats the previous record, set by Northampton themselves in 2024.

Northampton’s 61-point first-half haul set a staggering new benchmark to leave the TNT Sports team in disbelief at both a dazzling display of attacking rugby and the gaping holes in Bristol’s defence.

”Can you believe this? Northampton are leading Bristol by a record margin at half-time,” commentator Alastair Eykyn said as the teams headed into the sheds for the break with the home side 61-14 up at Franklin’s Gardens.

”They have scored nine tries in 40 minutes and they have buried the Bears’ play-off hopes under an avalanche of points.”

It was a statement start from league leaders Northampton, who expected a tough test from a Bears side who knew they needed a win to keep their fading top-four aspirations alive.

Hendy finishes off blistering move as Northampton strike first against Bristol

Video credit: TNT Sports

In his attempts to sum up an astonishing half, TNT Sports expert and former England scrum-half Care was just as staggered by the visitors’ porous defence as he was impressed by the Northampton attack.

”I’m a bit lost for words, to be honest,” said Care. ”Who would be a Gallagher PREM defence coach? We talked about the fact there could be a load of tries, but I don’t think we thought there would be a PREM record of nine tries and 61 points.

”Some of Saints’ play has been phenomenal, their attack has been amazing. But the other side of the ball, Bristol’s defence is simply not good enough.

”It won’t be good enough to be in the top four. You just see individual mistake after individual mistake.”

Two George Hendy tries book-ended a rampant half from Northampton, with Rory Hutchinson and Archie McParland also crossing twice in addition to scores from Callum Chick, Alex Coles, George Burbank and Josh Kemeny.

'Absolutely rapid' - Rees-Zammit turns on afterburners to score stunner

Video credit: TNT Sports

Harry Thacker and Louis Rees-Zammit’s tries for Bristol provided little consolation in a chastening half for Pat Lam’s men.

Things did not get much better after the break either, as Saints ran in another four tries - including two more for Hendy - in a massive 94-33 win as Bristol took the small solace of a try-scoring bonus point.

'We were salty and it showed'

It marked a roaring return to form from the 2023/24 champions, who were looking for a response after being thrashed 41-17 by Leicester Tigers in the East Midlands derby last time out.

"The best bit was how connected we were as a team and as a back line, particularly in the first half," Northampton head coach Sam Vesty told TNT Sports after the game.

"Talking to each other, knowing what we're trying to do, I thought that was impressive. We obviously got hurt a bit last week and the way we bounced back from that, in training, into today, we were a bit salty all week and it showed on the pitch."

Bristol were the only other team to have beaten Saints this season in the PREM, but were quickly blown away and made life even harder for themselves by picking up two yellow cards – for wing Kalaveti Ravouvou and lock Joe Batley – before the break.

The Bears' galling defeat leaves them looking very unlikely to make the play-offs, sitting four points outside the top four with two games to go.

”This is life. Bigger things have happened to a lot of us in the world than this," Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam told TNT Sports.

"Obviously, it’s embarrassing, it’s disappointing, but what do you do about it? Is this the worst thing in the world that’s happened to us? Of course it’s not.

"For us it’s about getting back together, we’ve got Bath next and we go on. Obviously, I want to apologise to all our fans and everyone. We are bitterly disappointed and fair play to Saints.”

'Showman' Pollock dives over for Saints' 10TH TRY as onslaught continues

Video credit: TNT Sports

Saints 'taking the micky' against porous Bears

TNT Sports experts Care and Brian O'Driscoll were left disappointed by Bristol's showing after the game as another season without silverware beckons.

”Ultimately, they haven’t managed to get to that elusive final, they haven’t managed to win a Premiership and yeah, they’ve been littered with injuries over the course of the season and really had to dig deep at times. But they were there or thereabouts," O'Driscoll said.

”Today was just a blowout and one you have to scratch and pretend it never happened. Move forward to Bath in two weeks’ time, when they play them at Ashton Gate, hopefully put in a good performance in your final home [game] of the season.

"Then maybe build on it in pre-season. But another disappointing campaign because they miss out on the top four.”

Care was critical of the Bears defence after shipping a record points tally.

'Oh, it's back in' - Bizarre moment Bristol's Lahiff thinks he's lost a tooth in a tackle

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Bristol's points tally for the season of 487 is up there with the best in the league, but the 452 points they have shipped is that of a lower-table team.

”We talked about it before the game, and they are doing exactly the same thing – players biting in when they don’t need to. If you’re going to bite in against a team like Northampton, you’re going to get picked apart and made to look really silly," Care said.

"There were little scrappy ones where Northampton are almost playing a game of touch and taking the micky out of Bristol in a way. Time after time, non-dominant collisions, players chasing across the pitch.

”Unfortunately for Bristol, they can’t just rely on their attack. We know how dangerous they can be in attack. But attack doesn’t win you championships, doesn’t get you into semi-finals and finals. They’ve got a lot to fix and I’m sure they just want the season to end now, rebuild and go again next year.”

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