Northampton overturn 14-point deficit to beat Gloucester 28-14

Northampton Saints recovered from a 14-point deficit to beat Gloucester 28-14 at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday, October 31. BBC Sport reported that the hosts scored 28 points without reply, securing a try bonus point and moving into third place, level on points with second-placed Gloucester.

Watch the highlights:

Gloucester established their advantage through Max Llewellyn and Will Joseph. TNT Sports’ match tracker recorded Llewellyn’s try in the ninth minute and Joseph’s in the 31st, with George Barton converting both. That left Northampton needing two converted tries just to restore parity, after the visitors had supplied the first two scoring breakthroughs of the evening.

The home response came before the interval. Tom Pearson scored after Curtis Langdon supplied him from a maul, before Langdon crossed himself following another attacking line-out. Anthony Belleau converted both tries to bring Northampton level at 14-14, wiping out Gloucester’s advantage before the second half began.

The decisive second-half opening came when Belleau found George Hendy with a wide pass, allowing the wing to finish in the corner. Replacement centre Rory Hutchinson subsequently broke through for Northampton’s fourth try. Belleau converted all four scores, while Gloucester were unable to add to their first-half total, according to BBC Sport.

The result reversed Northampton’s fortunes after a 28-7 defeat at Leicester. In team news published by Yahoo Sports before Saturday’s match, Ajay Shah reported that Fin Smith had suffered a calf injury against Leicester, leaving Belleau to start at fly-half. Saints therefore completed their comeback with a different player directing the attack from number 10.

TNT Sports’ team sheet placed Belleau alongside Alex Mitchell at half-back, with Fraser Dingwall and Tommy Freeman in midfield and James Pater at full-back. Hendy and Ollie Sleightholme occupied the wings. Hutchinson was named among the replacements, rather than in the starting back line, before contributing the bonus-point try.

There was an injury concern alongside the victory: BBC Sport reported that Mitchell left during the first half with a hamstring problem. No recovery timetable was given. Gloucester suffered only their second league defeat of the season as the competition entered a four-week break.