Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints: Winners and losers as Louis Rees-Zammit ‘back to his best’ while England star ‘struggles’ in new position
Bristol Bears wing Louis Rees-Zammit scored two tries.
Following a 41-26 win for Bristol Bears over Northampton Saints at Ashton Gate, here’s our winners and losers from the PREM Rugby clash.
Winners
Louis Rees-Zammit
Looks back to his best at the moment as he enjoyed a two-try performance and bolstered that by earning his team a penalty try on 80 minutes.
Took his opening try well on the outside of George Hendy in the first half and a carry early in the second was epic as he bust through tacklers.
Rees-Zammit again showed his searing pace to finish off his second just after the hour before his chip over the top late in the game led to Tommy Freeman taking him out. Referee Ian Tempest adjudged the Wales flyer would have been first to the ball which resulted in a gift seven-pointer.
Fitz Harding
So consistent. Harding was a nuisance at the breakdown, winning two turnovers in the first 40 to set the tone for this gritty Bears performance.
His impact differed slightly in the second half with more ball in hand work as Harding finished with 30 metres to his name from his 10 carries.
George Hendy
Hendy’s early-term purple patch continued as he cruised over for two first-half tries, adding to his score against Newcastle Red Bulls last week.
Hendy’s certainly pushing his name forward for England and his battle with Rees-Zammit was worth the entrance fee alone as both were lethal.
Pedro Rubiolo
10 carries and 14 tackles from the Argentina international as he caught the eye, both with and without the ball, adding steel to the Bears pack.
Harry Randall
Somewhat of a forgotten scrum-half in the England pecking order, Randall certainly proved a point that he shouldn’t be forgotten in white.
His kicking game was excellent, especially in the second half as he pushed Saints backwards. He also scored a crucial try on 52 minutes as the Bristol leader sniped from a metre out, waiting for the hole to appear before fighting his way to the chalk, capping a hugely impressive outing.
Losers
Tommy Freeman
Thrust into the full-back jersey at Ashton Gate and in truth he was largely quiet in his new position as he struggled to impact proceedings.
Phil Dowson obviously agreed and moved Freeman back to wing in the second half, but unfortunately for the England star, things went further downhill when he ended the game blocking Rees-Zammit after the Bear kicked ahead late on, earning a yellow card that included a penalty try.
Benhard Janse van Rensburg
It was a very concerning sight seconds before the break when he was down for a significant period of time receiving treatment.
The England centre was knocked out after colliding with Henry Pollock awkwardly whilst attempting the tackle as Ashton Gate held its breath. He was stretchered off but thankfully footage later showed him walking around in the Bristol dressing room at half time, which is positive.
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Curtis Langdon
Not his usual eye-catching self around the field and unfortunately his showing will be remembered by an unnecessary obstruction on 49 minutes on opposite number Gabriel Oghre as the hooker attempted to tackle Fin Smith, which ultimately saw Alex Coles have a try chalked off.
Ollie Sleightholme
Got eight minutes in last Friday’s PREM opener but was handed a start here as the powerful wing was given the backing to cause Bristol issues.
However, it was a poor day at the office as, like Freeman, he was quiet, with a handling error with the line begging summing up his 54 minutes.
READ MORE: Bristol Bears v Northampton Saints: Result, scorers, match stats, line-ups
