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Bristol Bears regained top spot in the Gallagher Premiership as centre Kalaveti Ravouvou scored two tries to underpin a 31-23 victory over champions Northampton at Ashton Gate.
The west country club might not have been at their free-flowing best but they still had enough in the tank to triumph.
A fourth win from six league starts was secured after Bristol trailed by 15 points midway through the first half.
Northampton, despite being without five players on England squad duty ahead of the Autumn Nations Series, made life difficult and were rewarded with tries for full-back George Hendy, flanker Josh Kemeny and wing James Ramm, while debutant fly-half George Makepeace-Cubitt kicked two penalties and a conversion.
Bristol, though, secured a bonus-point success as Fiji international Ravouvou led the way on his return from injury.
His double kept Bristol on course for maximum points, and there were also touchdowns for wing Gabriel Ibitoye and lock Joe Batley.
Fly-half AJ MacGinty kicked all four conversions and landed a penalty as Bristol finished a first block of six Premiership games before the autumn Tests in fine shape.
Bristol, who were minus England pair Harry Randall and Ellis Genge, struggled to find their trademark fluency initially, and Makepeace-Cubitt kicked Saints ahead through a 14th-minute penalty.
Flanker Steven Luatua went close to a Bristol try from the restart, but Saints responded impressively and a slick attack ended with Hendy finishing superbly, before Makepeace-Cubitt’s conversion made it 10-0.
Bristol, hampered by uncharacteristic errors, fell further behind just two minutes later following a powerful surge from flanker Tom Pearson, who sent an unmarked Kemeny over to leave the home side in considerable strife.
The hosts needed a response as Northampton continued to threaten, and it arrived 10 minutes before half-time after impressive build-up play created an overlap that Ibitoye easily exploited.
MacGinty converted from the touchline, and Bristol were at it again just three minutes later, cutting open Northampton’s defence as Ravouvou sprinted through a huge gap. MacGinty’s conversion made it 15-14.
Northampton then had the final say during an entertaining first 40 minutes when Makepeace-Cubitt kicked a penalty that secured a four-point interval advantage.
Both sides had scoring chances in the third quarter but Bristol had a prominent attacking force in Luatua, whose strong running built foundations for a third try.
The Northampton defence struggled to hold him, and Ravouvou applied a close-range finish for his second touchdown, with MacGinty’s conversion making it 21-18.
The fly-half kicked a penalty 13 minutes from time that gave Bristol a small degree of breathing space, and there was no way back for Saints when a high-class attack that heavily involved Ibitoye was rounded off by Batley.
Northampton went in pursuit of a losing bonus point as the clock ticked down – one that their overall performance deserved – yet it eluded them in agonising fashion.
Ramm touched down for Saints’ third try in the final minute, but Makepeace-Cubitt’s touchline conversion attempt hit the post, meaning an eight-point margin of defeat and no bonus.
PA
