Ravouvou stars with two tries as Bristol mount comeback to stun Northampton

Bristol Bears took themselves to the top of the Gallagher Premiership with a bonus-point victory over defending champions Northampton Saints.

The Bears scored 17 unanswered points in the second half to produce a brilliant comeback from 0-15 down in the first half.

This is the Bears’ first victory at Ashton Gate this season, as the home crowd were treated to an entertaining Friday-night spectacle.

Joe Batley scored the bonus-point try after some brilliant offloading from Gabriel Ibitoye and co.

Kalaveti Ravouvou’s brace changed the game for the hosts, as the Fijian sparkled on his first start of the season. Ravouvou scored just before half time and then put the Bears in front with a brilliant break through the Northampton defence.

The visitors had control of the game after 18 minutes, scoring two tries in just a matter of minutes to completely stun Bristol.

However, the Bears fought back brilliantly, scoring two tries of their own towards the end of the first half, to get back into the game before taking control in the second half.

Northampton scored a brilliant late try through James Ramm, but Rory Hutchinson was unable to convert for the two losing bonus points.

The Saints have now lost all of their away matches this season, but they were missing a number of international players.

The Bears took their time to get going, with Saints going fifteen points ahead in the first half, but the hosts were unplayable during the second half.

Bristol scored seventeen unanswered points during the second half, as Ravouvou went over just before the break and then at the start of the second period.

Some of the offloading and passing from the Bears was scintillating and stunned the defending champions, who are still yet to win away from home.

The Bears now sit at the top of the table and have made an excellent start to the season.

The Fijian was making his first start of the season and he did not disappoint the Ashton Gate crowd.

Ravouvou scored two tries for the hosts to get them back into the match after a tricky first 20 minutes or so.

The centre made a powerful break just before half time to score under the posts and then surged over after some great Bristol handling.

Bristol Bears: Woolmore 6, Oghre 6, Lahiff 5, Dun 6, Batley 8, Luatua 7, Grondona 7, Harding 6, Marmion 6, MacGinty 8, Ibitoye 9, Janse Van Rensburg 7, Ravouvou 10*, Bates 7, Lane 7.

Replacements: Thacker 7, Thomas 6, Kloska 6, Owen 7, Heenan 7, Wolstenholme 6, Worsley 6, Elizalde 5.

Northampton Saints: West 5, Langdon 6, Millar Mills 5, Mayanavanua 5, Coles 6, Kemeny 7, Pearson 9, Pollock 8, James 7, Makepeace-Cubitt 8, Seabrook 6, Hutchinson 8, Litchfield 6, Ramm 6, Hendy 6.

Replacements: Wright 5, Iyogun 5, Green 6, Thornbury 5, Scott-Young 5, McParland 4, Savala 5, Garside 5.

18’ NORTHAMPTON TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 0-8 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (HENDY)! Northampton have the first try of the match through George Hendy! The visitors turn the ball over in their own half and turn defence to attack rapidly, before Hendy bursts past three players and goes over under the posts. What a try.

21’ TRY FOR NORTHAMPTON! BRISTOL BEARS 0-15 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (KEMENY)! The visitors have two tries in a matter of minutes after another brilliant breakaway. The excellent Tom Pearson bursts through a tackle and breaks away brilliantly before setting up Josh Kemeny, who goes over in the corner.

30’ BRISTOL TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 5-15 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (IBITOYE)! Bristol are back in the game! It looked like they had knocked the ball on but the referee waived play on and they worked the ball well, before getting it out to the electric Ibitoye who went over in the corner.

34’ BRISTOL TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 14-15 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS(RAVOUVOU)! Kalaveti Ravouvou scores on his first Premiership start of the season! The Bears have done to Northampton what they had done at the start of the match. The Fijian makes an excellent break through the heart of the Saints defence and goes over under the posts.

56’ BRISTOL TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 19-18 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (RAVOUVOU)! The hosts finally have the lead! They work the ball brilliantly from their own half patiently, before the ball is played by Heenan into the hands of Ravouvou who has his second try of the night.

70’ BRISTOL TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 29-18 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (BATLEY)! What an incredible try from the hosts! Ibitoye produces a brilliant offload to set his side away, before Joe Batley picks up an excellent offload from Wolstenholme to score the bonus point try for the Bears. This has been some second half from Bristol.

80′ NORTHAMPTON TRY! BRISTOL BEARS 31-23 NORTHAMPTON SAINTS (RAMM)! Wow, wow, wow! That is an incredible try from Northampton. Hutchinson breaks through the Bristol defence before picking out James Ramm with an audacious pass and Ramm scored in the corner.

– 0/5 = Defending champions Northampton Saints are winless in all five Premiership away games this season.