Saints go marching into Bears' lair

With two thrilling rounds of classic English Premiership rugby behind us, all eyes are turned towards Round 3 which will be heralded by the clash of Bristol Bears hosting Northampton Saints.

The home side put their foot on the accelerator in the second half last week to cruise to a relatively easy 30-13 victory over Worcester Warriors.

Saints were not as fortunate, finding themselves undone by Harlequins 49-29 on the former’s home turf. While Saints were competitive, things went awry for them in the second half when ‘Quins ran riot and stretched the score line far out of reach of their opponents.

Bristol look to be their old, capable selves will be expected to put one over Alex Waller’s men. As the forward battle holds perennial and upmost importance in the game of rugby, Saints will be required to dig deep to gain parity with Bristol’s pack, especially where the driving maul is concerned. Bristol’s mauling has gained particular notoriety of late and has yielded an impressive number of tries. The Saints forwards will have to be up for the occasion, making sure their defensive lineout work becomes a burden for their opponents and that they are alert and aggressive in their attempts to halt the advance of the juggernaut Bristol maul.

One would not call Ashton Gate a happy hunting ground for Saints – the last time they appeared at the venue they left licking the wounds of a heavy 47-10 defeat in Round 19 of the 2019-20 competition.

Earlier that season, however, in Round 10, Saints fared slightly better with a 20-14 score line, yet victory still eluded them.

Bristol should have this one, but what can Saints come up with? Special congratulations to Saints winger Tom Collins who will win his 100th cap for the club.