It's game day. Bristol Bears host Northampton Saints today in Round Six of the 2025/26 Gallagher PREM as the league returns after a month off for just one weekend before attention switches to Europe.
The Bears head into the weekend sitting in sixth in the table, but in touching distance off the play-off spots, having managed to defy the odds during a horrible injury crisis to pick up three wins so far. Northampton Saints are the only undefeated side in the Gallagher PREM, with four wins and one draw against Exeter Chiefs on the opening weekend, and come into the game sitting top of the standings.
The game kicks off at 5.45pm on Saturday evening.
Follow all the build-up, team news, live play-by-play match updates, reaction, stats, analysis and highlights from Ashton Gate with regular updates below...
06:50KEY EVENT
20:13 - Reaction from Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson
Dowson said:
“There was no malice from Edo [for the red card] and it is a mistake from the player. We have to be better but you are going to see a lot of those this season. If you lose a man it can galvanise or gut you and we looked like it was a bit of disappointment instead of getting stuck in. We looked a bit forlorn. We have taken a hiding today.
It was ugly, we seemed very flat and tepid. This is a capable group but we got the mindset wrong today which is the most frustrating thing.
20:10 - Trylights - Luka Ivanishvili finishes the Bristol Bears try scoring
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 29, 2025
19:58 - Reaction from Bristol Bears director of rugby Pat Lam
Lam said:
I am really proud of the boys
We had to adjust our game with some of our firepower missing
We have focused on just being seven out of 10 in every area, get your work done. I don’t care who scores the tries. The first half was brilliant for that.
The game is like the NFL now, it is all about what you do in the red zone.
19:37 - Official player of the match
Benhard Janse van Rensburg gets the award from TNT Sports after another stunning display.
19:36 - Stay tuned
Full reaction to come....
19:36 - FULL TIME - Bristol Bears 46-12 Northampton Saints
The Bears love playing Northampton at Ashton Gate, but that was very impressive from Bristol who move up to fifth in the table and are now in touching distance off the play-off spots.
46-12
80 minsKEY EVENT
TRY - Bristol Bears - (Luka Ivanishvili) - 46-12
Benhard Janse van Rensburg is just pure class.
The centre puts a stunning end over end kick into the corner for a 50/22 and his forwards deliver a try, executing the lineout and then mauling over to deliver Luka Ivanishvili over the tryline.
Sam Worsley misses his first kick off the game, just pushing it across the sticks.
46-12
78 minsJohn Evely
Aidan Boshoff close to a second try
Bristol over throw a lineout 5m out and Saints look to break from deep, but a loose pass goes to ground.
Bears winger Aidan Boshoff scoops up the ball and dives for the line but comes up just short.
41-12
75 minsJohn Evely
Incredible kick chase
Louis Rees-Zammit launches a 70m kick which Saints look to run back through George Furbank who throws a hospital pass to Fin Smith.
The chase from the Bears is outstanding and Benhard Janse van Rensburg is able to jackal over the ball and win a penalty.
41-12
73 minsKEY EVENT
PENALTY GOAL - Bristol Bears - (Sam Worsley) - 41-12
Saints are pinged for a tackle off the ball and with the posts just 20m away, the Bears opt for the posts again.
Sam Worsley steps up and knocks over the three points.
41-12
69 minsJohn Evely
Interception
Saints cut through the middle of the Bears with a series of brilliant offloads but Benhard Janse van Rensburg manages to get into the passing lane an intercept the ball to shut down the danger.
38-12
63 mins John Evely
Knock on
Saints launch a nice looking attack and inside centre Toby Thame lookds to have found a gap but he knocks on deep in the Bristol 22.
38-12
60 minsKEY EVENT
TRY - Northampton Saints - 38-12
Saints have made some adjustments at half time and are finding the width in attack.
George Furbank joins the line at top speed and then pokes a clever kick into the corner for Tom Litchfield to chase and dot down in the dead ball area.
Fin Smith's conversion kick is pulled narrow of the uprights.
38-12
57 minsJohn Evely
Cross-field kick in your own 22
Bristol are turning the screw with a series of lineout drives, eeking out penalties.
But the Bears have lost the ball and Northampton look to attack from deep with Fin Smith launching an ambitious cross-field kick in his own half for George Furbank who takes it and cuts in-field.
The hosts then intercept the ball, but we come back for an ealier knock on advantage being played.
38-7
54 minJohn Evely
Head on head
Max Lahiff has been caught high in a tackle from Tom Pearson.
Referee Ian Tempest says it is only worth a penalty but the Bristol prop is left bleeding from the head.
Sam Worsley pumps the ball into the corner.
38-7
52 minsJohn Evely
Forward pass
Northampton look to have escaped down the left wing but the pass to set them away from Archie McParland is blown up by referee Ian Tempest for going forward.
Scrum to the Bears.
38-7
49 minsKEY EVENT
PENALTY GOAL - Bristol Bears - (Sam Worsley) - 38-7
Max Lahiff, fresh on the pitch for Bristol, wins a penalty in the scrum against JJ Van der Mescht.
Bears captain Fitz Harding wants to kill this game as a contest and he points to the sticks.
Sam Worsley knocks over the penalty kick from right in front of the posts and 20m out.
38-7
18:54 - CONVERTED TRY - Northampton Saints ( JJ Van der Mescht) - 35-7
Giant lock JJ Van der Mescht crashes over the line from close range following a 5m tap penalty from the visitors. The Bears held out for a couple of phases but there was no stopping the South African.
Fin Smith converts.
35-7
43 minsJohn Evely
Rib tickler
Bill Mata has just cut Rory Hutchinson in half, going right into his ribs.
The Saints centre is in serious pain.
35-0
18:45 - SECOND HALF KICKS OFF
George Furbank gets the game back underway for Northampton Saints.
Can Bristol kill this game off?
35-0
18:43 - Trylights - Bristol turn defence into attack
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 29, 2025
18:42 - Trylights - Kieran Marmion finishes a great Bears attack
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 29, 2025
18:40 - Trylights - Kieran Marmion opens the scoring
— Rugby on TNT Sports (@rugbyontnt) November 29, 2025
18:34 - Match action
18:32 - HALF TIME - Bristol Bears 35-0 Northampton Saints
Wow.
A 20 minute red card for Saints winger Edoardo Todaro has thrown this game into a state of choas, but even without that the Bears have dominated every area of the game, scoring five tries so far.
35-0
38 minsKEY EVENT
CONVERTED TRY - Bristol Bears - (Aidan Boshoff) - 35-0
Northampton have no answer to the questions this Bristol attack are posing.
The forwards batter away at the line to suck in the visiting defence.
The ball then comes out to the backs to link man Jimmy Williams who pulls a pass back to Sam Worsley who flings a wide arching pass out to Aidan Boshoff who races into the corner.
Worsley adds the extras from near the right touchline.
35-0
36 minsJohn Evely
Pin point 50/22
Jimmy Williams take a bow.
The centre threads the smallest of neddles with a diagonal kick that just bounces out in the Northampton 22 to give his side an attacking lineout.
28-0
33 minsJohn Evely
Saints backing up errors
Saints kick away possession, and the kick is poor as Kalaveti Ravouvou is able to call the mark for the Bears.
He should kick the ball a bit more as it is a good one, with Northampton knocking on as the Fijian manages to get really good distance on it to make the catch a tough one.
28-0
18:20 - CONVERTED TRY - Bristol Bears - (Kalaveti Ravouvou) - 28-0
Boom.
Saints are on the attack but Benhard Janse van Rensburg reads the play perfectly and smashes Fin Smith with the ball going forward off his head.
There is no one home for Northampton so Kalaveti Ravouvou can pick up and race in from 45m out.
Sam Worsley converts the bonus point score.
28-0