Missing the impetus of injured fly-half Fin Smith, Saints continued to struggle in attack after the restart with another promising opportunity snuffed out by a Joseph interception.

With both defences on top, the game needed a moment of real quality and eventually received it from Belleau.

With the Gloucester defence narrow, the fly-half played a perfect looped pass to Hendy who dived over in the corner to give Saints the lead.

Hutchinson then added a bonus point fourth, the replacement centre exploiting Gloucester’s press defence with a quick step to force his way over the line.

Gloucester continued pressing until the end but were unable to breach the Saints defence, recording only their second loss of the season.

Northampton: Pater; Sleightholme, Freeman, Dingwall (c), Hendy; Belleau, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Kundiona; Coles, Prowse, Kemeny, Pearson, Chick.

Replacements: Smith, Fischetti, Neculai, Van Der Mescht, Lockett, Pollock, Weimann, Hutchinson.

Gloucester: Barton; Joseph, Llewellyn, S Atkinson (c), W Knight; C Atkinson, Englefield; Rapava Ruskin, Blake, Fasogbon; Kleyn, Clark, Thomas, Gwynne, Clement.

Replacements: Lake, Bleuler, C Knight, Trenholm, Morgan, Ludlow, Robson, Redshaw.

Referee: Sara Cox.



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