By Tom Harrington
A first-half brace from the new Saints captain George Furbank inspires his England and Saints squad for Mobbs memorial win. Northampton Saints found their feet after losing to Leinster last Saturday in pre-season action. However, the final pre-season match before the Gallagher Premiership season restarts ended positively for the black, green and gold with victory over Bedford Blues.
England fullback George Furbank opened the scoring, finishing off a chip through by his England teammate Fin Smith to breach Bedford’s defensive line early on. Ten minutes later Furbank would double his tally for the game, straightening through Bedford’s defence after hard work inside five metres, Smith’s conversion gave the hosts a 12-0 lead.
Bedford’s first attack of the game would prove positive scoring through Nathan Langdon, brother of Saints hooker Curtis, with a try the pair would both be proud of. A hard pushed maul finished off in front of the Cinch stand at the Gardens with Will Maisey adding the extras, 12-7.
Fin Smith goes tumbling into the new boardings, finishing off Ollie Sleightholme’s kick through and is unable to add the extra two to his original score. Ten minutes later, Fraser Dingwall’s out-stretched arm would add another five to Saints’ score, after some quick and slick hands across the backline. Smith finds his groove adding two more, 24-7.
Replacement Charlie Savala following in Fin Smith’s steps and this time converting his own try. Not long after Tarek Haffar takes advantage of the numerical value after Bedford’s Fred Tuilagi in sent to the bin not long after coming on, Savala misses the conversion, 36-7.
Bedford are determined to not go down without a fight, with a beautiful cross-field kick from Will Maisey giving Louis James his first try in Bedford Blue, 36-12. Tempers flare from Bedford after some handbags in front of the big screen, with the referee reversing two penalties in the favour of the hosts.
Bedford have the last say in the Mobbs memorial match with Louis James diving over the line for his brace and his second ever try for Bedford, Maisey’s conversion doesn’t have the distance, 36-17.
SCORERS
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: 15. George Furbank© 14. Ollie Sleightholme 13 Fraser Dingwall 12. Rory Hutchinson 11. James Ramm 10. Fin Smith 9. Tom James 1. Tom West 2. Craig Wright 3. Luke Green 4. Callum Hunter-Hill 5. Angus Scott-Young 6. Henry Pollock 7. Josh Kemeny 8. Fyn Brown
REPLACEMENTS: Curtis Langdon, Tarek Haffar, Trevor Davison, Ed Prowse, Aiden Ainsworth-Cave, Kieran Perkins, Sam Graham, Reuben Logan, Archie McParland, Charlie Savala, Rafe Witheat, Sione Va’enuku, Toby Thame, Tom Seabrook
TRIES: 6 Furbank (3, 13) Smith (25) Dingwall (36) Savala (44) Heffar (52)
CONVERSIONS: 3 Smith (14, 37) Savala (45)
PENALTIES: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 0
RED CARDS: 0
BEDFORD BLUES: 15. Matt Worley 14. Alfie Garside 13. Lucas Titherington 12. Michael Le Bourgeois© 11. Dean Adamson 10. Will Maisey 9. James Lennon 1. Joey Conway 2. Nathan Langdon 3. Oisin Heffernan 4. Rory Ward 5. Alex Woolford 6. Luke Frost 7. Jac Arthur 8. Cameron King
REPLACEMENTS: Jamie Jack, Tommy Herman, Bryan O’Connor, Shay Kerry, Archie Benson, Fred Tuilagi, Jake Garside, Will Glister, Joel Matavesi, Jamie Elliott, Toby Cousins, Louis James
TRIES: 3 Langdon (16) James (57, 79)
CONVERSIONS: 1 Maisey (17)
PENALTIES: 0
YELLOW CARDS: 1 (Fred Tuilagi 54)
RED CARDS: 0