Carreras halts Gloucester rut

NORTHAMPTON’S Tommy Freeman bounced back from his England hangover with two tries but could not save Saints from being attacked by a Puma as they went down 34-19 to Gloucester.

Freeman was hauled off at halftime in last weekend’s 27-13 hammering by South Africa but got Northampton on the front foot with a couple of first-half scores.

But 19 points from Argentina flyhalf Santiago Carreras, who scored one and made two tries, ended Gloucester’s run of three defeats.

It made a happy 40th birthday for head coach George Skivington who insisted his side owed the Kingsholm faithful after their poor run.

Skivington said: ‘The boys wanted to make a point, they wanted to give something back to the supporters and they did. After a disappointing period, we needed that.’

Elsewhere, Bristol made a dramatic comeback to draw 26-26 against 14-man Leicester Tigers to avoid a seventh straight defeat.

Bristol were down 26-12 with just 15 minutes to go, but after Bryan Bryne’s try reduced the deficit to seven, Leicester’s Francois van Wyk was sent off for a dangerous hit on former Tiger Ellis Genge in the build-up.

Gabriel Ibitoye’s try levelled the scores and summer signing AJ

MacGinty had a chance to win it for Bristol with a 81st-minute penalty that fell just wide.

In the first half, Chris Ashton scored his 98th Premiership try as Leicester built a lead that was rapidly undone after Van Wyk’s headhigh hit on Genge.