Latest news with #Northampton
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gloucester beat Saints but fall short of top four
Gallagher Premiership, Kingsholm Gloucester (22) 41 Tries: Cotgreave 3, Wade 2, Williams, Atkinson Cons: Carreras 3 Northampton (14) 26 Tries: Pearson, Litchfield, Lumley, Mapu Cons: Hutchinson 3 Jack Cotgreave scored a hat-trick to help Gloucester to a bonus-point victory over Northampton but it was not enough to force their way into the Premiership top four. The Cherry and Whites did all they could, running in six tries to see off a much-changed but very spirited Saints. Advertisement There was no help from elsewhere though as Leicester, Sale and Bristol all won to limit Gloucester to a fifth-placed finish. Teenage winger Cotgreave's two first-half tries plus scores from Christian Wade and Tomos Williams helped the home side into a 22-14 half-time lead. Cotgreave's third score, Seb Atkinson's try and a second from the departing Wade completed the job after the break. Gloucester began as huge favourites for victory as Northampton made 14 changes from the side that lost the Champions Cup final to Bordeaux last weekend and 19-year-old Cotgreave scored the first try after just five minutes. Advertisement Saints quickly replied through a try from short range by flanker Tom Pearson before centre Tom Litchfield powered over to put the visitors in front. Two tries out of nothing had Gloucester back in front before half-time as Wade picked off Henry Lumley's pass and sprinted to the line from 60 metres out before Saints failed to secure a box-kick and the loose ball was scooped up by Freddie Clarke and his offload sent Williams into the left corner. Saints laid siege to the Gloucester line just before half-time and prop Afo Fasogbon was yellow carded for making a tackle on his knees but the hosts survived to take an eight-point lead to the break. Shortly after the interval, Saints got back to within a point as Lumley atoned for his earlier interception as he dummied to go through half a gap and reach for the line. Advertisement But Gloucester quickly scored a fifth try as they swung play left to exploit space and Cotgreave stepped inside to score his third try before Wade made a break up the right wing and offloaded inside for Atkinson to push the hosts further clear. Saints refused to buckle and rolled Mapu over the line from a short-range line-out to close to within 10 points. They dominated the final 15 minutes but Gloucester held firm. The hosts had the final say with the last play of the game as Wade raced up the right wing in front of The Shed to score his 93rd, and final, Premiership try before his cross-code move to Wigan Warriors, leaving him six short of Chris Ashton's league record. Gloucester: Carreras, Wade, Harris, Atkinson, Cotgreave, Anscombe, Williams; Knight, Singleton, Fasogbon, Clarke, Clark, Clement, Ludlow (c), Ackermann Advertisement Replacements: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Thomas, Englefield, Butler, Barton Sin-bin: Fasogbon Northampton: Garside, Cousins, Lumley, Litchfield, Sleightholme, Hutchinson, Weimann; Haffar, Walker, Green, Prowse (c), Munga, Benson, Pearson, Brown Replacements: Langdon, Iyogun, Millar Mills, Hunter-Hill, Lockett, Mapu, Pater, Baker Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Cotgreave hat-trick gives Gloucester win over Northampton but no playoff berth
Gloucester did their part. A top-four finish and a place in the playoffs remained tantalisingly within reach for George Skivington's side on the final day, but they didn't just need a win: they also required one of Bristol, Sale and Leicester above them to falter. It wasn't to be. Seven tries in a rousing performance, including a hat-trick for the elusive 19-year-old wing Jack Cotgreave, against a much-changed Northampton delighted their relentlessly passionate fans. Ultimately it meant finishing fifth. It will be Bath, plus the aforementioned three, to fight it out for the Premiership title. Advertisement Related: Ibitoye double fires Bristol past Harlequins to clinch playoff tie at Bath The Saints remain the champions for now and Phil Dowson's 14 changes felt like a suitably low-key way to sign off on a disappointing title defence. They have been injury-plagued and hardly helped by players frequently departing for international duty. Still they produced one of the more memorable performances of recent years by edging out Leinster in the Champions Cup semi-final four weeks ago. They came up short against Bordeaux in Cardiff seven days ago and all four of their British & Irish Lions representatives – Fin Smith, Henry Pollock, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman – were absent for this season finale. Music to Gloucester's ears with a playoff berth potentially on the table: official statistics gave them a 34% chance of the top four, and mathematically speaking, there was even a shot at a home semi-final. In a perfect world, perhaps, the Premiership's final day would feature a tense scrap to avoid relegation as well as a pulsating playoff race: not to mention a properly funded, healthy second tier packed with clubs snapping at the heels of the elite. Advertisement That feels like an impossible dream in English rugby (blame the Rugby Football Union, not the clubs) and Dowson's recently stated fear of the competition collectively 'sleepwalking' to another bankruptcy was right on the money, if that is the correct phrase. Hype up a congested playoff race all you like, the finances of the clubs remain in a parlous state, and there is no sign of it changing. Taking the positives, though, there was nothing wrong with the on-field product. The 6ft 4in Cotgreave had scored on his Premiership debut against Newcastle last time out, and crossed three times in the first half alone, although one of those was disallowed for a foot in touch. His first score came after three minutes, converted by Santiago Carreras, only for tries by Northampton's Tom Pearson and Tom Litchfield to demonstrate that the visitors fancied making a game of it. The second row Ed Prowse, captaining Northampton for the first time, was forced off on 17 minutes after an accidental head contact before Cotgreave's flying effort in the corner was disallowed. There was no doubt over another impressively pacy finish on the same wing, by the same player, on 25 minutes. Then, when Christian Wade smartly intercepted a pass around halfway on the Gloucester right, his prodigious pace made the breakaway finish seem straightforward. Wonderful work by the lock Freddie Clarke, skilfully scooping up a loose ball and offloading, soon sent the quicksilver scrum-half Tomos Williams cantering in for the bonus point. It was 22-14 at half-time: the only problem? Bristol led Harlequins 26-12, having run in four tries, with Leicester and Sale also set fair. Advertisement Northampton came out firing. The scrum-half Jonny Weimann forced his way over eight minutes after the break and when Hutchinson confidently stroked over a sweet conversion, his third of the afternoon, there was just a point in it. Gloucester's response was immediate, literally: from the restart Carreras's silky show-and-go set up Cotgreave for his hat-trick. Seb Atkinson's score made it six tries, and was met with one of the day's biggest cheers. Order restored for the Shed faithful. Iakopo Mapu's try for Saints cut the lead to 10 before Wade's second, the game's final act, sent the fans wild. But for Gloucester, the playoffs will have to wait. 'I just hope we can follow up this season, that's what it's about,' remarked a fan as the train from London pulled into Gloucester station an hour or so before kick-off. A sentiment doubtless shared by all those who follow the once-mighty Cherry-and-Whites.
The Sun
5 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Northampton fire: Massive inferno breaks out at retail park in town centre sending plumes of thick smoke into the sky
A MASSIVE fire has broken out at a retail park in a town centre sending billows of smoke into the sky. Emergency services were called to the shop in Nene Valley Retail Park, in Northampton just before 3:30pm today. Towcester Road is currently shut between the St Peter's Way roundabout whilst fire officers deal with the incident. It is believed no one has been injured at this time. Locals have been urged to keep their windows and doors shut whilst crew work to put out the fire. A Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue spokesman said: 'We are currently dealing with a fire at a store in Northampton. 'No one is believed to be injured as a result of the fire; however, Towcester Road is currently shut between the St Peter's Way roundabout and the Shell Garage roundabout whilst we deal with this incident. "The smoke from this fire is blowing toward the town centre, and people in the local area are advised to keep windows and doors shut until further notice. "We will continue to provide updates when we can.' Northamptonshire Police said: "The smoke from this fire is blowing toward the town centre and people in the local area are advised to keep windows and doors shut until further notice. "We are currently dealing with a fire at a store in St James Retail Park in Northampton. "No one is believed to be injured as a result of the fire however Towcester Road is currently shut between the St Peter's Way roundabout and the Shell Garage roundabout whilst we deal with this incident. "Thank you for your patience and we will provide updates as and when we are able to." 1
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
Gloucester beat Saints but fall short of top four
Gallagher Premiership, KingsholmGloucester (22) 41Tries: Cotgreave 3, Wade 2, Williams, Atkinson Cons: Carreras 3Northampton (14) 26Tries: Pearson, Litchfield, Lumley, Mapu Cons: Hutchinson 3 Jack Cotgreave scored a hat-trick to help Gloucester to a bonus-point victory over Northampton but it was not enough to force their way into the Premiership top Cherry and Whites did all they could, running in six tries to see off a much-changed but very spirited was no help from elsewhere though as Leicester, Sale and Bristol all won to limit Gloucester to a fifth-placed winger Cotgreave's two first-half tries plus scores from Christian Wade and Tomos Williams helped the home side into a 22-14 half-time third score, Seb Atkinson's try and a second from the departing Wade completed the job after the to follow. Gloucester: Carreras, Wade, Harris, Atkinson, Cotgreave, Anscombe, Williams; Knight, Singleton, Fasogbon, Clarke, Clark, Clement, Ludlow (c), AckermannReplacements: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Thomas, Englefield, Butler, BartonSin-bin: FasogbonNorthampton: Garside, Cousins, Lumley, Litchfield, Sleightholme, Hutchinson, Weimann; Haffar, Walker, Green, Prowse (c), Munga, Benson, Pearson, BrownReplacements: Langdon, Iyogun, Millar Mills, Hunter-Hill, Lockett, Mapu, Pater, BakerReferee: Anthony Woodthorpe
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Firefighters tackling blaze at retail park
Animals and shoppers have been evacuated from a retail park in Northamptonshire while firefighters battle a large blaze. Emergency services are on the scene of the fire at a Dunelm store in the St James Retail Park, in Northampton. In images sent to the BBC, thick plumes of smoking can be seen billowing into the sky from the home furnishing store. Northamptonshire Police and the Northamptonshire Fire Service said "no one is believed to be injured" while animals in the nearby Pets at Home shop have been "moved to safety". Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
