Bristol promised their long-suffering supporters a journey into the promised land this season but so far all they have shown is promise and they failed to emerge with even a bonus point yesterday despite dominating territorially.
The Shoguns have averaged 31 points a match this month but they have conceded 119 in their three games, organisational lapses in defence compounding attacking profligacy. Northampton looked anything but pretenders to Leicester's crown but Bristol too often lacked shape and direction.
Bristol's director of rugby Peter Thorburn has shouldered the responsibility, saying that, if he survives the season, he will spend next summer working on organisation and not just skills, but there was no excuse for some of the basic errors committed yesterday: players from both sides sported fashionable handwear designed to make catching the ball easier, but so many passes were spilled that there will probably be a manufacturer's recall.
Thorburn refused to criticise his players, blaming his close-season programme, but there were times yesterday when the match resembled an end-of-season contest with mistakes abounding.
Northampton, like Saracens here two weeks ago, made the most of gifts presented to them. The Saints scored three tries from moves which all started when Bristol had possession: twice the ball was given up and on the other occasion the England wing Phil Christophers kicked infield to Nick Beal after gathering the ball two yards from his own line.
Otherwise Northampton exerted little pressure and their coach Wayne Smith admitted: "We won a lucky one. Bristol played really well and they will not remain at the foot of the table for long if they maintain that form."
Smith described Thorburn, a fellow New Zealander, as his coaching mentor but Thorburn will be relieved to pit his wits against an Englishman next Saturday, even if it comes in the form of a visit to Kingsholm to face unbeaten Gloucester: he has endured three defeats against sides coached by Kiwis this season.
Bristol led by eight points in the first half but they lost their momentum just before the break when they had a one-man advantage after the Northampton prop Mattie Stewart had been sent to the sin-bin for a professional foul.
Northampton were trailing 17-9 but went into the interval ahead. Stewart's absence made little difference in the tight where the Saints were shoved around even with a full complement, but Bristol became over-confident. Agustin Pichot tried to take a quick penalty in his own half only to lose control of the ball and Paul Grayson's chip presented John Leslie with the softest of tries.
Bristol were to never regain the lead. Christophers' error presented Budge Pountney with a try after Beal's burst before the Saints made an error of their own, changing their midfield before a defensive scrum and being baffled by Felipe Contepomi's loop and Jamie Williams's angle into the line which created space for Brendan Daniel on the right wing.
With eight minutes to go Northampton led by a mere point and were hanging on. The Bristol flanker Ben Sturnham had a try disallowed despite appearing to ground the ball while the Saints looked close to collapse. When the Shoguns worked a three-man overlap, the centre Martin Shaw had only to find an outside man for the lead to be regained but his pass to the flanker Michael Lipman floated into touch. Within a minute Ben Cohen rounded Shaw 30 yards out after Contepomi had lost possession to leave the Shoguns stuck in reverse.
Bristol: Williams; Daniel, Rees, Shaw, Christophers; Contepomi, Pichot; Crompton (Johnstone, 68), McCarthy (Nelson, 80), White, Archer (capt), Brown, Sturnham, Lipman, Salter.
Tries: Contepomi, Archer, Daniel. Cons: Contepomi 2. Pen: Contepomi 3.
Sin-bin: McCarthy 19.
Northampton: Beal; Sleightholme (Jorgensen, 52), Cohen, Leslie, Ripol; Grayson, Dawson; Smith, Thompson (Richmond, 54), Stewart (Budgen, 72), Connors, Williams, Blowers, Pountney (capt; Phillips, 54), Seely.
Tries: Leslie, Pountney, Cohen. Cons: Grayson 3. Pens: Grayson 5.
Sin-bin: Stewart 33.
Referee: A Rowden.
Attendance: 4,674.
