Northampton edge Gloucester in nine-try thriller

Northampton Saints hooker Curtis Langdon scored two of their five tries at Kingsholm

Gloucester(14) 29
Tries: Clarke, Harris, Alemanno, Carreras Cons: Hastings 3 Pens: Hastings
Northampton (24) 31
Tries: Langdon 2, Mitchell, Coles, Litchfield Cons: Smith 3

Northampton Saints climbed to third in the Premiership as they narrowly beat Gloucester in a see-saw nine-try tussle at Kingsholm.

Tries from Freddie Clarke and Chris Harris, either side of a second from Langdon, made it 14-24 at half-time.

Matias Alemanno and Santiago Carrerars scores put Gloucester in front but Tom Litchfield's converted try won it.

After Carreras had helped Gloucester follow Saints in earning a try bonus point, Litchfield's 64th-minute try levelled the scores - and Fin Smith added the extras to seize victory.

Saints head into Christmas within two points of new leaders Bath, while ninth-placed Gloucester's extra losing bonus point lifts them six clear of bottom club Newcastle.

Latest Premiership table

More to follow.

Gloucester: Carreras; Rees-Zammit, Harris, Llewellyn, Thorley; Hastings, S Varney; Elrington, Socino, Balmain, Clarke, Alemanno, Ackermann, Ludlow, Mercer.

Replacements: McGuigan, Ford-Robinson, Gotovtsev, Jordan, Clement, Englefield, S Atkinson, Evans.

Northampton: Furbank; Litchfield, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Freeman; F Smith, Mitchell; E Waller, Langdon, Hill, Mayanavanua, Coles, Lawes, Pearson, Graham.

Replacements: S Matavesi, Haffar, Millar-Mills, Munga, Augustus, Braley, Savala, J Garside.

Sin-bin: Hutchinson (40)

Referee: Hamish Smales (RFU)

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