Premiership: Gloucester 29-24 Northampton Saints

Jason Woodward scored one of five tries for Gloucester

Gloucester ran in four second-half tries to beat Northampton in an enthralling game at Kingsholm.

Henry Trinder and Jamie Gibson scored in a tight opening period, before Jason Woodward and Harry Mallinder exchanged tries after the break.

Trinder's second pushed the home side back into the lead, and tries from Billy Twelvetrees and Willi Heinz looked to have sealed the game.

Mikey Haywood was driven over to ensure a tight finish but Gloucester held on.

The result was an impressive recovery for the Cherry and Whites, who were humbled 57-10 at Sale last weekend.

It was also their first win over Northampton since 2013 and brought Saints' four-match winning run to an end.

The lead changed hands several times until midway through the second half when Gloucester attacked straight from a restart and Twelvetrees found a way through for the bonus-point try.

Heinz then broke from the back of a scrum to decisively extend the lead and Haywood's third score in three games was only good enough for a Northampton losing bonus.

Gloucester head coach Johan Ackermann:

"I'm very proud of the guys. They worked hard all week and showed a lot of fight in them.

"I challenged the players before the match and they responded.

"The accuracy was there and the balance between the kicking game and the running game."

Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder:

"It was very frustrating. It was an arm wrestle and, particularly in the first half, we never really got to grips.

"We never really seemed to get on the front foot like we've been doing over the last few weeks and we were slightly inaccurate which made it difficult.

"We came back and we nearly gave ourselves a chance but it was a bit too late."

Gloucester: Woodward; Purdy, Trinder, Twelvetrees, Halaifonua; Williams, Heinz (capt); Ruskin, Hibbard, Afoa; Savage, Thrush, Ludlow, Rowan, Ackermann.

Replacements: Matu'u, Hohneck, Denman, Polledri, Clarke, Vellacott, Burns, Hudson.

Northampton Saints: Tuala; North, Burrell, Francis, Collins; Mallinder, Reinach; Waller, Hartley (capt), Brookes, Paterson, Ribbans, Gibson, Harrison, Dickinson.

Replacements: Haywood, van Wyk, Ford-Robinson, Ratuniyarawa, Lawes, Mitchell, Myler, Foden.

Referee: Wayne Barnes.