Bath gain revenge on Northampton Saints as Ben Spencer and England outcasts star
Joe Cokanasiga in action for Bath against Northampton Saints in 2024.
Bath made an early title statement as they proved far too strong for 2023/24 Premiership victors Northampton Saints, claiming a 38-16 triumph at the Rec.
In a repeat of last season’s final, the West Country outfit were in control throughout and scored five tries in total as they sealed a bonus-point success.
The first two came via individuals who are very much looking to play their way into Steve Borthwick’s thoughts as Joe Cokanasiga and Ted Hill touched down.
Despite enjoying fine seasons last time out, Cokanasiga and Hill were overlooked by the England boss for the New Zealand tour, but this was the ideal statement.
However, they were outshone by man of the match Ben Spencer, who dictated the game superbly and also scored Bath’s third try.
Another Red Rose player, Ollie Lawrence, also crossed the whitewash, before Jaco Coetzee touched down late on to confirm the win.
Defending champions Northampton did go over via Josh Kemeny, while Fin Smith kicked three penalties, but it was a tough opening night.
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Northampton missed the sniping presence of injured England scrum-half Alex Mitchell and, although Smith provided moments of flair and creativity, Bath always enjoyed an element of control.
England boss Borthwick looked on as Bath dominated initial territory and possession – Saints did not help themselves by conceding three quickfire penalties – before taking a sixth-minute lead.
The Bath forwards drove a lineout deep into Northampton’s 22, then quickly recycled ball enabled an overlap to be worked and Cokanasiga finished impressively.
Finn Russell converted from the touchline, but his opposite number Smith drifted a short-range penalty chance wide before Russell failed to find the target from 35 metres.
Northampton hit back in style midway through the first half, carving Bath’s defence open through some slick handling at pace.
Centre Fraser Dingwall was the architect, sending captain George Furbank through a gap 25 metres out, and Kemeny applied the finish on his Saints debut.
Smith converted, but Saints were then stunned by a spectacular Bath score from distance.
Centre Will Butt made an outstanding break, found Spencer in support and his superbly-timed pass allowed Hill an unopposed run to the line, with Russell’s conversion making it 14-7.
Smith kicked a penalty, but Bath struck again five minutes before the interval, charging forward from a lineout, and Spencer exploited some weak Northampton defensive work to claim his team’s third touchdown, again converted by Russell.
Northampton needed to make inroads after the break and they went close just eight minutes in, but wing James Ramm saw possession squirm away from his grasp as he tried to collect Smith’s cross-kick.
Smith cut the gap through a 54th-minute penalty and landed a three-pointer shortly afterwards to set up an intriguing final quarter.
Bath then reasserted themselves in the game, with debutant flanker Guy Pepper making a crunching tackle on Furbank, who spilled possession and Lawrence broke clear to score.
Russell landed a fourth successful conversion and Saints again had it all to do, trailing by 12 points.
A Russell penalty took Bath further in front, with his long-range effort killing off any chance of a late Saints revival, and Kemeny collected a late yellow card.
There was still time for Bath to add further gloss after Kemeny’s departure, with powerful close-range work by the pack rewarded when Coetzee touched down to complete a convincing evening.
A good night for the West Country
Bristol kicked off their Gallagher Premiership season with a low-profile 24-3 win away at a much-improved Newcastle side on Friday night.
Away from the glamour tie at Recreation Ground, where Bath hosted Northampton in a repeat of last year’s Premiership final, under grey overcast skies in the north-east, Newcastle and Bristol engaged in a scrum-ridden arm wrestle which opened up in the second half.
Newcastle, after a full summer of pre-season toughening up under director of rugby Steve Diamond, were a much sterner test than the side that capitulated to a record 85-14 defeat at Ashton Gate five months ago but still fell to their 22nd league defeat on the bounce.
A brace from Max Malins and tries from James Williams and Siva Naulago, with AJ MacGinty adding two conversions, delivered Bristol’s bonus point win at Kingston Park. Newcastle registered just three points from the boot of fly-half Brett Connon.
In contrast to the hosts – who handed debuts to summer signings Connor Doherty and Sammy Arnold in the centres and Tom Gordon at openside, with new prop Luan de Bruin coming off the bench and academy scrum-half Joe Davis making his debut from the replacements – Bristol boss Pat Lam named an entire matchday 23 who were at the club last season.
Bristol opened the scoring inside five minutes after lock James Dun was put through a gap in the midfield as the away side attacked off a lineout and the forward produced a sumptuous back-of-the-hand offload to centre Williams who had the pace to run in. Fly-half MacGinty missed a relatively routine shot at goal.
After the bright start, Newcastle pinned the Bears deep into their half for the majority of the next 35 minutes, but turned down multiple chances to go for goal in favour of kicking to the corner and were unable to convert their superior possession and territory into points.
Ellis Genge ended one attack with a thunderous tackle on Callum Chick, dislodging the ball from the Falcons captain. With the final play of the first half, Newcastle won a scrum penalty which Connon converted to make it a two-point game at the break.
Bristol struck quickly again after the interval. Harry Randall sniped from the base of the ruck to get close to the try line and Jake Heenan kept the momentum of the move alive with a quick pass out to Benhard Janse van Rensburg. He smoothly whipped the ball to Naulago who finished the flowing move with a one-handed diving finish in the corner and MacGinty converted.
The Falcons’ resolve was running out and patient play from Bristol saw Malins take a pass at full speed to burst over the line and put the result beyond doubt.
The all-important bonus point was delivered by Malins, who took a clever cross-field kick from MacGinty over his shoulder to dot the ball down.
