Bath v Northampton: Five takeaways as hosts produce ‘masterclass’ against Saints side ‘in transition’
Following a 38-16 victory for Bath over Northampton Saints in the Premiership, here’s our five takeaways from the game at the Rec.
The top line
In a repeat of the 2024 Premiership final, Bath took consolation from their June defeat in an excellent display of intelligent and organised pragmatism, winning 38-16 courtesy of five tries from four England Test players and a South African, as Joe Cokanasiga, Ted Hill, Ben Spencer, Ollie Lawrence and Jaco Coetzee all crossed the line.
With Finn Russell pinpoint from the tee – and in every aspect of his kicking and territorial game – this was a masterclass from Bath in playing pragmatic, winning rugby, very much in the Johann van Graan style seen previously at the Bulls, Muster and, of course, the Springboks.
Spencer, Russell’s partner at half-back, might not always be England’s cup of tea, but the Bath skipper crossed for a memorable try before half-time, and demonstrated once more that his control from the base, especially with the boot, is up there with any player in the Premiership. He had a mammoth influence on proceedings, leading with vim and vigour, and getting a standing ovation from the Bath faithful for yet another superb display in the blue, black and white.
It was a reversal of the Premiership final result, but with Saints rebuilding and experimenting with combinations, Bath could do little more than play the game that was in front of them, something they did with great commitment and execution.
Bath basics
For all the firepower in the backline of both sides, Bath’s win came from the time-honoured basics of pinpoint kick and chase work and dominance in the gain line collisions.
Spencer was in commanding form, clearing hither and thither, with depth and length. Alongside him, Russell and his tantalising spiral bombs gave his forwards and back three enough hangtime to really challenge, the tactics keeping Saints pinned back in their own territory for long periods of the first half.
It was death by a thousand cuts; Russell kicks, the chasers pressure, and Saints return kick off the back foot. Bath then rinse and repeat and bit by bit, on every kick, Northampton lost two or three crucial metres of territory.
Despite an all-action display from Tom Pearson, particularity in terms of his lineout excellence, there’s little doubt Bath won the collision, with their back-row and, in particular, Quinn Roux making some massive hits on the gain line.
It was a typical early season performance from both teams: cagey, edgy and perhaps testing out confidence and combinations, but this time it was Bath who just edged Saints in the basics, a turnaround of the encounter in the Premiership final in June.
Error count
With early season nerves always a factor, the little moments that come together further on down the journey of a season cost both sides a degree of attacking continuity that was evident last season.
Fumbles in contact cost Saints dearly, none more so than when James Ramm lost control of the ball in the right hand corner as the try line beckoned. Luke Pearce’s careful review showed clear separation as the wing looked to touch down.
The lineout, outside of Pearson, Saints’ banker, also struggled to get a foothold as they were outgunned in height by Charlie Ewels and Roux, using Angus Scott-Young, a smidgen below 6’4”, as lock cover.
With Smith missing some simple kicks off the tee, shots that a man of his international experience should nail with his eyes closed, it was a frustrating night for Saints in terms of their execution as they looked to be nowhere near the sharpness of team we saw last season.
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Saints in transition
There’s no secret in the game that 2024/25 is something of a transition season for Northampton Saints. Any team in the world is likely to suffer from losing players of the calibre of the great Courtney Lawes, Alex Waller and Lewis Ludlam, but for Saints it’s not only losing the experience and skill levels of these players, it’s about losing the sheer heft they brought to Saints down the middle of the park.
However, life goes on for the East Midlands club and judging from Friday’s showing at the Rec, they’ve the potential in ranks to overcome the loss of the legends.
On the flank, Josh Kemeny, the 6’4” former Melbourne Rebel, announced himself on the Premiership scene with a well taken try on the wide left as he finished off a trademark Saints backline move.
The Aussie blindside has the biggest shoes, or rather biggest Crocs, in English rugby to fill as he replaces the legend Lawes, but on his showing in this game, there’s an appetite for graft together with a good set of wheels on Saints’ new signing.
Manny Iyogun is already a seasoned Premiership prop and did his job with aplomb following in the footsteps of club favourite Waller, giving Will Stuart a torrid time at a couple of scrums on the Bath line but, despite not being as affected by change as the forwards, the Saints backline looked ponderous by their high standards, losing a key battle in the air and of territory with the boot.
Saints expect excellence these days and as they look to defend their title, they’ll want a little more than we saw on Friday from their electric back division.
England watch
With head coach Steve Borthwick and scrum guru Tom Harrison in Bath’s West Stand, their notebooks will be full of ticks, but most of them in blue ink rather than green, as Bath’s regulars and also fringe players demonstrated their credentials in front of the people that matter.
It’s no secret that England are threadbare at centre, with Ollie Lawrence playing out of position and Henry Slade offering little more than Test mediocrity at 13, but 24-year-old Will Butt, whose electric break off Russell and Will Muir cut through Saint set Ted Hill, another player who shone brightly, galloping over for his first try of the season.
Alongside Hill, Miles Reid on his 100th appearance was one of the primary influences on the evening breakdown, stealing an early ball that saw Bath attacking down the right to send another impressive player, Cokanasiga, sprinting home for the line and combining well with Hill and Alfie Barbeary, another England hopeful.
However, whilst Bath had by far the better of the collision and kick battle, there’s no doubt that Saints edged the scrum contest with Trevor Davison really digging into Beno Obano and, as noted before, Iyogun giving Will Stuart a real schooling on a couple of occasions on the other side.