Northampton player ratings: England star’s ‘fingerprints all over’ famous Saints win while Test hopeful acts as the ‘hosts’ heartbreaker’
Northampton Saints' Alex Mitchell starred for his side in their win over Pau
Following Northampton Saints’ 35-27 win over Pau in the Investec Champions Cup, here is how we scored Phil Dowson’s men.
Northampton Saints player ratings v Pau
15 George Furbank: Had a try cruelly denied by a piece of defensive magic early on, but didn’t let that bog him down. Always managed to make something happen in attack, either in his own carrying or with his passing too. Pleasing to see him continue to get minutes in as well, after a torrid spell with injuries. 7
14 James Ramm: Looked very threatening during his spell on the pitch, scoring two tries in a real poacher’s effort, but he later copped a 20-minute red card for a clash in the air. It wasn’t as costly as it could have been, with the scores 13-10 while he was off the pitch, but it still gave his side a tough task. 5
13 Rory Hutchinson: While he wasn’t quite as prominent as in previous outings, he still looked to make the positive choice for his side. 6
12 Fraser Dingwall: Didn’t set the pitch alight, but still acted as that crucial link to the rest of the backline. As we’ve come to expect, he often stepped into the first receiver role, which then allowed Fin Smith to orchestrate things from that slightly deeper pocket. 6
11 George Hendy: He was the hosts’ heartbreaker at the end, but that capped off what was a very busy shift for the Test hopeful. Always seemed to make something happen ball-in-hand, notching 65 metres from his seven carries in the process, and he finally got the reward for that with the last-gasp try. 7
10 Fin Smith: Grew into the game as it went on, and eventually had the last laugh from the tee. As above, his ability to sit in that slightly deeper pocket allowed him to make the most of the spaces Pau presented in the final exchanges and eventually take the spoils. Will also do his confidence the world of good, after a tough November with England. 7
9 Alex Mitchell: Hit the ground running back in club colours, continuing his fine form during the Autumn Nations Series. His fingerprints were all over Northampton’s performance today, injecting some serious fizz into his side’s attack and playing a crucial role in almost every score as a result. His own try in the second half capped off a fine display. 8
Back-row
8 Callum Chick: Never shied away from the ugly stuff during his shift, in a typically gritty effort. 6
7 Tom Pearson: Got stuck in right from the off, and became increasingly effective as the game went on too. His work both in the breakdown and in defence stemmed the momentum of the hosts, seemingly spawning at the exact moment to pull off a sensational effort. A performance fitting his rich vein of form this season. 7
6 Josh Kemeny: Like his flanker colleague, just threw his body into the breakdown battle and came up with some pivotal turnovers in the process. Also got stuck into the defensive effort, making some important tackles. 7
Tight five
5 JJ van der Mescht: Yet again, a force in the tight, putting his frame to good use in those close exchanges. Led the way for carries for his side prior to his departure early in the second half, notching nine. 6
4 Alex Coles: Boy oh boy is he in good form at the moment, and he again impressed today against Pau. His break in the build-up to Mitchell’s score was the highlight of his day, but that was just the cherry on top of a tidy outing across almost every facet of the game. 7
3 Trevor Davison: Didn’t quite get into his usual scrummaging groove, with the scrums a mess all day, but got involved in the defensive efforts to good effect. Notably led the tackle stats across the game prior to his departure, making 13. 7
2 Craig Wright: A real industrious effort from the hooker, who continues to shine in the starting role. Gave his side a solid platform from the lineout, and brought plenty of physicality to proceedings in the tight too. 7
1 Danilo Fischetti: Again, can’t really be judged on his scrummaging, but worked hard in defence and ended his shift second in the tackle stats for his side with 10 to his name. 7
Replacements: A really strong collective shift from the Saints bench today, who just took things up a notch. The front-row replacements of Robbie Smith, Emmanuel Iyogun and Cleopas Kundiona managed to change the trajectory of the scrum and won crucial penalties in the process. Around that, Ed Prowse, Henry Pollock and Sam Graham also looked to get stuck into the battle up front right from their introduction. Toby Thame, on his European debut, also looked increasingly busy as the game went on. 8