The top two teams in the Gallagher PREM faced each other in the quarter-final of the European Champions Cup. Bath scored six tries to five Saints tries and Henry Pollock was sin binned late as Bath took the lead in the last five minutes for the only time in the game.
Fast Start for Saints
Northampton Saints got off to the perfect start, as Henry Pollock went over after three minutes from five yards out after Miles Reid was sinbinned for going in from the side of the ruck after two minutes.
Then three minutes later, Saints doubled their lead, as Northampton started a move from their own half. A few passes later, and Tommy Freeman gets a line break, who passes the ball back inside to the awaiting Fraser Dingwall whoes over under the posts. Fin Smith converted both tries to make the score 0-14 after 7 minutes.
Bath Get Going…but not for long
Ref Andrew Brace awarded Bath a penalty from close range and a quick tap and go by Tom Dunn, who bundles over the line for the score. Finn Russell converted the try to make the score 7-14. However, the comeback is short lived as Saints score twice in five minutes again. Firstly, Tom Lockett catches a wide pass from Fin Smith just outside the five-metre line, and Lockett goes over untouched. Again Smith converted and the score became 7-21 on 16 minutes.
Five minutes later, Josh Kemeny goes over after Rory Hutchinson gathers a charged down kick, bolts through the defence, and his pass to Archie McParland, who thought he had enough, but he passed to Kemeny who goes over under the posts. Yet again, Fin Smith converted both tries and suddenly the score is 7-28 with only 21 minutes on the clock.
The Comeback is on?
Down by 21 points, Bath got back into the game when Finn Russell scooped up a scrappy line out, kicks the ball through and and gets on the ball in the in-goal area and converted his own try and the lead is down to 14 with 14 minutes left in the first half.
It gets back to 21 points with 11 minutes to go, after Ollie Sleightholme gets the ball from the scrum, and he bounced through two tackles to score, and with the Smith conversion, the became 14-35. Francois van Wyk goes over after some great phase play and a short pass back finds van Wyk, who dived over the line to score. However, Finn Russell missed the conversion so the gap at half-time was nine points, and 26-35 to Northampton. Could the second half live up to the first?
The Comeback is on!
Saints were awarded a penalty in front of the posts, and Fin Smith points to the posts, to the boos of the Bath faithful. That didn’t put Smith off and the gap grew to 12 on 43 minutes. Bath battled to get back into the game, and they were given a lifeline on 55 minutes, when JJ van der Mescht was sent to the sin bin for a number of infringements, and Bath made it count immediately.
Bath keep it tight at the set-piece, and Kepu Tuipulotu benefitted from the driving maul as he dived over the line on 58 minutes, and Finn Russell converted the try and suddenly the gap is down to five.
However, Alfie Barbeary was penalised for offside and Fin Smith slotted the ball over from in front of the posts, and the lead up to eight andthe score 33-41. Finn Russell puts over a penalty for Bath to bring the lead back to five with 13 minutes to go.
Pollock Sin Binned
Bath huffed and puffed and tried hard to get into the lead, and the game suddenly turned on its head on 72 minutes. Henry Pollock is sin binned for a controversial penalty, as the penalties stacked up, someone had to go. This eventually costs Saints the game, as Bath won a penalty at a scrum, and keep the ball moving. Ted Hill took charge and powered over for the crucial score. Finn Russell converted to give Bath the lead for the first time with five minutes to go. Bath held out to win 43-41, after being 21 points down after 21 minutes. What a game of rugby. Bath will now face the winner of Toulouse and Bordeaux, who play on Sunday.
