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Bath Rugby came agonisingly close to a first-ever Premiership title as they fell 25 – 21 to the Northampton Saints at Twickenham.
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Losing loosehead prop Beno Obano to a red card in the 21st minute did not deter Johann van Graan’s side from having a real crack at the Saints.
Ultimately, it would take a moment of magic from Saints replacement George Hendy, who broke through the Bath defence before setting up Alex Mitchell for the match-winning try.
Here is how the Bath players fared in their tough loss.
1. Beno Obano – 2
A strong opening twenty minutes was offset by a red card tackle that had zero mitigating factors and cost his team heavily in the end.
2. Tom Dunn – 7
A superb scrum performance from the hooker, who appeared to be getting stuck into the Saints tighthead. Offering himself to carry into the coal face of the Saints’ defence time and again got Bath some crucial yardage as they dominated territory at key points.
3. Thomas du Toit – 9
The big Springbok tighthead claimed the ascendancy at scrum time from the first contest and held it throughout. Such was the impressive nature of his performance that his well-taken try wasn’t even the best part of his day. It seemed at times he singlehandedly shredded the Northampton breakdown with timely jackals and would have been a clear player of the match candidate had his team won.
4. Quinn Roux – 6
Brought to Bath for his ability at scrum and maul time, where he was exceptional once again today. It was a no-frills performance from the former Ireland international, whose power game was key in keeping Bath in the fight.
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5. Charlie Ewels – 7
Bath’s enforcer was on form from the off, putting in a raft of crunching hits, with his effort on George Furbank being felt around the stadium. At set-piece time, he was exceptional, disrupting the Saints line-out and being a key member of a dominant scrum.
6. Ted Hill – 7
Built for the big occasion, Hill put himself about today with several crunching tackles that brought the Saints’ uptempo game to a grinding halt.
7. Sam Underhill – 9
Few players in professional rugby hit as hard and effectively as Underhill, who made his presence felt today. Starting with a huge shot on Alex Mitchell before bringing several other Saints attacks to a grinding halt.
8. Alfie Barbeary – 5
Cruelly plucked from the action following Beno Obano’s red card, Barbeary, in conjunction with his backrow teammates, had a sterling opening twenty minutes. His physicality and ability to get into awkward positions at the breakdown were key factors in slowing down the Saints for the first quarter.
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9. Ben Spencer – 8
Clearly identified that his opposite number takes a step when he passes at the ruck, Spencer caught Mitchell several times cutting off the supply of ball to the dangerous Saints backline. In attack, Spencer’s speed of delivery and running ability had his team on the front foot, allowing Finn Russell ample time to pull the strings.
10. Finn Russell – 8
A mature performance from a player renowned for his maverick style. Releasing the pressure valve on his team with pinpoint kicking from hand whilst still offering a running threat. His double tackle, in conjunction with Underhill on Burger Odendaal, was a real insight into his rugby intelligence as he cut infield to close down a sizeable gap on his inside shoulder.
11. Will Muir – 8
An exceptional aerial display from the Bath flyer who contested everything in his vicinity. His try was just reward for his effort in the air as he called out to Spencer, having identified that George Hendy was out of position.
12. Cameron Redpath – 8
Aside from being bounced by Ollie Sleightholme towards the end of the first half, which nearly led to a Saints try, the Scotland international had a strong game. Continuing to develop his partnership with Finn Russell, the 24-year-old is proving to be a great foil for Rugby’s Lionel Messi with his ability to carry hard, distribute and kick from hand.
13. Ollie Lawrence – 8
Another key step in the highly talented centre’s development as he filled the space left by being a backrow down. From strike plays, his line-breaking threat had the Saints on high alert as he, more often than not, occupied multiple defenders.
14. Joe Cokanasiga – 7
Arguably his best showing of the season, the powerhouse winger cut off the Saints outside backs with some brilliant ‘up and in’ defending. In attack, he joined Muir as an aerial threat and had some good carries over defenders.
15. Matt Gallagher – 8
He looked destined to score the opening try of the match as he streaked away from George Furbank, only to fall foul of a cruel bounce. Twenty-five minutes later, another cruel bounce robbed him of yet another try-scoring opportunity. These two instances aside, Gallagher had a really strong outing covering the backfield masterfully and entering the attacking line at key moments.
Replacements:
16 Niall Annett – 6
Picked up where Dunn left off as a strong ball-carrying threat but it was his control at the back of the maul that was most impressive.
17 Juan Schoeman – 5
A mixed bag from the replacement loosehead who locked down a key scrum as soon as he came on before being brutally exposed by the Saints’ backs for Tommy Freeman’s try. It was always going to be a tough ask to offset the loss of not only Obano but also the dynamism of Barbeary.
18 Will Stuart – 6
Combined beautifully with Du Toit to keep the Bath dominance at scrum time and put in some superb tackles when Northampton were on the front foot in the final fifteen minutes.
19 Elliott Stooke – 6
A key member of the late surge down the left-hand touchline for Bath as they had one more crack at the Saints.
20 Josh Bayliss – 6
A strong showing for the final fifteen minutes with a handful of incisive carries and a few big hits as the Saints camped inside the Bath twenty-two.
21 Louis Schreuder – N/A
22 Orlando Bailey – N/A
Unfortunately for the 22-year-old he will remember being stripped at the end by George Hendy. Nevertheless the youngster has a bright future ahead of him and will be better for the experience.
23 Miles Reid – 6
Two impressive stints, firstly as a blood replacement for Underhill and then as a permanent switch for Cokanasiga. A constant breakdown threat and ultra dynamic in the carry, Reid’s versatility made the 6 – 2 bench a possibility for Johann van Graan’s side.
