Guinness Premiership Round10

Northampton Saints v Bath Rugby

Saturday 5th December, Franklin;'s Gardens

K.O. 3.00 pm

I read, and write, as a Saints supporter, so I fear my report will not do justice to a Bath side who probably, in all honesty, deserved to take four points from this match.

Jon Clarke led the Saints out on the occasion of his 100^th appearance, and to the relief of most in Franklin's Gardens took his position in the ‘right' half of the field - that in front of the South Stand.  Though Clarke's achievement was well received, the biggest cheer of the afternoon went up when Euan Murray's name was read out in the starting lineup. 

Having read the COYS board this week, Euan practices the "Double Teapot"

Bath kicked off, and conceded a penalty shortly afterwards.  Shane Geraghty lined up a kick at goal but missed it horribly - it barely got off the ground and fell way short of the posts.  The next ten minutes or so of play generally involved both teams losing possession in every way imaginable.  There were knock-ons, free kicks and penalties from scrums, a kick from Ashton which rolled over the dead ball line giving Bath a scrum, and myriad other reasons to text friends, go to the bar, eat pies and generally not pay attention to the ‘action' on the field. 

After the teams had decided they might actually like to keep hold of the ball, Bath looked distinctly most like scoring.  They attacked the Saints in midfield, and recycled the ball several times, gradually moving closer to the tryline.  A surge from the forwards, and some resolute Saints defence, resulted in them being held up and awarded a 5m scrum from which they attacked once more, this time losing the ball with the line at their mercy.  Geraghty cleared the ball, and the Saints, and their fans, breathed a sigh of relief. 

The first score of the afternoon went to the home side, as Bath's fullback Nick Abendanon lost his footing and spilled the ball forward.  The Saints put pressure on the ensuing scrum, and were awarded a penalty for their efforts.  Geraghty stepped up once more and slotted the kick, making the score 3-0 to the Saints after 20 minutes.  Bath equalised just five minutes later after they pinned the Saints back in their own half.  Nicky Little was successful with a penalty, taking the score to three points apiece.

Once again, the game descended into a scrappy back and forth, with neither side dominating.  Bath seemed to have the edge in the scrum, but they could do little with the ball when they had it, as the Saints continued to defend well.  It was rather against the run of play, then, that the Saints scored the first try of the match a few minutes before half time.

A Bath attack was turned over, with Jon Clarke pouncing on a loose ball at a ruck.  He offloaded quickly to Chris Ashton, who kicked ahead and chased, outrunning Michael Claassens before hacking the ball forward once more and touching down in the corner in front of the Shrubbery.  Geraghty missed the difficult conversion, but the Saints had an 8-3 lead with just five minutes to go before half time.

Nicky Little had the chance to close the gap a few minutes later as the Saints were penalised following a Bath lineout.  The kick was difficult, and the chance was missed, but while the scoreboard had the Saints ahead at the break it was Bath who seemed to have the momentum.

The second half started in much the same fashion as the majority of the first - the Saints had a scrum, but Bath were awarded a penalty.  Bath attack from a lineout but lose the ball.  The Saints try to run it out of their own 22 but drop the ball... 

Eventually one side kept hold of the ball for long enough to do something useful with it.  Shontayne Hape flirted with the touchline as he scored Bath's first try after eight minutes of the second half, in almost the same spot as Ashton had scored in the first half.  Little kicked the conversion from out wide, and at 8-10 it was the visitors who seemed the more likely to take something from the game.

The Saints, and the home crowd, grew increasingly frustrated with referee Rose as he decided the Saints knocked on twice in quick succession.  He once again felt the ire of the Frankin's Gardens faithful as a late tackle by Bath wing Matt Banahan was punished only by a penalty - which gave the Saints a good attacking platform in the Bath half.  Unsurprisingly, perhaps, this came to nothing as the Saints lost the ball and Bath were able to clear back to Ben Foden. 

Jim Mallinder rang the changes on the hour, with Dowson, Murray and Geraghty being replaced by Gray, Bonorino and Myler.  Myler saw action almost immediately, when he was judged to have been the victim of ‘reckless use of the boot' by Matt Banahan who received a straight red card after input from the assistant referee.  Myler stepped up to kick at goal, but it landed just short and the visitors stayed ahead 8 - 10.

The Saints had the best of the next five minutes, launching an attack from a lineout through Tiny and Dylan.  The ball is worked out wide through Ashton and Clarke, but Ansbro couldn't hold the pass and the ball is lost forward.  Bath win a penalty from the scrum, and work their way back into the Saints 22, where the home side are penalised once more.  Little's kick just crept over the bar, putting his side 8 - 13 ahead with less than ten minutes to go.

The Saints set out their intentions straight from the restart, with Myler aiming a cross kick at Ashton.  The winger couldn't quite get his hands to the ball, however, and play was brought back for a Bath scrum on halfway.  A mistake by Bath, kicking the ball out on the full, gave the Saints an opportunity to go for the win, but Joe Ansbro dropped the ball and the chance was lost.  However, the visitors did themselves no favours as the Saints had another lineout just outside Bath's 22.  Ashton took the ball on in the centre, ably supported by the forwards from the resulting ruck.  Ben Foden drew the Bath defence, and somehow Ashton worked his way over to score in the corner.  This try took the score to 13-13 with just half a minute left on the clock.  Myler lined up the conversion, and I confidently predicted he'd miss (he missed his first, it's usually a sign he'll miss the second too!).  He didn't, thankfully, and the crowd erupted as the scoreboard clicked round to 15-13 and just seconds to play.  An even bigger cheer rang out when Dylan Hartley booted the ball into the Tetley's stand and the final whistle blew.

This game was so nearly the banana skin that many Saints supporters feared it might be.  All too often the Saints have let a side they ‘should' beat get under their skin and cause them to lose shape and discipline.  Bath almost did it today, and perhaps if Banahan hadn't seen red they might have held out for the win.  I, and I think many others, would say they deserved it.  They didn't play any particularly good rugby, but they played the referee, the conditions and the game generally better than the Saints.  Having said all that, as the cliché from almost any team sport goes, the difference between a successful side and an unsuccessful one is often the ability to play badly and still win matches.

It's back to the Heineken Cup next week, let's hope we have a slightly less heart-stopping match against Treviso!

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