Bath …………………………….43pts
Northampton Saints … 41pts
Tries: Dunn 10, Russell 27, Arundell 33, van Wyk 39, Tuipulotu 58, Hill 76 Conversions: Russell 11, 28, 34, 59, 77 Penalty: Russell 68
Northampton Saints … 41pts
Tries: Pollock 3, Dingwall 6, Lockett 16, Kemeny 21, Sleightholme 30 Conversions: Smith 4, 7, 17, 22, 31 Penalties: Smith 44, 65
Bath, not without controversy, survived an extraordinary early Northampton Saints blitzkrieg to mount a stirring comeback and reach the Champions Cup semi-final, where either Bordeaux-Begles or Toulouse await.
The attacking virtuosity on display was off the scale, with 11 tries to enjoy, a couple of which stirred the soul and will appear on shortlists and win awards, but it’s usually the nitty-gritty and forward grunt that decides these close cup ties.
And, alas, contentious refereeing decisions and that was also the case here with Saints’ fans far from happy.
Alfie Barbeary was undeniably brilliant when he came off the bench and received the MOM for Bath, but he should unquestionably have been yellow-carded at the very least for lifting and then dropping Henry Pollock to the ground with a dangerous tip tackle in the first half.
Good fortune
Ollie Lawrence initially assisted in the process but then tried to aid Pollock’s safe return to terra firma.
Barbeary was clearly expecting yellow, possibly worse, and could scarcely believe his good fortune at being let off.
Meanwhile, at the death with Saints leading but desperately defending their line, Pollock went in for a vital possibly quarter-final deciding steal – which would have been his third of the game – but was thwarted by Santi Carerras who came barrelling in off his feet to illegally seal the ball off… yet not only did the penalty go against Pollock, but the Saints No.8 also copped a yellow card.
It was a massive call, and it was disappointing that neither the assistant refs nor TMO had a quiet word to suggest a brief pause to at least review the situation.
Instead of clearing their lines, Saints went back under the cosh and moments later Ted Hill barged over for the winning try. Small margins.
Warriors
Saints fans were also chuntering at Tom Dunn’s tapped penalty technique that led to two tries.
The ball must be kicked through the mark, and for it to be a ‘kick’ said ball must simultaneously leave both hands after contact with the boot.
It’s never enough to dumb down the procedure and simply hold the ball and touch it with your boot and some refs, Luke Pearce for one, have stopped allowing it.
Bath incidentally have now scored eight tries from tapped penalties this tournament.
So there are caveats to this Bath win, but the fact is they fought like warriors from a 21-point deficit against a Saints side that played rugby from the gods for the first half hour, although, not for the first time, they faded after a runaway start.
There is more than a hint of ‘Bazball‘ about Saints and sometimes s they just need to count to 10 and do something routine and obvious.
Key points: Fraser Dingwall breaks to go over for Northampton Saints while, below, Finn Russell gets in ahead of Rory Hutchinson to score for Bath
Harsh lesson
Like when they were 38-26 midway through the second half and got awarded a penalty 40 yards out in front of the posts.
They were dealing with a yellow card at the time to JJ van der Mescht, and it was a penalty that clearly needed kicking, but young Archie McParland – a scrum-half of massive talent and immense spirit – tapped quickly and ran into a wall of Bath defenders and predictably got turned over. A very harsh lesson indeed.
Memories of that first half hour from Saints will linger – five exceptional tries with probably the pick a Harlem Globetrotters affair finished off by Fraser Dingwall, although Bath thought there was a forward pass involved – but the home side clung on.
Pollock had driven over for Saints’ first try after an early yellow card for Bath No.8 Miles Reid.
Dunn hit back for Bath before Tom Lockett and Josh Kemeny hit quick tries for Saints to put them ahead 28-7.
Tense
Finn Russell kicked through and dived on the ball to score for Bath, but when wing Ollie Sleightholme marked his 100th Saints appearance with a fifth try in the 29th minute, it looked like Saints would be reaching a third straight semi-final.
But as half-time approached, Bath struck twice with a beautifully manufactured score from Henry Arundell, courtesy of Russell, followed by a fourth from Francois van Wyk.
After the break, it was scrappier, tense and more physical.
Saints preserved their lead with two penalties from Fin Smith, but Bath closed with a try for Kepu Tuipulotu – whose tapped penalties are beyond reproach – and finally Hill, whose late score finally got them over the line.
And breathe.
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