Mitchell shines as Saints run riot

ALEX Mitchell provided the spark as Northampton turned in a champion performance to run away from challengers Bath in the Midlands.

■By ADAM HATHAWAY

Northampton Saints ……71pts

Tries: F Smith 7, Sleightholme 16, 60, 64; Freeman 28, 76; Dingwall 36, Pater 45, Kemeny 51, Mitchell 56, Coles 68 Conversions: F Smith 17, 28, 37, 46, 57, 65, 69, 77

Bath ……………………………… 48pts

Tries: Carr-Smith 10, C Griffin 13, A Griffin 30, Green 32, 42; Carreras 49, Bayliss 69 Conversions: Russell 11, 14, 33, 43, 65 Penalties: Russell 40

In a high-octane game, which have some veterans pining for the good old days of a 6-3 scoreline, the two sides scored 18 tries between them with Saints contributing 11 of those. The aggregate of 119 points was the second highest in league history – with only the 127 Northampton and Bristol scored here in May higher.

It also equalled the most points Bath have conceded in the Prem as they were blown away in the last quarter, despite the introduction of their ‘Bomb Squad’.

There was a hat-trick for wing Ollie Sleightholme and a couple of tries for wing Tommy Freeman for Saints, while Bath No.8 Arthur Green scored twice. Mitchell, in his first start of the season, scored once with a delicious chip and chase off the base of a scrum in the second half.

Over: Ollie Sleightholme scores his second

But Sleightholme’s second, on the hour, is a contender for try of the season and showcased the best of everything about Northampton. Freeman carried the ball up from the Saints 22 and from there it progressed up to the Bath 10m line through the hands of forwards and backs with Alex Coles putting Sleightholme in.

Northampton then put their foot on the gas scoring three more tries with Coles getting a deserved one after a mammoth display and Sleightholme getting his third on 64 minutes.

Bath, who have Montpellier at home in next weekend’s Champions Cup opener, heavily rotated their squad with Will Stuart and Ollie Lawrence benched to add to a long injury list.

Ben Spencer, Henry Arundell, Sam Underhill and wing Will Muir are among those on the casualty list but they still took it to the hosts.

Saints were desperate to get back on the horse after last week’s 41-26 defeat at Bristol when they were taken to school at the breakdown and were victims of Bears’ more pragmatic approach this season.

The two teams shared 225 points in two Prem and one Champions Cup

meeting last season and, in keeping with most of his campaign, it was a helter-skelter first-half that had both defence coaches tearing their hair out.

Bath led 29-26 at that point and both sides had already banked a bonus point as they scored four tries apiece in the first period.

First on the board was Fin Smith, with a looping, delayed run that found a hole in the Bath defence after six minutes only for Bath scrum-half Tom Carr-Smith to score after Arthur Green’s ball.

Spark: Alex Mitchell kicks through to score for Saints

PICTURES: Getty Images

It was ding-dong stuff with wings Charlie Griffin, for Bath, and Sleigtholme, for Saints, getting on the board before Josh Bayliss’ yellow and a try from Freeman made by Smith’s cute pass. There was barely time to draw breath as the tries kept coming, goodness knows what England boss Steve Borthwick thinks of all this basketball rugby.

Tuipulotu’s burst made a score for Archie Griffin to edge Bath in front at 26-19 before Fraser Dingwall dummied the Bath defence and it opened up for him to score under the posts.

Some sanity arrived when Finn Russell kicked a penalty just before the break to make it a three-point game at half-time and everyone could settle down. They didn’t as the madness continued and it continued to rain tries.

CLOSE-UP V

FRASER DINGWALL Northampton centre

MAX OJOMOH Bath centre

Two players who still have World Cup aspirations but who have both drifted out of favour with England boss Steve Borthwick. Ojomoh, man of the match in his last Test in 2025 against Argentina, cut some great lines and was lively in a loose game while Dingwall scored a smart try before the break when he hoodwinked the Bath defence. Ojomoh put in one big hit on prop Danilo Fischetti and Dingwall did his bit and with England’s midfield far from settled you would not write either of them off making Australia next year.