Tommy Freeman, Ollie Sleightholme, Alex Mitchell scored tries, with Fin Smith adding eight points as Northampton lifted their first Premiership title since 2014; Bath’s Beno Obano was sent off in first half, but side fought back to lead 21-18 until six minutes to play when Saints struck
By Michael Cantillon
Last Updated: 08/06/24 5:52pm
Northampton Saints sealed their first Premiership title for a decade, beating Bath 25-21 in the 2024 final at Twickenham after Beno Obano’s costly first-half red card.
Bath loosehead prop Obano was dismissed in the 22nd minute for a wild high tackle on Northampton back-row Juarno Augustus with the score at 3-3, leaving the West Country side too tall an order on the day – but only just.
Northampton wings Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme scored tries, with fly-half Fin Smith adding a conversion and drop-goal for a 15-3 lead, but Bath hit back with Thomas du Toit and Will Muir scores.
Finn Russell then kicked Bath into an improbable lead, which they held until six minutes to go when Saints scrum-half Alex Mitchell dramatically scored the winner after a brilliant George Hendy run.
Just 40 seconds into the final, Bath had a glorious chance to score the first try when full-back Matt Gallagher chased a loose ball kicked ahead after Northampton’s Sleightholme had knocked on in midfield. Gallagher had the pace on Saints skipper George Furbank, and needed only to gather to score, but knocked on as he stooped to.
A poor lineout call on halfway frustrated Bath before long, but they channelled that emotion into a monstrous scrum penalty won against the head. The kicking tee was called for, but Russell got his strike all wrong, misconnecting to fire short.
The next time Bath were awarded a penalty from distance, Russell and co kicked to touch, and when the men in blue, black and white attacked around the corner, Courtney Lawes was penalised at the breakdown – extremely harshly – and Russell tapped over for 3-0 in the ninth minute.
In the 18th minute, Northampton should have drawn level on the scoreboard when Bath were penalised for failing to roll away at the breakdown, but 22-year-old fly-half Smith missed the attempt off the post.
Less than two minutes later, Smith showed his mettle to put that miss behind him and land a drop-goal after a lengthy stanza of Northampton phase play, bringing up 3-3.
Following the restart for that drop-goal came the most significant moment of the match, as Obano produced a shoulder-to-head tackle on Augustus at pace, driving up into the collision, which had zero mitigation. A questionable piece of officiating from referee Christophe Ridley saw him play on before TMO Tom Foley called for a review.
Obano’s dismissal also meant Bath No 8 Alfie Barbeary’s day was done, as he had to be sacrificed for Bath to bring on replacement loosehead Juan Schoeman.
Northampton’s first attack was ended by a superb Underhill turnover, but it was nothing more than a stay of execution as Furbank broke the Bath defensive line off a Lawes inside ball, before the former played Freeman in to score.
On 28 minutes, Northampton had a second try, as a stunning backs move through Fraser Dingwall, Smith and Furbank created space for Sleightholme down the left, and when the wing sought to kick in-field with his right, the ball bounced and curved back towards him in the corner of in-goal in a fortunate moment which allowed him to dive on the ball.
Bath hit straight back, though, as a vicious counter-ruck in the Northampton 22 saw Mitchell come in at the side and Russell kick into the corner. From there, a powerful driving maul was finished by prop Du Toit.
When Russell converted impeccably, Bath were back within a score at 15-10, owing to the fact Smith had missed his conversion to the second Saints try.
Three minutes into the second half, Bath narrowed the Northampton lead to two points with Russell’s second penalty, after Saints were penalised for failing to roll away after a strong Joe Cokanasiga carry.
Northampton forced a penalty from the restart, turning down a shot for three points in favour of a kick to corner, but it failed to work out when centre Burger Odendaal knocked on after a double-tackle from Russell and Underhill.
When the Saints scrum won a penalty against the head moments later, Northampton chose to take the points on offer, with Smith striking through for a 18-13 advantage.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Bath improbably drew level in the 51st minute as Muir leapt with Saints wing Hendy near the try-line under a Spencer cross-field kick, scoring in-goal once the Northampton man spilled backwards.
A Cam Redpath breakdown penalty put Bath back attacking in the Saints half into the final 15 minutes, with Russell striking through for a narrow lead when Northampton were pinged for failing to roll away.
A rush of blood from Mitchell, quick-tapping away a certain three points in the Bath 22 while Smith lay injured, saw Bath remain ahead soon after the restart.
With six minutes to play in the final, Mitchell made up for that error by swerving in to finish a stunning Hendy run for the vital try on the day.
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Source : Sky Sports
