Bath 46 - 14 Northampton: Saints outplayed as Bath retain their 100 per cent LV=Cup record
Pictures by Linda Dawson
SAINTS were thoroughly outplayed at The Rec as Bath stormed to a win to keep their 100 per cent LV= Cup record in tact.
Bath’s four tries came from Ross Batty, Anthony Perenise, Olly Woodburn, Stephen Donald and Charlie Beech as Olly Barkley kicked 21 points. They always had the more incisive attack with All Black Donald excellent at fly-half.
Saints never got going in attack, though the reserve front row acquitted themselves well with the forwards earning Alex Waller a try.
Bath rested players against Glasgow in the Heineken Cup last week for this game and with just four players on international duty compared to Saints’ 10 they started favourites.
It might have been the reserves in the front row but the result was the same at the first scrum, as Bath were hammered back for Saints to win a penalty and the first psychological blow.
But after a bout of kicking Bath scored first with Olly Barkley landing a 40m penalty on nine minutes.
And James Craig gave away another penalty two minutes later but Barkley hit the bar from 40m. A high tackle from Stephen Myler on Tom Biggs gave Barkley another chance and from the touchline he made it 6-0.
But a great hand-off from Ben Nutley on opposite number Francois Louw allowed the Saints openside to scamper 30m and Bath were caught offside for Myler to make it 6-3 after 18 minutes.
At the restart, though, Saints were caught holding on and Barkley made it 9-3, but Sean Davey’s whistle was at it again as the visitors went through the phases and drew a penalty for Myler to trim the deficit to three.
At the next scrum Saints were penalised, with Alex Waller accused of collapsing and Barkley took the easy three points. After 27 minutes the home side led a scrappy game 12-6.
Saints weren’t getting much reward from the upper hand they had in the scrum as the game stumbled along.
Three minutes before half-time a side finally got some momentum and it was Bath, with Louw driving 10m for the home side to go wide and hooker Batty powering over from 10m. Barkley converted to make it 19-6.
Myler cut the deficit by another three, but Saints certainly needed to up their game in the second half.
But it was a disastrous start to the second half as prop Anthony Perenise picked up a bouncing ball on Saints’ 10m line stepped round Brett Sharman, powered through another tackle and scored under the posts. Barkley made it 26-9.
Saints needed a try quickly to get back into the game and it came from a patient and well-constructed lineout drive that saw Waller touch down. Myler missed the conversion though.
The visitors were on top in the scrum, but with a put-in 10m from Bath’s line Davey said the home forwards had turned it 90 degrees, much to Saints’ annoyance.
With 24 minutes to go Saints brought their big guns off the bench with a 12-point deficit to make up. But 10 minutes later Barkley extended Bath’s lead with a penalty.
Donald was starting to dominate and after two sumptuous passes he floated a long ball to Vesty who passed inside for Olly Woodburn to seal the win. Barkley missed the conversion to leave Bath 34-14 in front.
With Bath rampant Donald sealed the bonus point and prop Beech dived over against his old club.
Saints: Diggin; Elliott, Armstrong, Tonks, Artemyev; Myler, Roberts; Waller, Sharman, Mercey, Sorenson, Day, Craig, Nutley, Manoa
Replacements: Long, Tonga’uiha, Mujati, Ingle, Wilson, Glynn, May, Cato
Bath: Abendanon; Woodburn, Vesty, Barkley, Biggs; Donald, Claassens; Flatman, Batty, Perenise, Hooper, Caldwell, Skirving, Louw, Taylor
Replacements: Mears, Beech, Bell, Spencer, Mercer, Cook, Heathcote, Scott
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