Saints draw with leaders Bath in 56-point thriller
Northampton Saints 28 Bath 28
Northampton Saints produced a stirring performance to hold Premiership leaders Bath to a draw but they will be gutted they didn't get all four points.
Instead it was two after Jonny Faamatuainu ran in a try with eight minutes left on the clock.
Saints dominated the second half with tries from Mark Easter and Soane Tonga'uiha putting them 28-21 in front, until Bath's last-gasp effort.
Saints were dealt a blow before kick-off with Chris Mayor failing a fitness test on a leg injury, which saw the home side go to their fourth choice outside-centre in skipper Bruce Reihana.
Paul Diggin was brought in on the wing, with academy centre Nick Greenhalgh coming on to the bench.
Saints couldn't get out of their half for the first 12 minutes and were two Butch James penalties down when quick hands from James Downey and Ignacio Fernandez Lobbe sent Paul Diggin over in the left hand corner. Stephen Myler landed the touchline conversion to make it 7-6 after 15 minutes.
But Bath hit straight back at the re-start with 6ft 5in and 16stone Cuthbert steaming through on the left wing from 40m out. James landed the touchline conversion to make it 13-7 to the visitors.
James added another penalty on 27 minutes, and four minutes before half-time No.8 Browne drove off the back of a scrum to score at his former stomping ground. James missed the conversion to leave the score at 21-10 and Myler added a penalty on half-time to make it 21-13 to Bath.
Saints got the perfect start after Diggin almost reached the left corner it went right and after a couple of ricochets that surprisingly didn't bring a whistle, Mark Easter touched down. Myler landed the touchline conversion to make it 21-20 to Bath.
Saints had their tails up, Foden went close then they were held up twice, Reihan nearly got over, then Ashton almost got in and finally with 18 minutes left Myler smashed a huge 50m drop goal to put Saints 23-21 in front.
The crowd went wild, what a game.
Saints were on fire and great hands from Myler sent Digger darting to within 10m, Soane Tonga'uiha had one charge and then a second one crushed the defender on the line and put the home side 28-21 in front. Myler missed the conversion.
But Saints were piling on the pressure, but one hotly-disputed penalty on Ignacio Fernadez Lobbe and Bath were released. From the lineout, some great offloading saw Faamatuainu go over. James converted to make it 28-28 with seven minutes left.
Saints couldn't quite work the drop goal and it finished a draw.
Northampton Saints: Myler; Ashton, Reihana (capt), Downey, Diggin; Spencer, Foden; Smith, J Gray, Stewart, Fernandez Lobbe, Kruger, Hopley, Easter, Wilson.
Replacements: Shields, Tonga'uiha, Day, Lewitt, Dickson, Mordt, Greenhalgh.
Bath: Cuthbert; Higgins, Crockett (capt), Fuimaono-Sapolu, Banahan; James, Bemand; Barnes, Dixon, Bell, Harrison, Grewcock, Short, Faamatuainu, Browne.
Replacements: Hawkins, Jarvis, Hooper, Scaysbrook, Baxter, Berne, Stephenson.
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Saturday 26 May 2012
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