Saints lose sixth game on the Premiership road
Bath 25 Saints 14 Northampton Saints' search for a Premiership away win continues as they wilted under the power of Bath at The Rec.
The visitors were in touch for most of the game, but never really threatened a try, while Bath scum-half Michael Claasens touched down twice with Matt Banahan also scoring to send the home side top of the Premiership.
Juandre Kruger scored a consolation try, his first for the club, at the death.
Bath opened the scoring inside three minutes. Despite their scrum going backwards Bath dug the ball out and went to the short side where Saints were strangely lacking cover and Butch James kicked through for Banahan to pick up and trot over from 10m. James landed the conversion to make it 7-0.
Kruger did well to win his lineout on the 40m line and Saints won a penalty on halfway that Stephen Myler had a pop at it into the freezing wind, but it went wide.
Myler went for another shot at the posts from 40m and got it to make it 7-3.
But Saints missed their second restart and Bath won a penalty at a panicky ruck. On the angle James got the wind right to send it over. 10-3.
Saints' early dominance in the scrum saw them win the ball and then squeeze a penalty out of David Flatman, which Myler landed to make it 10-6.
Two minutes later, though, Saints were penalised for playing the ball on the floor and James knocked it over from 38m to make it 13-6 to the home side.
Saints had the better of the rest of the half, but on the whistle the visitors infringed at a ruck. Jack Cuthbert had the shot from 47m and completely fluffed it.
Four minutes into the second half and Stuart Hooper came in at the side. From 45m with the wind behind him, Myler landed the penalty. 13-9
Three minutes later Scott Gray was penalised at a ruck, but from 46m James scuffed it wide.
Skipper Bruce Reihana dropped the ball in his 22 and put Saints under a heap of pressure. After two 5m scrums and loads of charges at the line, scrum-half Michael Claasens wriggled over for the try. James missed the conversion to leave the home side 18-9 in front.
On 62 minutes a high tackle on Dylan Hartley from Jonny Faamatuainu gave Myler a shot at the goal from 23m but he missed.
Saints could get nowhere in attack, but Bath powered onwards and Daniel Browne was held up before Harrison had a try disallowed for crossing with 10 minutes to go.
With four minutes to go Saints finally wilted. A big hit by James on Roger Wilson saw him knock-on and from a now secure scrum – with Pieter Dixon on for Lee Mears – Claasens steamed over for his second try from 20m. James landed the conversion to make it 25-9.
Saints put their best passage of play together with time running out and Myler chipped over for Kruger to catch and score his maiden try for the club in the corner. Myler missed the conversion for the final whistle to go.
Bath: Cuthbert, Maddock, Crockett, Hape, Banahan, James, Claasens, Flatman, Mears, Stevens, Hooper, Short, Beattie, Lipman, Faamatuainu
Replacements: Dixon, Bell, Harrison, Browne, Bemand, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Higgins
Saints: Reihana, Diggin, Clarke, Downey, Lamont, Myler, Dickson (Foden, 65mins), Tonga'uiha, Hartley, Murray, Lobbe, Kruger, Easter, Gray, Wilson
Replacements: Shields, Smith, Day, Hopley, Foden, Spencer, Mayor
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Friday 10 February 2012
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