Josh Kemeny, Fraser Dingwall, James Ramm, George Hendy scored tries for Northampton Saints before Fin Smith hit the winning penalty with the last kick of the game against Bath at Franklin’s Gardens in Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership action; Bath later recovered from 19 to take the lead
Last update: 5/01/25 17:59
Fin Smith won the match for Northampton at the death
Fin Smith knocked over a penalty in the final minute as Northampton beat league leaders Bath 35-34 in a pulsating nine-try game.
It was Bath’s fifth straight defeat at Franklin’s Gardens, but they showed incredible resilience to claw back from a 19-point deficit to lead with three minutes to go and outscore their opponents by five tries to four.
Joe Cokanasiga scored two tries and Orlando Bailey, Will Stuart and Max Ojomoh also got on the scoresheet while Finn Russell converted three and added a penalty.
George Hendy, Fraser Dingwall, James Ramm and Josh Kemeny scored tries for the Saints, with Smith hitting three conversions and three penalties.
England winger Ollie Sleightholme withdrew from the Saints bench with a hamstring problem, but his side quickly overcame the setback to take the lead after just 80 seconds.
Hendy secured the kick-off to provide a platform for the attack before he and Rory Hutchinson combined neatly down the right flank to try Kemeny.
Bath soon suffered two more blows in quick succession. Flanker Guy Pepper was forced off the field with a leg injury before creative play from half-backs Smith and Alex Mitchell came on for Dingwall.
Saints’ explosive start continued with a third try before the 13 minute mark when Ramm burst through the away defense on a 50m run to the touchline.
Bath needed a quick response and they got it when a deft pass from the back allowed Cokanasiga to round Hendy to score.
Aided by a number of penalties in their favour, Bath built their first sustained period of pressure and they were rewarded when Bailey pulled off some poor saves for his side’s second score.
The sixth try of the match came before the half-hour mark with Hendy collecting Smith’s chip for Saints’ bonus point before Will Muir went off with a leg injury that forced flanker Josh Bayliss to play on the wing as Bath selected just one player on the bench.
Just before the break, the hosts lost the impressive Hendy to an injured shoulder, but still led 26-12 at halftime.
Six minutes after the restart, Bath were back in the game when Stuart struck from close range, but Smith was on target with a penalty to temporarily keep the visitors at bay.
However, Ojomoh kicked Bath’s bonus point try to reward Ollie Lawrence’s powerful drive to close the visitors to three points in the final quarter.
Bath then lost a heavily concussed Jac Coetzee but still took the lead for the first time when Miles Reid chipped Hutchinson for Cokanasiga to collect and beat the defence.
Russell missed the conversion as did Smith from the penalty spot, but the young fly-half put the Saints back in front with 10 minutes remaining with a 40-yard strike.
Smith then missed a penalty from inside his own half before Alex Mitchell was booked for a high tackle on Lawrence and Russell tipped over, but Smith had the last word when Sam Underhill took offence.
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