Northampton have waited a long time for a day like this. The last time they lifted the Premiership trophy was in 2014 and the delight at the final whistle was understandably heartfelt. The Saints were not at their best and were wobbling against 14-man opposition before a 73rd minute try from their England scrum-half saved his side’s blushes and killed off a seriously gallant Bath challenge.
Northampton had finished top of the regular season table but, in truth, on this particular day their composure deserted them too often and they came close to throwing everything away. They made far too many handling errors, were put under pressure at the set pieces and often struggled to make their numerical advantage pay until the replacement George Hendy burst clear to send the supporting Mitchell over and give the club’s departing legend Courtney Lawes a fitting send-off.
It made for a crazily fluctuating afternoon. It had seemed for all money that the rug had been pulled from beneath Bath by the 22nd minute red card shown to their loosehead prop Beno Obano for a dangerous tackle. Instead, against all the odds, Bath clawed their way back and took the lead with 13 minutes left through a Finn Russell penalty, his third of the contest. Ultimately it was not quite enough but it made for a thrilling conclusion.
Once again, though, this was a big match influenced by a match-shaping sending off. There have been plenty of worse hits this season than Obano’s heavy contact with a descending Juarno Augustus but none at a more delicate moment. As so often, while justifiable under the current framework, it was also not an absolutely clear-as-day decision.
Obano’s right arm was trying to bind, his knees were bent for contact and there was at least one angle which seemed to suggest the primary contact might have been to Augustus’s shoulder. From his vantage point, though, the referee Christophe Ridley, in his first Premiership final, could see only contact with the Saints No 8’s chin and felt red was the only appropriate card colour.
Given the decision, it was also reasonable to ask why Augustus was not removed for a head injury assessment if the blow was so clear and obvious. What was not in any doubt was the effect it had on the contest. Not only did Bath lose Obano but, in order to retain a competitive scrum, they had to sacrifice their own barnstorming No 8 Alfie Barbeary. Northampton not only had a one-man advantage but their opponents were now required to regroup tactically.
It did not take long for the Saints to take clinical advantage. Lawes ploughed into contact in the middle of the field but not before he had sent George Furbank roaring through a gap from which the full-back put Tommy Freeman clear to score. Less than three minutes later Northampton had a second score, Furbank again influential in the buildup before releasing Ollie Sleightholme on the left wing. The latter’s right-footed banana kick loomed as though it might roll too long but held up just long enough for the winger to get there and touch it down.
Suddenly it was 15-3 with not even half an hour gone. To their credit, though, Bath kept coming and Thomas du Toit, their South African tighthead, maintained his reputation as a close-range try sniffer with another successful lunge. Russell slotted the conversion to reduce the half-time margin to five points.
When the fly-half slotted another three points shortly after the restart Bath were back within a couple of points and Northampton were suitably relieved when Fin Smith responded with a penalty at the other end. The Saints do some things extremely well but a little attacking knock-on here and a scrum free-kick there were keeping their opponents in the game.
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They also still had Ben Spencer’s left boot, one of the season’s more valuable weapons. With advantage being played the scrum-half hoisted a high cross-field kick towards the left corner where the Saints replacement Hendy could only flap at the ball and Will Muir pounced hungrily on the loose ball. Russell pulled his conversion narrowly wide but it was now 18-18 and, in theory, anyone’s game.
Cue Russell. When Furbank, for once, could not quite hold on to the ball the turnover allowed the No 10 the opportunity to conjure a fabulous 50-22 and put Saints under more pressure. When Curtis Langdon subsequently dropped another ball in his own 22, it was obvious to all that Saints were getting twitchy and when they were once again pinged on the floor in front of their own posts Russell put Bath ahead. When Mitchell plunged over it was not a moment too soon for Saints’ collective nerves.
It all made for a tense end to another cracking occasion, with sunshine having replaced the lunchtime showers and the audience right into it from way before kick-off. This was another of those days which underlined exactly how marketable club rugby can be and the season as a whole has also been an encouraging one for those who believe there is an increasing amount of upwardly-mobile homegrown talent in England. Some financial clouds remain but, on the field, this campaign has contained significantly more highs than lows.