Bath v Northampton - A Little Cup History
By Chris Gleadell
November 13 2003
In the run up to the Powergen Cup clash between Bath and the Saints on Saturday down at the 'Wreck' we look back on the four previous enounters where the two club have gone head to head in the oldest domestic trophy.
BATH AND SAINTS - A CUP HISTORY
This will be the fifth cup meeting between the clubs with Bath having won the first three and Saints winning that classic encounter last year (you can read a report of this game below).
In the fourth round in the 91-92 season at the Gardens John 'Tinman' Steele for Saints and a quiet unassuming chap from Bath called Stuart Barnes exchanged penalties throughout a game that end 9-9, unluckily a Jim Fallon try saw the Saints edged out in extra time.
In the 94-95, the season Saints were relegated, at the quarter final stage Bath ran out easy winners at the Rec 26-6 with tries from Callard and Clarke. The deadeye boot of Larry got all Saints points.
The following season 95-96 the Saints lost their only game of their promotion season at Bath in the cup on the day before Christmas Eve 1995. Bath were riding high in the Allied Dunbar Premiership while Saints were running away undefeated at the head of the old Division Two.
In dire muddy conditions the Saints were edged 12-3, all points coming from the boots of Callard and Grayson but defying the argument that tries make the sport the game was an absolute classic with no quarter asked or given.
Saints were certainly then a side in the making while Bath were already there and doing it season in season out and indeed went on to win the cup and league double that season, something that for all their achievements Leicester have failed to do.
Four Saints remain from that side that played that day in Daws, Grays, Jon Phillips and Budge while on the Bath side Mike Catt is the single player still plying his trade at the Rec although Jon Sleightholme, then a Bath player, saw the light and now dons the Gold, Black n Green.
My abiding memory of that day was a quite sublime tackle on Ben Clarke by a young Budge Pountney. Clarke, then described by Paul Ackford as 'the most influential forward in the country' broke off a scrum virtually on the Saints line and just had to ground the ball to score.
Somehow the slighter Budge wrapped him and got between the ground and the ball and held on for dear life to kill the attack. From then on Clarke didn't look so influential and Budge had announced himself as a player of promise.
Other players that shone that day were, a week after his international debut, Matt Dawson and Matt Allen and Gregor Townsend in the centre outplaying and knocking back the more illustrious pairing of Guscott and De Glanville.
Out of interest, here is the Saints team that day.
Michael Dods
Harvey Thorneycroft
Gregor Townshend
Matt Allen
Craig Moir
Paul Grayson
Matt Dawson
Matt Volland
Tim Beddow
Martin Hynes
Martin Bayfield
Jon Lee Phillips
Tim Rodber
Budge Pountney
G Seely
Jorgensen in the late late show seals cup classic.
By Chris G
And the Saints go marching on, on, on!!! Yes it was that man Jorgy again who combined with Matt Dawson to recreate the late Biarritz try that saw Saints edge past Bath to reach the last four of the Powergen Cup. Now last years winners Irish await at Oxfords Kassam Stadium.
On a sunlit Recreation Ground the Saints, followed by around 2000 supporters, set their stall out early after recent concerns over their scrummaging. A first minute set piece after Bath failed even to take the kick off correctly saw both front rows erupt with Trowbridge born Danny Richmond flying 'hats on wheels' style into his opposite number the ever strutting Jonathan Humphreys.
But once everyone had kissed and made up it was Bath, for whom Mike Catt was outstanding, who took the early initiative storming into an quick 16-3 lead from a well worked Gareth Cooper try and eleven points from the boot of Ollie Barkley.
Saints though despite this setback started to dig their way out as both sides tried to play enterprising rugby despite the erratic and sometimes downright confusing actions of the match officials. Despite making inroads deep into Bath territory Saints were failing in the final execution until on 20 minutes Peter Jorgensen picked off and inside ball and slipped pass Kevin Maggs to make ten metres. Ben Cohen hit the angle and took the ball on a diagonal run from provider Jorgy to storm in for his first of a brace on his 150th appearance for the club.
The conversion by Larry brought them back within touching distance and a matter of minutes later had a hand (but mostly his boot) as the Saints stormed forward again to finally put themselves in front for the first time. Catt was adjudged to impeded his fellow flyhalf on a chase to line and while the home side were arguing the toss or admiring the beautiful sunset over Bath Abbey young Mr Grayson caught them unawares.
A beautifully flighted crossfield kick dropped into the hands of wide receiver Cohen who just had to place the ball down for the score. A wit in the crowd remarked that even Matt Stewart would have got that but I'd like to think that 'Muttley' would have sidestepped the sliding defender and scored under the posts to make Larrys conversion attempt easier. Luckily Grays didn't need the assist as he converted wide out to put Saints in the lead for the first time with the half running down.
However just when you would expect the Saints to tighten up and build on the slender lead Bath, who in truth hadn't had a cohesive attack for the last quarter of an hour drove up field and from a lineout take at the tail and a few pairs of quick hands prop David Barnes shimmied through to score and return advantage to the home side going into the break with a six point lead.
The second half was punctuated by a flurrie of penalties, and fists. Both Mr Grewcock and an inspired (for some strange reason) Deso Connors, who was clearly goaded by more than one Bath player when they too the lead, were asked to cool their heels for the mandatory ten after a disagreement while Mr Humphreys was lucky not to be seeing red after his assault of the shy and retiring Matt Dawson.
Grays and Barkley exchanged kicks but the six point gap still had Bath looking favourites for that semi final spot with the clock running down. Step up Daws and Jorgy for the late late show (yet again!)
Despite having two earlier 'tries' disallowed by the pedantic Mr Lander the Saints stuck to task and were camped in the Bath twenty two for a full ten minutes until the Wallaby and the England scrumhalf pulled off their little reverse flick pass again like a dream with time rapidly running out.
In the post match interview Jorgy said he had 'white line fever' after pulling games back from the brink with late tries three times in the last month. Well if he carries on in this rich vein we may have to rename him Pablo Escobar!
Larry converted to put Saints back into that slender lead for the first time that half and despite a late dropgoal attempt by Catt that fell well wide the Saints held on and head for the semi finals.
NORTHAMPTON: Nick Beal; Bruce Reihana, Peter Jorgensen, John Leslie, Ben Cohen; Paul Grayson, Matt Dawson; Tam Smith, Dan Richmond (Steve Thompson), Matt Stewart (Chris Budgen), Rob Hunter (Steve Williams), Matt Lord, Andy Blowers (Grant Seely), Budge Pountney, Mark Connors
BATH: M Perry (T Voyce); S Danielli, K Maggs, M Tindall, O Barkley; M Catt, G Cooper; D Barnes (S Emms), J Humphreys (L Mears), J Mallett (A Galasso), S Borthwick, D Grewcock A Beattie (G Thomas), A Vander (J Scaysbrook), N Thomas.