- Northampton won the Premier League with brilliant attacking rugby
- But they were out of character against Bath and opened the door to a comeback
- The Saints deserve credit for turning things around in the deaths of fourteen men
I don’t think anyone can argue that the best team won the Premier League this season.
Northampton finished top of the table in the regular campaign, playing brilliant attacking rugby, combined with a big improvement in defense and physicality.
But their performance here was the most out of character I’ve seen from them in a long time. Their accuracy was poor, with surprising errors in ball handling and poor decisions. This allowed Bath, who was heroic, to remain in the battle with fourteen men.
I’ve played matches where the number of fouls and penalties was high and it felt like everything was going against you. It’s hard to get out of that rut. That is why saints deserve much praise for turning it around and winning it at death. I am happy with my old side.
I played in two losing Premier League play-offs during my time at Saints and know how much winning this title will mean to everyone at Northampton. The celebrations will continue for a long time and such a dramatic victory is the best possible way for club legends such as Courtney Lawes, Lewis Ludlam and Alex Waller to say goodbye.
Northampton won the Gallagher Premiership title with brilliant attacking rugby
Bath played heroically to fight back with fourteen men, but the final is all about winning
I worked with all three of them day in and day out and know how much they wanted to win the competition for the team.
Bath cannot respond to Beno Obano’s red card. I felt for Obano as he stood in tears on the sidelines after being sent off. But he hit Juarno Augustus high and there was no mitigation in my opinion.
Bath impressively defied playing with fourteen men for three quarters of the match. Part of the reason Northampton was so inaccurate was because their opponent’s defensive line speed was so good.
Bath flankers Sam Underhill and Ted Hill were brilliant. Even Finn Russell put his body on the line and forced Burger Odendaal with the help of Underhill. Bath stopped Saints from playing the way they wanted.
Dan Biggar insists Bath cannot argue with Beno Obano’s red card for a hard tackle
But the Saints don’t care that they weren’t at their best. Finals are all about winning. With Lawes and Ludlam moving on, it will be difficult for Saints to repeat this success, so my advice is to enjoy every minute.
Bad comes back. This defeat will hurt, but it may be the best thing that can happen to them, because sometimes you learn more from the pain of a loss than from winning.
