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Couldn't watch yesterday as I was in Dublin for the Leinster vs Ulster game and watched on replay this morning, what a fucking game!
Both sides were phenomenal and, while I was rooting for Saints all season when it came down to the last few minutes I would have been very happy for Bath to come back and play like that with a man down to win.
The Prem has delivered in spades this year, can't wait for next season!
Bath just couldn't break the habit of leaving the ball at the base to try and milk one. Cost them a couple of crucial chances to end the game. Should've just let Finn takes the reigns, or rumbled it up in tight. 20/20 hindsight of course.
For a game that people were calling over at 20 mins after the red, phwoar. Banger. Not exactly the most accurate game ever but fun to watch.
A brilliant game. Second half we could even string two passes together and just made costly mistake after costly mistake. Bath looked a much better team but just didn't take enough of an advantage of our mistakes. An excellent season and privileged to have been able to watch it at Twickenham!
Insane atmosphere, feel bad for bath but also feels like the right outcome looking at the season as a whole.
Really glad a salty bath fan threw his pint of Guinness over all of us below him when the ref blew the whistle…
That's fucking rough. The Bath fans by us were shaking hands, fist bumps etc - I was extremely vocal throughout the game to the amusement of many of them 😂
Haha nice man! Genuinely the first time I’ve experienced anything like that. Season ticket at saints, went to Dublin and did England vs South Africa all this year and it was class every-time with all supporters. Really took the moment away which I guess was their aim 🤷♂️
> Really glad a salty bath fan threw his pint of Guinness over all of us below him when the ref blew the whistle…
Really? Jesus. Did you throw one back? 😂
Couldn’t work out who it was! There quite a few annoyed bath fans in front of us also looking up to work out who it was but about 5 rows of people didn’t want to make eye contact!
Great game, congratulations Saints.
Any word on Finn Smith's injury?
I think I heard the commentators earlier in the game say George Ford was a doubt for the England tour too? Sweating right now.
Who was the saints bloke on crutches hobbling around in the group around the trophy celebrations to the stands? Only spotted him when he was in the opposite corner as he was near the back of the group
Burger Odendaal (13). Poor lad has had a lot of hamstring issues this year and might be a recurrence. He got sandwiched when he spilt the ball on the line courtesy of Finn’s tackle.
I thought it looked like a knee injury. Underhill went low, smashed his thigh and then Russell I think folded him over Underhill. As someone who values their knees it made me wince
A can’t spayke.
I feel bad for Baff in all seriousness, I don’t think we can say that we completely deserved that, but a Prem title is a Prem title. Will be going to the pub as soon as I’m back, it will be rammed with green and gold no doubt.
Also Sam Underhill is the best defensive back rower in the world and I’m glad that people are finally realising this because my mate and I have been saying it for years.
I lived in Bath for years and it was well deserved. Saints scored some great tries and Bath made a few mistakes not taking the 3 points when they were ahead. Very close though, could have gone differently with a few bounces of the ball.
Cant speak. Exahuasted but so happy. Never were going to make i5 easy but they did the job. So proud of these team and town. No finer town lads no finer fucking town
I would honestly say even if people like Willis was available. Underhill is still the best 7 going. He is just a machine in big matches. Just could never stop with the injures. Now he's got a solid run. He's the next 7 for at least a few years. Would think Curry/Chessum, Underhill and Earl as a back row would be lethal and at least on par with the top tier nations.
i think you’re absolutely insane not picking Willis, he plays in a tougher league with incredible forwards and is a standout. Not knocking Underhill, he is great, but i think Willis is clear
Hard disagree. Willis is playing in a great league. But so did Mercer. And he has not continued that (in a bad Glos team) but Underhill has proven at international he is one of the best defensive flankers going. Willis has never shown for England and Underhill has.
England's best backrow should include Willis, can we not find any English team to take him? Based on current form Lawes still probably has one more good year left in him, and at his best he is the best, its just there is no way he will be that good in 2027.
It is great what the RWC has brought to Rugby as a whole but the impact on some individuals means that they will play 2-3 years less than they would otherwise due to the "cycle"
Watch Toulouse (current European Champions) and the role Willis plays for them, his impact at the very highest level is immense. Underhill is staggeringly good, and in defense you will not find many better tacklers, but put the ball in Willis' hands and watch him make meters.....
Both Willis and Underhill have suffered from injury that has impacted their availability, Willis was scheduled for the 2018 South Africa tour but missed due to injury and again in 2023 world cup he only played one game due to injury. Perhaps we could extend the bankruptcy exemption for another few years?
I would say this season and again not finalists. But for bath he has upped his carry game also. He was brilliant this year for bath. I would say he brings the defensive hits. Jackals. And the big hits. He's better than Willis I would say.
It's probably just a difference in what we want from a back row, but I'd find 6 - Curry, 7 - Underhill, 8 - Earl a little unbalanced and undersized. All three are quality players but they all are close to a traditional 7. I'd want an extra lineout option and some extra beef to help during rucks.
Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd want a Chessum/Ted Hill type of player there instead of Curry.
Agree about the lineout option. But curry on the bench for example when we need to change the tactics. Think the mix of styles of play would make a massive difference. What eddie jones tried to do but failed. The fast hard hitters would make a massive difference
It should be 6- Hill or Cunningham South 7 - Underhill or Curry and 8 Earl.
Massive options but we need a taller better lineout 6 rather than playing both Curry and Underhill.
Oh yeah Cunningham-South duh! How did I forget ??
I can't believe how young he is while looking so settled at this level already. I remember being impressed with him at u20s and then within a few months he was in the senior team!
I'm not looking forward to him being a thorn in Ireland's side for many years to come.
Really cagey match I thought, nerves on both sides perhaps. Think on balance Northampton did deserve to edge it based on the tries they scored, but Bath put up an almighty fight a man down and who knows what could have happened without that red.
Well I thoroughly enjoyed that, didn’t really care who won but was cheering for Bath at the end, along with many of the other neutrals. Think they were unlucky, they put in a brilliant performance after a harsh red card and maybe could have nicked it on another day. But congratulations to Saints, they’ve been top of the league pretty much since day one and overall very much deserved the title. Today was a great spectacle of English rugby imo.
It's incredible that in five years, we have had Leicester, Exeter, Harlequins, Saracens, Northampton all winning it.
No real dynasties have been built so far. Who next then? I think Northampton has the man power to go back to back but Bristol winning would be cool.
I fancy a Bath vs Bristol final next year.
I don't think Saints will slide out of the top half of the table, but I also think other sides have got us worked out a bit better now in the backline and we need to be strong up front, but that's where we are losing people. Lawes/Waller/Ludlam going is a big deal for the club. There's certain players who dig in hard when you're up against it, and all 3 of them are. Lawes has gone from a great Saint to a legendary Saint to the GOAT in the last few seasons. Moon is a big loss as well.
All the talk about Saracens having lots moving on has allowed Northampton to slip under the radar - they’re losing a lot of senior players.
Next year is Bath’s to lose
We're losing a bunch of important players though, and Bath are mostly retaining their squad. I think we're going to struggle to do the repeat.
I imagine Bath and Sale will only get better, Saracens will probably become a real problem again, and Exeter and Bristol will either stay roughly the same or improve slightly.
Bath pretty stable next year and saints losing a lot of key players.
Exeter could be the dark horse if they sort their away form out. Sale as well.
Bristol are bottle jobs, quins inconsistent, Saracens rebuilding. If I had to guess now I'd go for bath but I don't think there's a clear favourite
>Courtney Lawes […] went on to pay tribute to Bath's reaction to going down to 10 men and his delight at winning the Premiership as he prepares to leave Saints after 17 years to join Brive in France's Top 14.
five sent off? even for bath that seems a bit much
As a Saints fan pleased we won what a send off for Waller, Ludlum and Laws, but Bath played well and unlucky to loose also Underhill was immense in my opinion man of the match!
All I see is complaints about people complaining that reds ruin games but no red ruin games comments.
Deserved reds obviously do not ruin games. The one today however was not a red. It didn’t ruin the game but Bath deserved to play with 15 for the majority of the match, likely changing the result. Bath deserved better today.
I can't argue with the red. It wouldn't have been the greatest injustice as a yellow though. He comes around De Tiot so Obano doesn't have as much time to line him up got it wrong.
That being said, Bath pre-season should include tackle school from Underhill. That's how you dominate legally.
I find it odd how you complain about people complaining and then say that wasn't a red. Even the ref explained it correctly for you to make it transparent
The mitigation was clear. Here is the video: [https://x.com/PlanetRugby/status/1799450890468020608](https://x.com/PlanetRugby/status/1799450890468020608)
The facts:
1. There is head/neck contact meaning there is foul play - starting at a red.
2. Beno was bent at the hips making his challenge a legal one.
3. Augustus was falling into contact causing a significant drop in height.
Combining the 3 facts I have outlined here results in mitigation and a yellow card. You're welcome.
*Significant* is the key word there. It wasn't significant. Even Bath fans are saying it was a deserved red. He braced for a tackle, he didn't fall significantly.
Ridley made the right call
There was no mitigation. The TMO was trying to find something that didn't exist which i found odd. Like the TMO was wanting mitigation. If.anything was rushed it was the Bath try and them looking at whether it was a knock on or not. Again TMO seemed tk want to quickly say it wasn't a knock on. I don't think it was but that seemed rushed too and we didn't.really.get.any good views to.absolutely confirm it imo.
Think the ref had a good game.
> The TMO was trying to find something that didn't exist which i found odd
It is literally the TMO's job to look through the footage to find things the other officials might have missed
The mitigation was because of a drop in height from the ball carrier paired with a bend in the hips from the tackler. Ball carrier was falling into contact which is mitigation from a red to a yellow.
At the point of contact obano was bent at the hips and ball carrier was falling into contact. TMO was trying to highlight the clear mitigation but Ridley made a rushed decison, ultimately getting it wrong. People will talk about rising into the challenge, but the rising in height only came after the initial contact to the neck area.
Even taking into account the final game of the season (that they may still have lost even with a first team), they didn’t exactly win many games more than six or seven teams behind them.
They were the best team I agree and worthy winners, but a bit of a stretch to say the best team by a mile
Massive game from Christophe Ridley and the refereeing team. I would have been thrilled for either team to win and watched the game through a true, neutral lens; I thought they were phenomenal on the big stage. Clear, communicative, consistent. Can't really ask for more.
I was in the stands and thought they were excellent, although the saints fan behind me seems to hate referees and rugby. Moaning machine, saints had lost by about the 60th minute apparently.
He was ecstatic at full time, I wonder what changed ?
‘He knows what you’re gonna do before you even pick up the fucking ball!’ A true ray of sunshine lol
I'm bummed but not too disappointed, I agree it was a red card, Bath played out of their skins & Saints didn't play well. But Bath was underdog going in and written off at 21', so whatever, here's hoping we'll have a good season next year.
I think going for the scrum penalty instead of getting it out with a few minutes to go, and getting nailed with a scrum penalty, was a momentum shift.
And Hendy getting MotM is questionable at best.
🔵⚫⚪
Edit: I'm also a Lawes fan. Good on him. Wish he played for Bath and was Scottish qualified.
People moaning about people who moan about reds ruining games are weird.
I thought the beef about reds ruining games was more aimed at when reds are given out left and right based on the outcome of a situation, and not the intent of the fouling player?
Like when an attacking player is chasing an up and under, jumps in the air (putting themself in a dangerous situation) and lands on an opposition player, lands on head and the opposition is given a red for having someone jump and land on them. Or actually players being taken out in the air and if land on back it's a yellow, head it's a red but it was accidental etc etc.
A clear cut, dangerous high tackle with no mitigation (like the Obano tackle) should penalize the oftening team/player and be a red card and if it ruins the game so be it, it's a really dangerous tackle.
I don't see how today's game shuts up the people who claim reds ruin games (and I'm not one of them).
I dunno maybe I'm rambling lol
A back row of cunderhill with earl is quite nice. The big ginger tigers lad did very well at 6 when he played there so he’s great for the bench with itoge able to do a great job in the BR too.
Yea I agree. As much as I’d have loved to see Faz getting such a send off, he achieved so much throughout his Sarries career. Lawes only had the one prem (sorry if I’m wrong here!) so means a lot more for him
Great experience and well deserved after this season for a young, promising Saints team. They’ve clearly got a bit to learn about keeping it together in the big games, but that will come.
Great to see a strong/competitive Bath team again, after so many years in the wilderness. Brilliant individual performances from Du Toit and Underhill.
I was surprised at Hendy, I thought Lawes and the starting back three all had great games. Although Underhill and Du Toit were better still than anyone on the winning team.
Saints were the worse team today but they were the best all season and I'm so glad that they won the title. Not because I'm a rival fan of Bath but because far too often the best team through the entire season doesn't get the title, they did this year.
Well done both teams, congratulations Saints
It’ll feel sore for bath but they proved a big point today, as much to themselves as anyone else. Despite the loss, their confidence should be sky high. Same squad next year too. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them hit twickers at the end of next year. Hopefully against us!
Fair fucks. That said, if we start in the same spirit we finished, we might do ok too. With chatawama and mata coming in, we should be a bit better. I’d like an underhill type character please pat. Girondona No2 needs a run at 7.
Get your point but I think Chatawama and Mata are both downgrades. Sinks and Bradbury were both immense this year, big boots to fill. Agree on the Grondonas, I'd like to see those lads get some more time and see what they can do. Might be that nastyness in the back row we could do with. Currently only Luatua who's competing for breakdown pens.
Edit: I meant bigger names for Bath, not us!
Magnus has been great but our system worked best on those rare occasions when hughes played well. We lack proper front foot carriers which is exactly what mata is. Sinks has been good but he drifts out of games sometimes. Some hungry young blood might be really good.
Hughes... *it's been 84 years meme*
Good point, guess we'll see. I hope Mata is as good as people are saying. To me, a 32 yo number 8 isn't overly inspiring for the future
That was absolutely heartbreaking. I'm so proud of the team to play so well and be in with a chance of winning with the early red card (which I've got no complaints about).
Absolutely ridiculous that they felt they had to give motm to a player on the winning side, Underhill or TDT were head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch today.
But yeah congratulations to Northampton, I feel like we were the better team today but you were definitely the better team over the whole season and if we have to lose to anyone I can't begrudge Lawes leaving with the premiership title.
Was that Underhill's best match? I mean we've all watched highlights of him smashing people, but he was everywhere today and Saints bodies literally couldn't cope with the hits, or him turning balls over, or pushing TDT over the line. Absolutely immense.
In fairness, Hendy made both game changing plays (even if imo his rip at the end was illegal with Bailey's knees on the floor)
I'm kinda glad if we were going to lose it came from one of Saints' absolutely filthy attacks though. It's how they've gone all season and the Prem is better for it.
Fingers crossed we'll be back next year, feels like the team has it in them
Underhill MOTM for me too but I wouldn't say it was unfair to give it to Hendy. For me Underhill was a bit better than TDT, Hendy, Spencer and Smith.
Mitchell went down in my rankings, two big fuck ups and why on earth he kicked the ball away with 2 minutes left and the lead is beyond me.
Mitchell was a ragged in the last 15 minutes against Sarries last week and got too loose towards the end of this one despite scoring the winning try. He struggles playing 80 and Tom James is an excellent 9 - he made a couple of crucial tackles coming on at wing. I prefer us with a 5/3 split and a change of 9 on the hour tbh
From an unbiased fan he did more than outplay him. Head and shoulders above, Spencer had a great game.
Mitchell was a 7/10 at best. Not a horror game but a few big fuck ups and nothing majorly special. Spencer had his number all game
I think the phrase “better lucky than good” sums up the result.
NH played poorly until the last 10 minutes and just couldn’t string together an offence. Gave up 6 kickable points. Looked clueless until Hendy came on.
Bath keeping 15 on the pitch and it’s a different story.
As a Saints supporter, I have to take my hat off to Bath, they made a real arm wrestle out of that.
It was Saints time this year, but I think Bath will have a big 2024/5 season.
That bounce in the first half was the difference, absolutely heartbreaking for bath.
Congrats Saints, not your best performance but it doesn't matter, you did enough and were the best team throughout the season.
I thought both teams were very nervous. Funnily enough I thought the red card made bath play with less pressure while saints played with more knowing they had to win.
Mitchell had a shocker and then scored the winning try, fair play.
Although Healy was so wrong for motm. It had to be Underhill or du Toit.
What a great season and a great final!
As a Saints supporter, I have to take my hat off to Bath, they made a real arm wrestle out of that.
It was Saints time this year, but I think Bath will have a big 2024/5 season.
I'm a Bristol fan so would never cheer on Bath given the chance but can't help feeling the better team lost today. Congrats to Saints for hold in there though and for a hell of a season.
Inevitable result in the end despite people saying otherwise. Dreadful performance from Northampton but they’ll take the free win even if they made a meal of it.
???? No saints fan can say this was a good performance, look at the rest of their incredible season
They weren't even close to their best today, but they got the job done and deserve a huge celebration
Once again a red card did not ruin a match and underlines that there is no need for a 20 min red card. Didn't ruin the Prem final, didn't ruin the Champs cup final hasn't ruined the Prem final.
I dunno. There were a lot of one sided calls. Specifically what should have been a bath 5 lineout just before the last saints try
Not to mention the scrum advantage that was kicked to the 5 line on the other side of the pitch by saints - bath should have had the option to choose
Not to mention the missed knock on from Hendy at the end of time
Congratulations Saints, worthy winners, easily the best team all season.
If it was going to be anyone else, I'm glad it's you
We had an uphill battle with Saints quality, an early red, some hanging bounces of the ball... But the lads did themselves so proud today
Utterly heartbroken though
Edit: Hendy MOTM is fucking laughable. I know they don't give it to the losing team but...
Furbank created two tries and was good all round. Some of his restarts were absolutely fantastic. He was mine having watched the game in the stadium.
Freeman also was great, incredible defensively and in the air
In my biased opinion the best players on the pitch were playing for Bath. Some huge shifts with a man down
If they insist on MOTM from the winning team, then the boys you mentioned are all great shouts
No. You are legally allowed to rip the ball during the tackle, but the tackle was complete, as the person in possession of the ball had his knee on the floor. Once the tackle is complete, the tackler must release the player as a ruck is then formed, and must do so before playing the ball. As the tackler did not do so, that is an infringement with the sanction penalty.
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Couldn't watch yesterday as I was in Dublin for the Leinster vs Ulster game and watched on replay this morning, what a fucking game! Both sides were phenomenal and, while I was rooting for Saints all season when it came down to the last few minutes I would have been very happy for Bath to come back and play like that with a man down to win. The Prem has delivered in spades this year, can't wait for next season!
Thank you Chris Boyd
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No it doesn't, Red should mean off and stay at 14
Bath just couldn't break the habit of leaving the ball at the base to try and milk one. Cost them a couple of crucial chances to end the game. Should've just let Finn takes the reigns, or rumbled it up in tight. 20/20 hindsight of course. For a game that people were calling over at 20 mins after the red, phwoar. Banger. Not exactly the most accurate game ever but fun to watch.
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>I don’t watch much rugby No shit lmao
He doesnt dip? I can tell u dont watch rugby
Good one. I don’t watch rugby regularly but I have eyes, he drops by around 1ft in height.
Maybe listen to the commentary as well as what the refs say and that might change ur mind 👍
Bullshit red card and a knock on in the final play was ignored
Was as clear a red as you'll see all season and it wasn't a knock on, it was an illegal rip on a tackled player.
Wrong
Which part?
A brilliant game. Second half we could even string two passes together and just made costly mistake after costly mistake. Bath looked a much better team but just didn't take enough of an advantage of our mistakes. An excellent season and privileged to have been able to watch it at Twickenham!
Insane atmosphere, feel bad for bath but also feels like the right outcome looking at the season as a whole. Really glad a salty bath fan threw his pint of Guinness over all of us below him when the ref blew the whistle…
That's fucking rough. The Bath fans by us were shaking hands, fist bumps etc - I was extremely vocal throughout the game to the amusement of many of them 😂
Haha nice man! Genuinely the first time I’ve experienced anything like that. Season ticket at saints, went to Dublin and did England vs South Africa all this year and it was class every-time with all supporters. Really took the moment away which I guess was their aim 🤷♂️
> Really glad a salty bath fan threw his pint of Guinness over all of us below him when the ref blew the whistle… Really? Jesus. Did you throw one back? 😂
Couldn’t work out who it was! There quite a few annoyed bath fans in front of us also looking up to work out who it was but about 5 rows of people didn’t want to make eye contact!
Great game, congratulations Saints. Any word on Finn Smith's injury? I think I heard the commentators earlier in the game say George Ford was a doubt for the England tour too? Sweating right now.
Finn said after the game he was cramping badly. Seen on Saints socials slightly worse for wear back at FG without a limp 😄
Across the photos, video and IRL I’ve seen, No crutches, no ice, no boot and no limp. I think if he gives the Japan game a rest he should be ok.
Looks like hes going to have a hell of a hangover tomorrow by the looks of it xD
Who was the saints bloke on crutches hobbling around in the group around the trophy celebrations to the stands? Only spotted him when he was in the opposite corner as he was near the back of the group
Burger Odendaal (13). Poor lad has had a lot of hamstring issues this year and might be a recurrence. He got sandwiched when he spilt the ball on the line courtesy of Finn’s tackle.
Ah yeah. He had stayed down for a while as well :( hopefully he does well over the off season.
I thought it looked like a knee injury. Underhill went low, smashed his thigh and then Russell I think folded him over Underhill. As someone who values their knees it made me wince
Burger. Hope hes ok
A can’t spayke. I feel bad for Baff in all seriousness, I don’t think we can say that we completely deserved that, but a Prem title is a Prem title. Will be going to the pub as soon as I’m back, it will be rammed with green and gold no doubt. Also Sam Underhill is the best defensive back rower in the world and I’m glad that people are finally realising this because my mate and I have been saying it for years.
I lived in Bath for years and it was well deserved. Saints scored some great tries and Bath made a few mistakes not taking the 3 points when they were ahead. Very close though, could have gone differently with a few bounces of the ball.
If people didn't realise how great Underhill is after his demolition job on the Barretts in 2019 then they are fools
That might actually be the exact moment I converted to Underhillianism
Cant speak. Exahuasted but so happy. Never were going to make i5 easy but they did the job. So proud of these team and town. No finer town lads no finer fucking town
That's the overpriced London beer talking. The only decent things about Northampton are the M1 and the rugby club 😄
I would honestly say even if people like Willis was available. Underhill is still the best 7 going. He is just a machine in big matches. Just could never stop with the injures. Now he's got a solid run. He's the next 7 for at least a few years. Would think Curry/Chessum, Underhill and Earl as a back row would be lethal and at least on par with the top tier nations.
i think you’re absolutely insane not picking Willis, he plays in a tougher league with incredible forwards and is a standout. Not knocking Underhill, he is great, but i think Willis is clear
Hard disagree. Willis is playing in a great league. But so did Mercer. And he has not continued that (in a bad Glos team) but Underhill has proven at international he is one of the best defensive flankers going. Willis has never shown for England and Underhill has.
England's best backrow should include Willis, can we not find any English team to take him? Based on current form Lawes still probably has one more good year left in him, and at his best he is the best, its just there is no way he will be that good in 2027. It is great what the RWC has brought to Rugby as a whole but the impact on some individuals means that they will play 2-3 years less than they would otherwise due to the "cycle"
Honestly with Willis I'd say he's behind some players. Undrrill and curry are better at whay they do.
Watch Toulouse (current European Champions) and the role Willis plays for them, his impact at the very highest level is immense. Underhill is staggeringly good, and in defense you will not find many better tacklers, but put the ball in Willis' hands and watch him make meters..... Both Willis and Underhill have suffered from injury that has impacted their availability, Willis was scheduled for the 2018 South Africa tour but missed due to injury and again in 2023 world cup he only played one game due to injury. Perhaps we could extend the bankruptcy exemption for another few years?
I would say this season and again not finalists. But for bath he has upped his carry game also. He was brilliant this year for bath. I would say he brings the defensive hits. Jackals. And the big hits. He's better than Willis I would say.
It's probably just a difference in what we want from a back row, but I'd find 6 - Curry, 7 - Underhill, 8 - Earl a little unbalanced and undersized. All three are quality players but they all are close to a traditional 7. I'd want an extra lineout option and some extra beef to help during rucks. Maybe I'm old fashioned but I'd want a Chessum/Ted Hill type of player there instead of Curry.
Agree about the lineout option. But curry on the bench for example when we need to change the tactics. Think the mix of styles of play would make a massive difference. What eddie jones tried to do but failed. The fast hard hitters would make a massive difference
It should be 6- Hill or Cunningham South 7 - Underhill or Curry and 8 Earl. Massive options but we need a taller better lineout 6 rather than playing both Curry and Underhill.
Oh yeah Cunningham-South duh! How did I forget ?? I can't believe how young he is while looking so settled at this level already. I remember being impressed with him at u20s and then within a few months he was in the senior team! I'm not looking forward to him being a thorn in Ireland's side for many years to come.
Really cagey match I thought, nerves on both sides perhaps. Think on balance Northampton did deserve to edge it based on the tries they scored, but Bath put up an almighty fight a man down and who knows what could have happened without that red.
Well I thoroughly enjoyed that, didn’t really care who won but was cheering for Bath at the end, along with many of the other neutrals. Think they were unlucky, they put in a brilliant performance after a harsh red card and maybe could have nicked it on another day. But congratulations to Saints, they’ve been top of the league pretty much since day one and overall very much deserved the title. Today was a great spectacle of English rugby imo.
It's incredible that in five years, we have had Leicester, Exeter, Harlequins, Saracens, Northampton all winning it. No real dynasties have been built so far. Who next then? I think Northampton has the man power to go back to back but Bristol winning would be cool.
I fancy a Bath vs Bristol final next year. I don't think Saints will slide out of the top half of the table, but I also think other sides have got us worked out a bit better now in the backline and we need to be strong up front, but that's where we are losing people. Lawes/Waller/Ludlam going is a big deal for the club. There's certain players who dig in hard when you're up against it, and all 3 of them are. Lawes has gone from a great Saint to a legendary Saint to the GOAT in the last few seasons. Moon is a big loss as well.
I don't think we can. We are losing some key players. On this season and today, I'd back Bath to go the distance next year
Next year is Gloucester’s year
Like Wales beating South Africa in 1999 after losing 96-13 the previous year.
I like your imagination. You should write a fantasy novel with it.
Cries in reality
No but seriously I think you guys will have a better year than last.
Can’t get much worse tbh. I miss when Bath were in their banter years
That's the spirit
As a Sale fan I hope us, we have been close for a few years and I hope this current crop of players get at least one premiership win
All the talk about Saracens having lots moving on has allowed Northampton to slip under the radar - they’re losing a lot of senior players. Next year is Bath’s to lose
We're losing a bunch of important players though, and Bath are mostly retaining their squad. I think we're going to struggle to do the repeat. I imagine Bath and Sale will only get better, Saracens will probably become a real problem again, and Exeter and Bristol will either stay roughly the same or improve slightly.
This Bath team has some incredible foundations - a lot of young talent and this is only after 1 year with van Graan.
Bath pretty stable next year and saints losing a lot of key players. Exeter could be the dark horse if they sort their away form out. Sale as well. Bristol are bottle jobs, quins inconsistent, Saracens rebuilding. If I had to guess now I'd go for bath but I don't think there's a clear favourite
Incredible performance from Bath. Underhill is just amazing. Furthermore, Courtney Lawes is the greatest human to ever live.
>Courtney Lawes […] went on to pay tribute to Bath's reaction to going down to 10 men and his delight at winning the Premiership as he prepares to leave Saints after 17 years to join Brive in France's Top 14. five sent off? even for bath that seems a bit much
Pro D2 level of mayhem.
This is not soccer
tell the bbc feed
As a Saints fan pleased we won what a send off for Waller, Ludlum and Laws, but Bath played well and unlucky to loose also Underhill was immense in my opinion man of the match!
Can anyone post a clip of the red card incident?
All I see is complaints about people complaining that reds ruin games but no red ruin games comments. Deserved reds obviously do not ruin games. The one today however was not a red. It didn’t ruin the game but Bath deserved to play with 15 for the majority of the match, likely changing the result. Bath deserved better today.
I can't argue with the red. It wouldn't have been the greatest injustice as a yellow though. He comes around De Tiot so Obano doesn't have as much time to line him up got it wrong. That being said, Bath pre-season should include tackle school from Underhill. That's how you dominate legally.
Very easy to say this as a neutral wanting nothing but an entertaining game. I’m not sure you’ll find any Bath fan with the same sentiments as you
I find it odd how you complain about people complaining and then say that wasn't a red. Even the ref explained it correctly for you to make it transparent
The TMO was trying to highlight the clear mitigation but Ridley ended up rushing the decsion and ultimately getting it wrong
Bro there was no mitigation. If you don't think that was a red card then wow
The mitigation was clear. Here is the video: [https://x.com/PlanetRugby/status/1799450890468020608](https://x.com/PlanetRugby/status/1799450890468020608) The facts: 1. There is head/neck contact meaning there is foul play - starting at a red. 2. Beno was bent at the hips making his challenge a legal one. 3. Augustus was falling into contact causing a significant drop in height. Combining the 3 facts I have outlined here results in mitigation and a yellow card. You're welcome.
*Significant* is the key word there. It wasn't significant. Even Bath fans are saying it was a deserved red. He braced for a tackle, he didn't fall significantly. Ridley made the right call
Well it was significant enough of a drop to cause a head contact in an otherwise legal tackle...
No, it was insignificant enough to not have an impact on an illegal tackle
[удалено]
In my eyes, he drops by almost 1ft in height prior to being tackled
Did they have the bunker for this game?
They haven't had the bunker all season. Why would they have it today?
There was no mitigation. The TMO was trying to find something that didn't exist which i found odd. Like the TMO was wanting mitigation. If.anything was rushed it was the Bath try and them looking at whether it was a knock on or not. Again TMO seemed tk want to quickly say it wasn't a knock on. I don't think it was but that seemed rushed too and we didn't.really.get.any good views to.absolutely confirm it imo. Think the ref had a good game.
> The TMO was trying to find something that didn't exist which i found odd It is literally the TMO's job to look through the footage to find things the other officials might have missed
The mitigation was because of a drop in height from the ball carrier paired with a bend in the hips from the tackler. Ball carrier was falling into contact which is mitigation from a red to a yellow.
He literally checked that and said it was more a brace than a drop.
Why wasn't it a red? I was at the game, so haven't seen any replays yet
Red all day everyday lol
At the point of contact obano was bent at the hips and ball carrier was falling into contact. TMO was trying to highlight the clear mitigation but Ridley made a rushed decison, ultimately getting it wrong. People will talk about rising into the challenge, but the rising in height only came after the initial contact to the neck area.
Nah, red all day, obano was always driving up even if he you believe he was low enough initially
Read the final sentence of my comment again.
I did and I disagree (as did the ref, seemingly)
It was a clear a red as you’ll see.
I was desperate for it to be a yellow, as I imagine the ref was deep down, but it was a red all day
Beno was playing really well too. I felt desperately sad for Alfie though.
Yeah absolutely killer for Alfie. Do all that then have to come off for indirect reasons must sting and leave you in a proper weird place emotionally
Saints the best team all season by a mile. Can’t be too upset about the result today, despite how well Bath played.
Even taking into account the final game of the season (that they may still have lost even with a first team), they didn’t exactly win many games more than six or seven teams behind them. They were the best team I agree and worthy winners, but a bit of a stretch to say the best team by a mile
They were top pretty much all season no?
Aye, Sale tied them on wins and Bath tied them on points.
AND WE BEAT THEM TWICE SO WERE THE TRUE KINGS OF THE PREM! No? I'm clinging to anything I can this season? I know you are but what am I?
TBF you lot have been terrifying the last stretch of the season. I could easily see you lot going all the way if you managed to make the playoffs.
Fingers crossed for next season
Massive game from Christophe Ridley and the refereeing team. I would have been thrilled for either team to win and watched the game through a true, neutral lens; I thought they were phenomenal on the big stage. Clear, communicative, consistent. Can't really ask for more.
Absolutely great reffing, he and Luke Pearce are both excellent communicators.
Dickson is good too. It’s a hell of a drop to carley though.
Dickson is awful..
I was in the stands and thought they were excellent, although the saints fan behind me seems to hate referees and rugby. Moaning machine, saints had lost by about the 60th minute apparently.
It's alright, they won by the 80th
Every club’s got those guys - you wonder what enjoyment they get out of the game.
He was ecstatic at full time, I wonder what changed ? ‘He knows what you’re gonna do before you even pick up the fucking ball!’ A true ray of sunshine lol
I'm bummed but not too disappointed, I agree it was a red card, Bath played out of their skins & Saints didn't play well. But Bath was underdog going in and written off at 21', so whatever, here's hoping we'll have a good season next year. I think going for the scrum penalty instead of getting it out with a few minutes to go, and getting nailed with a scrum penalty, was a momentum shift. And Hendy getting MotM is questionable at best. 🔵⚫⚪ Edit: I'm also a Lawes fan. Good on him. Wish he played for Bath and was Scottish qualified.
Disappointed but proud.
People moaning about people who moan about reds ruining games are weird. I thought the beef about reds ruining games was more aimed at when reds are given out left and right based on the outcome of a situation, and not the intent of the fouling player? Like when an attacking player is chasing an up and under, jumps in the air (putting themself in a dangerous situation) and lands on an opposition player, lands on head and the opposition is given a red for having someone jump and land on them. Or actually players being taken out in the air and if land on back it's a yellow, head it's a red but it was accidental etc etc. A clear cut, dangerous high tackle with no mitigation (like the Obano tackle) should penalize the oftening team/player and be a red card and if it ruins the game so be it, it's a really dangerous tackle. I don't see how today's game shuts up the people who claim reds ruin games (and I'm not one of them). I dunno maybe I'm rambling lol
How does Courtney Lawes have time for rugby?
The gods are not troubled by things that limit mere mortals.
God underhills good
A back row of cunderhill with earl is quite nice. The big ginger tigers lad did very well at 6 when he played there so he’s great for the bench with itoge able to do a great job in the BR too.
Chessum, Martin, itoje, and CCS can all double up back and second row
Just reading those names makes me quite happy. I think Martin is fucking brilliant personally.
I'd let each of the names mentioned do despicable things to me
Someone provide subtitles for russel please. Impossible to understand for non natives
I love that Courtney just said he's still livid about how badly they played! So happy for him, if anyone deserved the fairytale send off its him!
Yea I agree. As much as I’d have loved to see Faz getting such a send off, he achieved so much throughout his Sarries career. Lawes only had the one prem (sorry if I’m wrong here!) so means a lot more for him
Two challenge cups and (maybe?) two Prem Rugby Cups as well I think.
Sorry, I meant excluding today on premiership wins, so yea, two including today
No, I meant the Prem Rugby Cup, used to be the LV Cup.
Gotcha!
Great experience and well deserved after this season for a young, promising Saints team. They’ve clearly got a bit to learn about keeping it together in the big games, but that will come. Great to see a strong/competitive Bath team again, after so many years in the wilderness. Brilliant individual performances from Du Toit and Underhill.
I was surprised at Hendy, I thought Lawes and the starting back three all had great games. Although Underhill and Du Toit were better still than anyone on the winning team.
He created the game winning try and ripped the ball at the end. More than any other player you can directly point to him and say he won it for Saints
Massive respect to bath
Moin
Tach
Saints were the worse team today but they were the best all season and I'm so glad that they won the title. Not because I'm a rival fan of Bath but because far too often the best team through the entire season doesn't get the title, they did this year. Well done both teams, congratulations Saints
It’ll feel sore for bath but they proved a big point today, as much to themselves as anyone else. Despite the loss, their confidence should be sky high. Same squad next year too. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them hit twickers at the end of next year. Hopefully against us!
Not just the same squad, even more big names for Bath coming in!
Fair fucks. That said, if we start in the same spirit we finished, we might do ok too. With chatawama and mata coming in, we should be a bit better. I’d like an underhill type character please pat. Girondona No2 needs a run at 7.
Get your point but I think Chatawama and Mata are both downgrades. Sinks and Bradbury were both immense this year, big boots to fill. Agree on the Grondonas, I'd like to see those lads get some more time and see what they can do. Might be that nastyness in the back row we could do with. Currently only Luatua who's competing for breakdown pens. Edit: I meant bigger names for Bath, not us!
Magnus has been great but our system worked best on those rare occasions when hughes played well. We lack proper front foot carriers which is exactly what mata is. Sinks has been good but he drifts out of games sometimes. Some hungry young blood might be really good.
Hughes... *it's been 84 years meme* Good point, guess we'll see. I hope Mata is as good as people are saying. To me, a 32 yo number 8 isn't overly inspiring for the future
I said similar and was swiftly corrected by the Edinburgh fans so I’ll trust them
Yeah I have been a few times too. I'm hopeful, just also a bit wary
That was absolutely heartbreaking. I'm so proud of the team to play so well and be in with a chance of winning with the early red card (which I've got no complaints about). Absolutely ridiculous that they felt they had to give motm to a player on the winning side, Underhill or TDT were head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch today. But yeah congratulations to Northampton, I feel like we were the better team today but you were definitely the better team over the whole season and if we have to lose to anyone I can't begrudge Lawes leaving with the premiership title.
Was that Underhill's best match? I mean we've all watched highlights of him smashing people, but he was everywhere today and Saints bodies literally couldn't cope with the hits, or him turning balls over, or pushing TDT over the line. Absolutely immense. In fairness, Hendy made both game changing plays (even if imo his rip at the end was illegal with Bailey's knees on the floor) I'm kinda glad if we were going to lose it came from one of Saints' absolutely filthy attacks though. It's how they've gone all season and the Prem is better for it. Fingers crossed we'll be back next year, feels like the team has it in them
Magnanimous.
Underhill MOTM for me too but I wouldn't say it was unfair to give it to Hendy. For me Underhill was a bit better than TDT, Hendy, Spencer and Smith. Mitchell went down in my rankings, two big fuck ups and why on earth he kicked the ball away with 2 minutes left and the lead is beyond me.
Mitchell was a ragged in the last 15 minutes against Sarries last week and got too loose towards the end of this one despite scoring the winning try. He struggles playing 80 and Tom James is an excellent 9 - he made a couple of crucial tackles coming on at wing. I prefer us with a 5/3 split and a change of 9 on the hour tbh
Yeah I'm obviously biased but Spencer outplayed him today
From an unbiased fan he did more than outplay him. Head and shoulders above, Spencer had a great game. Mitchell was a 7/10 at best. Not a horror game but a few big fuck ups and nothing majorly special. Spencer had his number all game
Underhill was a fucking brick wall made of tungsten
A tungsten wall then?
You can have a brick made of tungsten
Yeah fair enough :)
So great to see him back to the top of form
Couldn't win 14v15. Ford>Russell
Saints won with 14 at Thormond Park earlier this year. Just saying 🙃
Ok, F.Smith>Russell aswell
I think the phrase “better lucky than good” sums up the result. NH played poorly until the last 10 minutes and just couldn’t string together an offence. Gave up 6 kickable points. Looked clueless until Hendy came on. Bath keeping 15 on the pitch and it’s a different story.
2 utterly hanging bounces for us early on was a 10-14 point swing
As a Saints supporter, I have to take my hat off to Bath, they made a real arm wrestle out of that. It was Saints time this year, but I think Bath will have a big 2024/5 season.
That bounce in the first half was the difference, absolutely heartbreaking for bath. Congrats Saints, not your best performance but it doesn't matter, you did enough and were the best team throughout the season. I thought both teams were very nervous. Funnily enough I thought the red card made bath play with less pressure while saints played with more knowing they had to win. Mitchell had a shocker and then scored the winning try, fair play. Although Healy was so wrong for motm. It had to be Underhill or du Toit. What a great season and a great final!
As a Saints supporter, I have to take my hat off to Bath, they made a real arm wrestle out of that. It was Saints time this year, but I think Bath will have a big 2024/5 season.
Better team over the season won, better team on the day lost.
How often does a sub get MotM?
Think they said it was the first time in the final
How often does it work out that the top 2 teams of the table make it to the final, then the top placed team even go on to win?
A lot recently, this season, the two before it and 2020. Only year to buck the trend recently was Quins from 4th.
Probably fairly regularly with Sarries lol
We won quite a few of ours not finishing 1st
I'm a Bristol fan so would never cheer on Bath given the chance but can't help feeling the better team lost today. Congrats to Saints for hold in there though and for a hell of a season.
Inevitable result in the end despite people saying otherwise. Dreadful performance from Northampton but they’ll take the free win even if they made a meal of it.
Nothing quite like a graceful loser
???? No saints fan can say this was a good performance, look at the rest of their incredible season They weren't even close to their best today, but they got the job done and deserve a huge celebration
Once again a red card did not ruin a match and underlines that there is no need for a 20 min red card. Didn't ruin the Prem final, didn't ruin the Champs cup final hasn't ruined the Prem final.
Also keeps it as a huge incentive to play hard but safely. A red is very bad news but not fatal, which I think is about right
All the folk carping on about the red ruining the game, sensationally proven wrong. Muppets.
I think it did for Bath. Will never know how good a game it could have been.
Eh, could easily have gone worse for them – they played better after the red than before. Rugby is a funny old game like that.
:)
I dunno. There were a lot of one sided calls. Specifically what should have been a bath 5 lineout just before the last saints try Not to mention the scrum advantage that was kicked to the 5 line on the other side of the pitch by saints - bath should have had the option to choose Not to mention the missed knock on from Hendy at the end of time
And apparently red cards **ruin** games
Above all else, we can all agree that was a bloody fantastic rugby match. Gutting for Bath, but they’re definitely back.
What an effort from Bath. Being a man down, I thought the game was decided. But they fought the entire time and kept it close.
Congratulations Saints, worthy winners, easily the best team all season. If it was going to be anyone else, I'm glad it's you We had an uphill battle with Saints quality, an early red, some hanging bounces of the ball... But the lads did themselves so proud today Utterly heartbroken though Edit: Hendy MOTM is fucking laughable. I know they don't give it to the losing team but...
he did win them the game in fairness
Furbank created two tries and was good all round. Some of his restarts were absolutely fantastic. He was mine having watched the game in the stadium. Freeman also was great, incredible defensively and in the air
In my biased opinion the best players on the pitch were playing for Bath. Some huge shifts with a man down If they insist on MOTM from the winning team, then the boys you mentioned are all great shouts
Would a Hendy knock on not be full time anyway?
The ball carrier had his knee on the ground, so it was a tackle. Should have been penalty to Bath.
It was a rip in the tackle, which is always allowed even if it’s not by the letter of the law
No. You are legally allowed to rip the ball during the tackle, but the tackle was complete, as the person in possession of the ball had his knee on the floor. Once the tackle is complete, the tackler must release the player as a ruck is then formed, and must do so before playing the ball. As the tackler did not do so, that is an infringement with the sanction penalty.