By P G Tips
April 26 2016
Will Bath be on a hiding to nothing at Franklin’s Gardens on Saturday? The last Bath win against Saints was six seasons ago and the last away victory a distant memory. Even among last season’s excellence and flair Northampton’s power proved too strong for Bath. This season Saints are almost as disappointed with their form as Bath, but at least they have a target. They now have a slight hold on a European Champions Cup place and a very small chance of making the playoffs- they will be chasing every point and bonus they can get. Mike Ford’s men restored some pride as well as verve with their attacking play against Sale last weekend, but their rolling maul defence was found wanting on four occasions. Mallinder’s side will have noticed that frailty and be planning to exploit it. So –are Bath finally on the rise and Saints, who have lost their last two- into a slump, or will Saints exert their usual stranglehold for victory?
Mallinder will want to field his strongest squads in the last two games of the season. Up front, at full strength the East Midlanders are enviably strong- all internationals or cap aspirants –particularly in the front five. The halfbacks are likely to be Dickson and Myler to give the joint direction of kicking for field position and swift distribution of front foot ball. If they can secure the possession and territory they want they can call on more raw power form a physical backline in which Luther Burrell is starting to hit some form.
Bath may feel they have turned a corner (at least in attack) with their four tries against Sale. That confidence boost should help them to seek fluent passing and open spaces in search of a repeat performance. They should guard, though against over confidence, also against any sense of resentment from previous encounters: regulation of the scrum in this season’s home fixture clearly rankled, as did the notorious 19-19 draw two seasons ago. Revenge, a dish best eaten cold, needs steely determination and calculated execution if it is to be found.
There will be tough match ups through all rows of the team. The forwards will need to front up with an indomitable eighty minute performance, especially from the bench and Ollie Devoto can expect a stern examination of his status having crept above Burrell in Eddie Jones’s favours. Rokodoguni will hope to add to his impressive recent haul of tries and Ford to continue to refind his swagger. As so often though, expect the battle of the back rows to be key – the return of Louw and the form of Denton and Mercer give Bath fans some encouragement. Saints should win, but Bath can continue to revive.
Possible Teams:
Bath: Auterac. Webber, Thomas, Ewels, Attwood, Denton, Louw, (capt) Houston. Cook, Ford. Banahan, Devoto, Joseph, Rokodoguni, Watson.
Replacements: Catt, Webber, Wilson, Garvey, Mercer. Homer, Priestland, Clark.
Northampton Saints: Waller, Haywood, Brookes, Day, Lawes, Wood, Harrison, Dickinson. Dickson, Myler, Tuala, Pisi, Burrell, North. Foden.
Replacements: Waller, Marshall, Hill, Matfield, Fisher, Fotual’I, Pisi, Mallinder
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