Saints second home game of the season is thankfully a 3pm Saturday fixture against former West Country giants Bath. Although the fixture doesn't hold the same excitement as it would a decade ago, Bath should not be taken lightly. They still have a host of talented players and have made a better start to this year’s campaign beating London Irish, drawing with Wasps and losing to Buck Shelford's Saracens. Click the links for the Bath Rugby Ere match reports:

Bath vs Wasps
Bath vs Saracens
Bath vs Irish

Former England supremo Jack Rowell is back at the helm and they have an Aussie trio of coaching staff led by former Wallaby Michael Foley. The match will be doubly significant for Mark 'Deso' Connors, another Australian, whose move to Bath fell through after seemingly being complete and for Jon Sleightholme to once again remind his former employers how foolish they were to let him go.

Team News
Saints
15 Nick Beal
14 Oriol Ripol
13 Peter Jorgenson
12 John Leslie
11 Ben Cohen
10 Paul Grayson
9 Matt Dawson
8 Grant Seely
7 Budge Pountney
6 Andy Blowers
5 Steve Williams
4 Mark Connors
3 Mattie Stewart
2 Steve Thompson
1 Tom Smith

Replacements: Dan Richmond, Robbie Morris, Rob Hunter, Mark Soden, James Brooks, Mark Tucker, Jon Sleightholme
Bath team news from their official site :

Bath Team News

Mike Catt is rumoured to have a Hamstring injury so keep an eye on the message board for updates.

Last Season

Saints completed the double over Bath last season. Click the links below for all the COYSDC match reports, reactions and the man of the match polls:

Saints 26 Bath 7
Match Stats
MOTM
Fans View
Bath 11 Saints 29
MOTM
Fans View

History
The clubs first met in 1929-30 and have endured changing fortunes. In the fifties and sixties the clubs met 10 times with Saints winning 8 games to Bath's 2. In seventies they again played 10 times with Saints winning 7, Bath 2 and one draw. In 1980 Saints again beat Bath 12-6 but had to wait another ten games and 12 years before winning 11-8 in 1992-3. The eighties and early nineties were the golden era of Bath as they were the most professional club of the amateur times winning the league 6 times between 1988 and 1996 and the cup 9 times between 1984 and 1996. Long before clubs tried to be the next Leicester they all tried to be the next Bath.

Recent times have been less successful for Bath culminating in last years horror season when they finished one from bottom of the premiership. However this is the first season they have finished well out of the title race. Bath finished 2nd in 1997, 3rd in 1998, and 6th in 1999, 2nd in 2000 and 3rd in 2001. Their total of 182 league wins is only bettered by one club and is significantly better than Saints with 117.

Although they lead the league series of matches with Saints 11-8 the last 10 matches have seen Saints win 6 to Bath's 4. Another interesting fact in the stats is that Bath's leading try scorer and points scorers against Saints, Tony Swift and Jon Callard respectively, have both now retired whilst the same pair for Saints, are Budge Pountney and Paul Grayson.

Bath have made many mistakes in the professional era allowing top players and coaches to leave in their droves. One such mistake was their treatment of former Gardens hero Freddie Mendez. This prompted me to write the following letter published in the match day programme before the 1999 home game with Bath:

"Way back in November I was strolling through the Twickenham car park before England vs Australia, wearing my Saints scarf and enjoying the banter with other supporters sporting their club colours. One particular gentleman, a Bath supporter, drinking a bottle of port and eating a pork pie remarked, "Here come the Saints, thanks for giving us a laugh and taking Freddie off our hands." I wonder whose laughing now?

My moments of the season occurred during the last two games. Firstly against Newcastle when Freddie outrageously hoisted a Garryowen and then had the barefaced cheek to nail the receiving winger. Secondly, during a bustup between Mattie Stewart and Damian Rudham of London Scottish. The foolish referee interfered with front row union business and was rightly mocked by Mattie and Damian's kiss and make up act!

Great season boys, and Freddie make that man eat his words - he already ate his pies!"

The Saints that day mullered Bath 40-17 and Freddie played a starring roll, not a typo, his forward roll to score a second half try was the icing on the cake that season. That match was the last of the season when Saints finished 2nd in the league and was the springboard to greater things as Saints lifted the European cup the following year.

If you're going to the Game...

Keep an eye on the Northampton weather
Weather outlook

Also check out the BBC ground guide it is slightly out of date as Franklins Gardens is now a three sided horseshoe stadium with a 12 600 capacity and the pasties are surely worth more than 7. Other than that it tells you all you need to know!
BBC guide to Franklin’s Gardens

If you can't make it...

There's live commentary on BBC Radio Northampton or live on the Internet via the Official site.
Live audio link

Anne O'Racks Stats

League matches 19
Saints won 8
Bath Won 11
Biggest win for Saints 40-17 1st May 1999
Biggest win for Bath 52-14 19th Jan 1997
Saints top try scorer against Bath Budge Pountney 4 tries
Saints top points scorer against Bath Paul Grayson 99 points
Bath top try scorer against Saints Tony Swift 5 tries
Bath top points scorer against Saints Jon Callard 132 points

Last ten league matches

30th March 2002 Saints 29 - Bath 11 Rec
8th September 2001 Saints 26 - Bath 7 FG
6th January 2001 Saints 13 - Bath 36 Rec
23rd September 2000 Saints 24 - Bath 13 FG
22nd April 2000 Saints 13 - Bath 17 FG
25th September 1999 Saints 13 - Bath 33 Rec
1st May 1999 Saints 40 - Bath 17 FG
12th December 1998 Saints 15 - Bath 9 Rec
2nd May 1998 Saints 16 - Bath 15 FG
30th December 1997 Saints 3 - Bath 26 Rec

Check out the Bath Sportnetwork site match preview with the link below:
Bath Rugby Ere preview