Ill-disciplined Bath were made to suffer at the hands of European champions
Northampton.
The Saints had made a slow start to the season and been torn apart by
injuries, but they were too hot for the West Countrymen.
Bath's frustration boiled over in the second half when replacement flanker
Gavin Thomas and prop John Mallett were sin-binned in the space of six minutes.
Scotland flanker Budge Pountney immediately cashed in with a 55th-minute try
against 13-man Bath who were well beaten by this stage.
Earlier in the day, Saints' owner Keith Barwell announced they were to build a
new 13,000-seater stadium at Franklin's Gardens and that the club was going
public with a share-issue.
And the players responded, with a Garry Pagel-inspired pack reducing Bath to a
shambles.
England winger Ben Cohen took only nine minutes to open the scoring for the
Saints with a try after a quickly taken Dominic Malone tap penalty.
Saints suffered a huge blow in the 20th minute when one of their few remaining
fit backs, England fly-half Paul Grayson, limped off injured. But 20-year-old
Mark Tucker moved up from full-back and his 33rd-minute try edged Saints 14-3 in
front.
Bath, riddled with errors, never got into the game and their only consolation
for a dismal performance was an 80th-minute try from the sin-binned Thomas.
Teams:
Northampton:
Tries: Cohen, Tucker, Pountney.
Cons: Grayson, Tucker 2.
Pens: Tucker.
Northampton: Tucker, Sleightholme, Martin, Bateman,
Cohen,
Grayson, Malone, Pagel, Brotherstone, Stewart, Phillips,
Brouzet, Seely, Pountney, Lam.
Replacements: Bramhall for Sleightholme (69),
Kirk for Martin (76), Vass for Grayson (19),
Scelzo for Stewart (69), Newman for Brouzet (45),
Hunter for Seely (40), Thompson for Pountney (80).
Bath:
Tries: G. Thomas.
Cons: Thirlby.
Pens: Preston 2.
Bath: Perry, Balshaw, Maggs, Tindall,
A. Adebayo, Berne,
Preston, Barnes, Regan, Mallett, Haag, Borthwick, Gardiner,
Clarke, Lyle.
Replacements: Thirlby for Berne (40), Cooper for Preston (58),
Long for Regan (40), N. Thomas for Lyle (76).
Not Used: Emms, De Glanville, G. Thomas.
Sin Bin: G. Thomas (45), Mallett (53).
Att: 7,465
Ref: Ashley Rowden (Berkshire (RFU)).
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