Zurich Premiership leaders Bath carried their league form into the Powergen
Cup with a five-try demolition of Northampton to cruise into the
quarter-finals.
It was sweet revenge for Bath who went out of the competition to the Saints by
a single point at the same stage last season.
Northampton were also the last team to win at the Rec when they triumphed in
the league back in mid-March.
A measure of Bath's confidence these days, having escaped relegation so
narrowly at the end of last season, is that they were able to name the same pack
for the 10th successive match and they were also able to include wing Simon
Danielli on the bench on his return from World Cup duty with Scotland.
Northampton, looking to avenge a 24-6 league defeat two months ago, were able
to name Shane Drahm at fly-half following the overturning of his two-match ban
just 48 hours earlier.
The visitors enjoyed most of the territorial possession in the opening minutes
but Olly Barkley notched the first point with a penalty from 28 metres.
Drahm was wide with his first opportunity on 13 minutes but continued to push
Bath into the corners with some accurate tactical kicking and was soon rewarded
with another penalty which he converted from short range.
Bath edged ahead with a second Barkley penalty on 27 minutes and were gifted
the first try almost from the re-start when Nick Beal's pass was tipped into the
hands of South African wing Wylie Human who raced 50 metres to the line, Barkley
converting.
The only scores in the rest of the half were penalties for Barkley and Drahm
as both sides lost players to the sin-bin, Northampton hooker Dan Richmond and
then Bath number eight Isaac Fea'unati.
Although Bath turned around 16-6 in front Northampton shocked them with a try
by Bruce Reihana in the first minutes of the second period, kicking ahead and
then capitalising on a fumble by Bath scrum-half Martyn Wood.
Drahm converted but Bath hit back with a nicely crafted try for centre Robbie
Kydd, with Barkley adding the extra point.
The home side had to withstand intense pressure from Northampton for much of
the last quarter but broke away to score first through Fea'unati after storming
runs by Andy Beattie and Steve Borthwick and then from substitute flanker James
Scaysbrook who finished off a sharp break by Wood.
Right on the final whistle Danielli celebrated his return by touching down
another break-away try and Kydd landed the conversion.
Teams
Bath: Perry, Human, A. Higgins, Kydd, Williams, Barkley, Wood,
Flatman, Humphreys, Bell, Borthwick, Fidler, Beattie, Lipman,
Fea'unati.
Replacements: Sampson for Perry (70),
Danielli for Williams (29), Martens for Wood (70),
Mears for Humphreys (62), Stevens for Bell (62),
Scaysbrook for Lipman (68), Gray for Fea'unati (70).
Tries: Human, Kydd, Fea'unati, Scaysbrook, Danielli.
Cons: Barkley 3, Kydd.
Pens: Barkley 3.
Sin Bin: Fea'unati (40), Danielli (56).
Northampton: Beal, Brooks, Hyndman, Leslie, Reihana, Drahm,
Howard, Morris, Richmond, Budgen, Lord, Hunter, Connors, Fox,
Blowers.
Replacements: Sleightholme for Drahm (61),
Jones for Howard (74), Sturgess for Morris (49),
Seely for Lord (58), Phillips for Hunter (62).
Not Used: Miles, Clarke.
Tries: Reihana.
Cons: Drahm.
Pens: Drahm 2.
Sin Bin: Richmond (38).
Att: 5,723
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
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