The Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final was nothing short of an emotional roller coaster. There was a red card, tries with blockbuster results, superb attacks, and heroic defences – what more could you ask for? It all came down to the last 10 minutes when Saints scrum-half Alex Mitchell scored the winning try.
The Twickenham Stadium erupted with joy as Saints lifted the trophy after beating Bath 25-21. Let’s recap the intense moments, dramatic plays, and the last few minutes that changed the game and propelled Northampton to their well-deserved victory.
Northampton Saints Become the Fifth New Gallagher Premiership Champion in Five Years
The Gallagher trophy has been changing hands every year for the last five years. Back in 2019, Exeter were the Champion, followed by Harley Quins, Leicester Tigers, Saracens, and now Northampton Saints.
The last time Northampton Saints won the trophy was in 2014 when they defeated Saracens after extra time. Bath, on the other hand, have not won the league title since 1996 when it was known as Division 1 and the sport was not fully professional. Also, this was the first title decider in 11 years that did not feature either Exeter or Saracens, giving English rugby fans extra reason to be excited!
Coming back to the game – the key portions to (re)watch include the battle between fly-halves Fin Smith and Finn Russell, as well as the matchups between scrum-halves Alex Mitchell and Ben Spencer.
It was also a significant moment for Northampton’s Courtney Lawes, who will be retiring after this game.
There were multiple lead changes and exciting tries from both teams. Northampton’s Du Toit, Sleightholme, Freeman, and Mitchell all scored their tries. Bath’s Muir also crossed the try line. Bath’s chances were impacted by a red card for Beno Obano, but they still managed to give a tough fight to the Saints. Ultimately, Northampton’s strong attack and tries by key players secured the hard-fought victory in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final.
Alex Mitchell’s Match-Winning Try Seals Premiership Glory for Northampton Saints
The Gallagher Premiership Rugby Final match started with a frantic pace, with Bath’s Matt Gallagher almost scoring a try within the first minute. He was tackled just five meters short by George Furbank.
Bath’s defence was led by Sam Underhill. And he proved to be a significant challenge for Northampton Saints in the first 20 minutes. Bath’s Finn Russell and Fin Smith both missed early attempts at tries. Finally, Russell made a successful penalty to put Bath ahead.
Bath managed to keep the pressure up right from up till 21 minutes when Beno Obano’s red card for a dangerous tackle shifted the momentum in Northampton’s favour. Soon after the red card, Tommy Freeman scored for the first try for Saints, helped by Courtney Lawes who set it up. Next came Ollie Sleightholme’s try after a clever kick from Furbank. Thomas du Toit scored a try for Bath just before halftime, with Russell converting to make the score 15-10 in favour of Saints.
In the second half, Finn Russell scored a penalty, bringing Bath within two points of Northampton Saints. This was followed by Will Muir who scored a superb try for Bath to level the score at 18-18 after a high Crossfield kick from Ben Spencer!
Bath took the lead with another penalty from Russell, and it was clear they were playing the game of their lives despite losing Obano. However, Northampton Saints responded with a crucial try from Alex Mitchell, who ran in under the posts after a powerful run from George Hendy.
The turning point came when Mitchell scored the match-winning try for Northampton Saints, with just seven minutes remaining in the game. He secured Saints’ victory in a pulsating 25-21 win. Bath still put up a valiant effort in the final minutes but Northampton Saints held on to the lead.
Sam Underhill’s Defensive Masterclass Kept Bath Competitive Despite Red Card
Even in defeat, Sam Underhill put up a ferocious performance for Bath. His powerful tackles were the major reason Bath came so close to pulling off a victory, despite a red card dismissal.
Underhill had 13 impressive tackle tallies (only Thomas du Toit exceeded this score). Underhill’s every tackle was so powerful that he managed to slow down the Saints’ advance in the first half.
Just after half-time, Saints’ Burger Odendaal fired down towards Bath’s Finn Russell. However, Underhill shot across and hurled his body to stop Odendaal. Odendaal withdrew after that because of a knee injury.
In the 55th minute, Underhill smashed through Curtis Langdon in the carry. The crowd went wild at the astonishing performance from Bath that rattled Northampton for a few minutes.
His presence in the forward pack was a crucial factor that kept Bath in the game till the last minute. It’s clear he’s more than just a defensive destroyer.
Northampton and Bath: Teams to Watch in the Upcoming Premiership Season
Former Northampton player Rob Horne, who suffered a career-ending injury in 2018, made a poignant appearance at Twickenham to support his old team as they won the Premiership title. Despite the paralysis in his right arm, Horne’s presence was like a stroke of good luck for the Northampton team.
And even though Northampton won, let’s not forget that Bath put up an amazing fight till the end. This sets them up as a strong contender in the upcoming Premiership season. Watch out for these two teams, especially the prospects like fly-half Fin Smith, who will look to make his mark on the England squad.
Bath’s Underhill has shown how resourceful he can be during the Six Nations and will be another player to look out for in the upcoming games.
Final Result
Northampton: 25
Tries: Freeman, Sleightholme, Mitchell
Pens: Smith
Cons: Smith, Furbank
Drop-goal: Smith
Bath: 21
Tries: Du Toit, Muir
Pens: Russell
Cons: Russell
Teams:
Northampton: Furbank; Odendaal, Freeman, Sleightholme, Dingwall; Mitchell, Smith; Langdon, Moon, Waller, Coles, Davison, Lawes (c), Augustus, Pearson.
Replacements: Iyogun, Mills, Matavesi, Graham, Mayanavanua, Ludlam, Hendy, James.
Bath: Gallagher; Muir, Lawrence, Cokanasiga, Redpath; Spencer (c), Russell; Dunn, Hill, Du Toit, Obano, Ewels, Roux, Barbeary, Underhill.
Replacements: Schreuder, Annett, Stuart, Schoeman, Bayliss, Stooke, Bailey, Reid.
Red card: Beno Obano (21 mins)
Referee: Christophe Ridley