From the Archive - Bath v Saints 2002

By From the Archive
January 23 2003

In our secondlook back in the Bath v Saints archive in the run up to Saturday's quarter final its back ten short months to to the Rec and that glorious March sunny day (and my 40th birthday!) when the Saints shone while Bath clutched at thin air and Gold Black n Green shirt tails.

Saints step up to cruise past desparate Bath

By Saint On The Spot
Date: 1/4/2002

It was a day that had just about everything (if you're a Saints supporter) to savour as both the sun and the second half Saints shone to take the spoils at the Recreation Ground, Bath on Saturday.

The Saints travelled to the West Country, followed by a large contingent of fans, with a possible Heineken Cup place in site while Bath are looking over their shoulders at the real possibility of having to play Division One rugby next season.

Given the importance of the game for the home side it was clear that nerves were creeping in early on as, despite his side dominating early territory, Ollie Barclay missed with three simple(ish) kicks. When he did finally get some points on the board it only aided the spark of life into Saints attacking play.

Paul Grayson, Barclays kicking coach at England U21 level, showed the young pretender the way forward by kicking two quick penalties before he caught his young proteges disease and missed with a third.

Bath stuck at it though but despite lots of energy and gusto especially from the much maligned Iain Balshaw it was plain to see that, just like Wales the week before, they had no Plan B. Again and again they tried the same options and again and again the Saints just lined them up and drove them back.

There also has to be questions about decision making at the set piece for Bath as towards the end of the first half when still in touch they opted to scrum down at a penalty against a Northampton eight they had not troubled all afternoon.

Instead of the three points they came away with nothing, after a failure to release at the first tackle gave possession back to Northampton, and it just about summed up the afternoon for the home side. The painful truth is tactically they are just not equpped at present to live at this level.

It was the breathing space the Saints needed and after halftime they stepped up the pace and took the game back to Bath.

Matt Dawson with a brilliant bit of individual mastery set up the first score. Appearing to run away from his cover he ran ran to the right and just as it looked like he was going to get smothered in isolation by three Bath shirts he released the ball with a one handed pass to a grateful James Brooks who scooted over for the try.

Bath finally sparked briefly into life with Mike Tindall kicking a penalty and Tom Voyce going over for the score which brought his team back in touch but again it only alerted the Saints boys that the game had to be won and the possesion they were now gaining had to be turned into points. They were!

First young hooker Dan Richmond, a youth player at Bath, turned the tables on his old club by picking up at the base of a ruck and charging through some lacklustre Bath tackling for the Saints second and the team was virtually home and dry.

It was left to Peter Jorgensen to put the icing on the cake. As the fairweather supporters of the home side traipsed out minutes before the end Jorgy took the ball out wide where strangely Bath back row forward Dan Lyle ushered him outside.

The Australian international winger just upped a couple of gears (and back a couple of years) to waltz around the American who looked on in absolute disbelief either at Jorgys clean pair of heels or more than likely at his own tactical nous.

His team were now dead and buried.

As referee Chris White blew up (unfortunately not literally) for the end of the match the Saints went over to their happy sun soaked fans to celebrate just their second ever win at the 'Rec' while Bath went away to consider just where a victory might come from.

Onwards and upwards!