Despite both Northampton Saints and Bath being major names in the English game and sides who have tasted success many times in the past, neither has been lavished in honours in recent history, with the Saints’ last English Premiership title coming back in 2014 whilst Bath’s wait has been even longer, with them last lifting the trophy back in 1996.
As a result, the weekend’s play-off final was one that many people were talking about, with it pitting arguably the two best teams this season against each other one last time and handing one the opportunity to end their time away from the top step. As it turned out, it was Northampton who were able to get themselves over the line, but Bath certainly turned up and would have been worthy winners had the result been the other way around.
It is likely to be a match that many will recall fondly for some time to come, and this short tactical analysis will highlight three key takeaways from what proved to be a nervy final for fans of both sides and one that neutrals will have thoroughly enjoyed.
Bath’s defensive press was key to them settling quicker
What has made Northampton so dangerous of late has been their ability to shift the ball around the field at a consistent pace, instigating quick sequences of play and constantly catching their opponents off-guard, and it is that that led to them finishing the regular campaign at the summit.
However, they were unable to dictate play in the same way at Twickenham Stadium due to Bath pressing them whenever they were in possession, and it was clear from the outset that this was what Johann van Graan’s side had focused on in the build-up to the match as they looked to prevent their opponents from playing at the same high tempo. It was a game plan that worked to perfection for them, with England flanker Sam Underhill particularly impressive in making it work so well due to his constant desire to make crunching tackles as soon as the ball entered his vicinity.
It was telling that Northampton’s first points in the match came from a drop goal and that they only really started to control the flow of the match once Bath loosehead Beno Obano had been sent off, and that shows how hard Bath worked and why they were the better side in the opening stages.
Northampton seemed to lack confidence in their scrum
What was also increasingly apparent was that Northampton were doing everything possible to avoid scrums, with their decision to kick for points when awarded an early penalty, despite it not being an easy angle to kick from, showing that they were keen to avoid engaging in gruelling set-piece routines and were happy to get points on the board in any other way that they could.
As the match went on, it became clear to see why they did have reservations about their scrums, with a number of penalties being conceded through early drives or players not managing their weight well enough, and they really struggled to dominate this aspect of the game.
That is not to say that Bath were perfect at them though, with the West Country team having their fair share of things going wrong, and it should also be pointed out that there were occasions when the Saints did succeed in them. However, they undoubtedly weren’t as comfortable in them as they have been for much of the regular season, and that also contributed to their slower start.
Sam Underhill underlines his importance for club and for country
The role that Underhill played in Bath’s tactics both with and without the ball has already been documented in this analysis, and it is true to say that he was the most influential player on the pitch.
However, what has not been mentioned is the fact that it underlined not only why he is so valuable to Bath but also to England, with him still regarded as one of the best in his position and the type of player that any side would love to have in their ranks. The fact that he was such a big part of Bath’s ability to keep Northampton at bay is shown mostly through the Saints’ late burst through utility back George Hendy, which led to the game-winning try from England scrum-half Alex Mitchell, coming whilst the flanker was off the field receiving treatment for a blood injury.
His was a performance that will have given van Graan further encouragement as the game went on that Bath can compete at this level and will be back in the final at some point, and it will have also given the watching England head coach Steve Borthwick plenty to chew over too. It is worth remembering that England are back in action in the very near future, and there is no doubt on the basis of this performance that Underhill will feature at some point for the national team over the summer.