Northampton Saints clinched their first Premiership title in a decade with a dramatic 25-21 victory over 14-man Bath at Twickenham.
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Scrum-half Alex Mitchell scored the decisive try with seven minutes remaining, capping off a rollercoaster match that saw Bath stage a remarkable comeback despite the early dismissal of prop Beno Obano just 21 minutes into the game.
Tommy Freeman and Ollie Sleightholme initially put Saints in the lead, but Bath fought back with tries from Thomas du Toit and Will Muir, and a penalty from Finn Russell that gave them a surprising edge.
However, the Saints capitalized on their numerical advantage in the dying moments, holding off Bath’s fierce fightback to secure their first Premiership title since 2014, topping off a stellar season where they finished at the top of the regular league table.
However, not everyone on either side was able to perform at their best in the showpiece final at Twickenham.
#1. Beno Obano (Bath RFC)
Planet Rugby 2/10: “Strong start in the scrums, but he has no excuse for his tackle. It was early on, he was always high and there was no slip. In the end, it proved to be very costly.”
Rugby Pass 2/10: “A strong opening twenty minutes was offset by a red card tackle that had zero mitigating factors and cost his team heavily in the end.”
Telegraph 3/10: “We shall never know whether the sending-off cost his side but it certainly did not help. A clear-cut red card, in truth, but his scrummaging was mighty before the exit.”
