It is probably as well for George Ford that he is missing England’s tour to New Zealand. The Bath outside-half missed three penalties in nine minutes and as he crumpled in the heat of the moment, his opposite number Stephen Myler helped the Saints overcome a seven-point interval deficit to earn their first trophy since 2010 before next week’s Premiership final against Saracens.
Bath confirmed before the start of the match that their England fly-half George Ford would miss next month’s tour to New Zealand because of a shoulder injury that requires an operation. The 20-year old was involved from the outset, kicking a penalty from just inside his own half after Francois Louw, making his first appearance for seven weeks, had squeezed Northampton at a breakdown.
The lead lasted two minutes. Micky Young’s knock-on in his own 22 led to a Northampton scrum which saw Alex Corbisiero get the better of his opposite number and England colleague David Wilson who dropped his right knee to the ground and presented Stephen Myler with three points.
Bath created the early opportunities. Nick Abendanon caught his own chip into the Northampton half and got away from George North only to be hauled down by Myler and the television match official was asked to adjudicate when Bath drove a line-out to the Saints’ line. A penalty, for collapsing the maul, rather than a try resulted and Ford restored his side’s lead.
Northampton roused themselves on 20 minutes when Abendanon was caught in possession near his own line and was panicked into a pass that was taken by Lee Dickson who looked sure to score until the excellent Louw hauled him down. The Saints used the position to collect their second penalty after Wilson again buckled at a scrum.
Northampton used their big ball carriers to gain momentum, but Courtney Lawes and George North were well policed and Bath started hustling the Saints, who had lost their last four finals in all competitions, into errors. When Ken Pisi was caught in possession by Jonathan Joseph near the halfway line, the wing tried to pass the ball to Dickson but it rolled loose and Anthony Watson, playing in front of the England head coach Stuart Lancaster, picked up and sprinted 60 metres to score.
Bath should have gone into the interval 16-6 ahead but Ford hooked a 30-metre penalty at the end of the first-half. It was awarded after Tom Wood had tried to thwart a Bath counter-attack that had reached the Northampton 22 by shoving Louw in the back off the ball, an offence that should have merited a yellow card.
Ford was wide of the target again, this time to the right, two minutes after the restart when Corbisiero thundered into Stuart Hooper off the ball and was sent to the sin-bin as the second row was being treated. Bath continued to show neat touches, Ollie Devoto’s off-load and Joseph’s improvised kick needing Ben Foden to scurry back, but they were unable to exploit their one-man advantage.
By the time Corbisiero returned, Myler’s third penalty, after Young strayed off-side, had reduced Northampton’s deficit to four points. Ford had an immediate opportunity to reply but missed a 40-metre penalty from in front of the posts, his nerve failing under pressure. Myler, far less mercurial than Ford but more composed, kicked two penalties in three minutes to give his side the lead for the first time after Bath made handling errors in their own half.
Bath had cracked and when they conceded three penalties in quick succession near their own line, Anthony Perenise was sent to the sin-bin and from the resulting line-out, Wood’s catch set up a driving maul from which Phil Dowson scored and Foden sealed victory after Myler’s interception.
Bath: Abendanon; Rokoduguni, Joseph, Devoto (Henson, 62), Watson (Agulla, 65); Ford, Young (Stringer, 47); James (Catt, 56), Dunn (Guinazu, 67), Wilson (Perenise, 56), Hooper (capt; Day, 72)), Attwood, Fearns, Louw, Houston (Mercer, 54).
Try: Watson. Con: Ford. Pens: Ford 3.
Sin-bin: Perenise 70
Northampton: Foden; K Pisi, G Pisi, Burrell, North; Myler, Dickson (Fotuali’i, 62); Corbisiero (A Waller, 62), Haywood (McMillan, 72), Mercey (Denman, 58), Manoa, Lawes, Clark (Dowson, 62), Wood (capt), Dickinson.
Tries: Dowson, Foden. Con: Myler . Pens: Myler 6
Sin-bin: Corbisiero 42
Referee: J Garces (France)
Attendance: 12,000
