Ben Spencer inspires Bath’s fast start to get revenge over champions Saints

Bath would have preferred to win last season’s Premiership final but maybe now this is destined to be their time. This bonus-point ­victory over the reigning champions, Northampton, gave an early glimpse of their capabilities and first-half tries from Joe Cokanasiga, Ted Hill and Ben Spencer paved the way for a strong performance that lays down a marker to all their rivals.

If it helped that Bath kept 15 players on the field this time, unlike at Twickenham last June, they showed more than enough composure with and without the ball to suggest they will be a tough nut to crack this time around. A near faultless goalkicking display from Finn Russell, who supplied 13 points, was another plus and even an improved second half from Northampton failed to turn the tide.

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The duel of the two international fly-halves, Russell and Fin Smith, was another fascinating subplot on an opening night which, for the most part, made for an absorbing first-weekend aperitif. Northampton were always tenacious but it will take them a while to get over the loss of Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam, both now plying their trade in France.

Bath certainly had a physical edge at the gainline and their captain, Spencer, claimed the man-of-the-match award with another influential performance. There was also a promising club debut for young Guy Pepper, signed from Newcastle, who had a hand in Bath’s game-breaking fourth try scored by England centre Ollie Lawrence. By the time Bath scored their fifth through a barging Jaco Coetzee just two minutes from the end, with Josh Kemeny in the sin-bin and Saints down to 14 players, it was very much one-way traffic.

It was also a performance to satisfy Bath’s head coach, Johann van Graan, who described it as “an important start against a very good team”. He left it to others, though, to decide whether his side were specifically motivated by their agonising final loss. “We didn’t waste any energy on the final this week,” said Van Graan. “There wasn’t any talk of redemption.”

It still made for a physical contest on a lovely evening at the Rec which, unlike certain other English stadiums, has not suddenly been reinvented as the Thatchers Thunderdome or the Avon Arena over the summer. The presence of the watching England head coach, Steve Borthwick, added to the sense of occasion and the home side made a suitably fast start. Good work from the forwards, with Miles Reid prominent on his 100th game for Bath, forced a useful advantage after just five minutes and the backs worked Cokanasiga over for the season’s opening try.

Saints could also have done without Smith, last season’s league top-scorer, missing a straightforward early penalty and were suitably relieved when Russell was also unable to nail a decent opportunity at the other end. Soon enough, though, they were level at 7-7 after George Furbank cut a lovely line to put his new Australian teammate Kemeny over for a fine score.

It was the signal for the tempo of the game to increase. Bath’s Will Butt might not be his side’s best-known centre but he looks in excellent early-season shape and was central to their second try, splitting the ­visiting cover to allow Spencer to put the galloping Hill over.

Bristol see off Newcastle

Bristol kicked off their Gallagher Premiership season with a low-profile 24-3 win away at a much-improved Newcastle side on Friday night.
Away from the glamour tie at Rec, under grey overcast skies in the north-east, Newcastle and Bristol engaged in a scrum-ridden arm wrestle which opened up in the second half.
Newcastle, after a full summer of pre-season toughening up under director of rugby Steve Diamond, were a much sterner test than the side that capitulated to a record 85-14 defeat at Ashton Gate five months ago but still fell to their 22nd league defeat on the bounce.
A brace from Max Malins and tries from James Williams and Siva Naulago, with AJ MacGinty adding two conversions, delivered Bristol's bonus point win at Kingston Park. Newcastle registered just three points from the boot of fly-half Brett Connon. PA Media

If the home fans enjoyed that one, they positively loved it when Bath opted against an easy penalty to kick for the corner and Spencer dummied his way over for his side’s third converted try. Northampton, however, were unable to convert a similar chance at the other end and Bath led 21-10 at half-time.

Saints almost scored eight minutes after the restart when a flying James Ramm could not quite touch down a Smith cross-kick but it was Bath who finished the stronger. If their fourth try was a touch soft, Lawrence picking up a loose ball to score without a hand laid on him, it was fair reward for his team’s directness, organisation and industry. Northampton did slightly massage the final scoreline with a couple of Smith penalties but it was hardly a surprise when Coetzee’s try sparked a frustrated scuffle on the visitors’ try-line. From Saints’ perspective, with England’s Alex Mitchell absent with a neck problem, last season’s golden crown already sits slightly askew.