MATCH REPORT: Northampton Wanderers 20 Bath United 29
Bath United won the Aviva A League title with a hard-fought victory over Northampton Wanderers this evening.
Early tries from Tom Biggs and Gavin Henson put United in control at Franklin's Gardens but the home side hit back to level the scores at the break.
United had to survive sustained Northampton pressure after the restart before tries from Charlie Beech and Richard Lane secured them the title.
Bath got off to a dream start and crossed the whitewash twice in the opening ten minutes.
Biggs got the ball rolling following a United lineout. The visitors recycled Tom Dunn's throw and possession came inside to Biggs, with the winger bursting through the centre of the pitch to cut the Wanderers' defence to shreds. Tom Heathcote added the extras.
The home side replied with a Glenn Dickson penalty but when Henson got United's second try soon afterwards, the visitors looked well set for victory.
Nick Abendanon gathered his own chip on halfway before sending the ball wide to Henson, and the Wales international showed excellent speed to out-pace Howard Packman and dot down in the corner. Heathcote added a tough kick from out wide.
Prop Beech then smashed his way to the line as Bath continued to dominate. He was stopped just short but the visitors were awarded a penalty when the ball went out wide.
Heathcote's kick drifted past the posts but he was on target when Wanderers infringed again soon afterwards in an incident that saw hooker Mike Haywood shown a yellow card.
There had been little sign of life in the home side until that point but they suddenly took the game by the scruff of the neck. Northampton began to bludgeon the United line and there was little the visiting defence could do as Packman crossed the whitewash in the corner.
The home side continued their onslaught and tied the scores with a penalty try on the stroke of half-time, with repeated Bath infringements at scrums on their own line resulting in skipper Kane Palma-Newport being sent to the sin-bin.
United had to survive more Wanderers pressure as the second half got under way and deserve a huge amount of credit for refusing to be breached again.
After 20 minutes of stalemate it was the hosts who finally cracked, with Bath using a rolling maul to devastating effect. Ryan Caldwell claimed Dunn's throw 25m out and a huge drive forced its way to the tryline. The Bath pack were stopped just short but Beech was alert to pick up the loose ball and dive over the whitewash.
Heathcote converted but Wanderers hit straight back with a Dickson penalty to cut the gap to four points.
Henson then thought he was in for a second score but was hauled to the ground on the Wanderers line and Bath failed to make the ensuing penalty count when Heathcote went to the corner.
Northampton refused to give in but when they tried to run the ball back at Bath, an excellent turnover by Dunn sealed United's win. The hooker snaffled possession before sending the ball wide and winger Lane had 30m of space in front of him to race in for the decisive score.NORTHAMPTON WANDERERS: Diggin, Packman, Stephenson, Dickson, Artemyev (Skelcey 74), Olver (Hooley 64), Day, Waller (Warren 64), Haywood (McMillan 59), Denman (Parkins 64), Verbakel (Onojaife 78), Woolford, Harrison, Williams (Harry 78), Van Velze. Replacement not used: Betts.Tries: Packman, Penalty. Conversions: Dickson 2. Penalties: Dickson 2.BATH UNITED: Abendanon (Devoto 48), Lane, Clark, Henson, Biggs, Heathcote, Young (Cook 57), Beech, Dunn, Palma-Newport (c), Ewels, Caldwell, Ellis, Gilbert (Jamieson 37-47), Skuse. Replacements not used: Woolstencroft, Clarke, Northcote-Green, Beer.Tries: Biggs, Henson, Beech, Lane. Conversions: Heathcote 3. Penalty: Heathcote.Referee: Darren GamageAttendance: 3,500
