BATH RUGBY in Premiership play-off final today

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Created on Saturday, 08 June 2024 01:30

Last Updated on Saturday, 08 June 2024 08:07

Published on Saturday, 08 June 2024 01:30

Written by ROSS REID at the SWSN sports desk

Bath won through to today's Premiership play-off final following a brilliant 31-23 play-off semi-final victory over Sale Sharks at The Rec a week ago.

Bath now meet Northampton Saints in today's final at Twickenham (1500ko). 

Bath finished level on 60 points but second place to Saints following 18 rounds of Premiership rugby and beat them 43-12 at the Rec on the last day of the regular season.

Last Saturday's win over Sale, who finished third in the Premiership, was sealed by a 73rd minute Niall Annett try.

Saints squeezed past Saracens 22-20 in Northampton on Friday night. 

Bath Rugby starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Ted Hill, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer (c), 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Ollie Lawrence, 14 Joe Cokanasiga, 15 Matt Gallagher

Replacements: 16 Niall Annett, 17 Juan Schoeman, 18 Will Stuart, 19 Elliott Stooke, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Louis Schreuder, 22 Orlando Bailey, 23 Miles Reid

Tries Hill Obano Annett

Conversions Hill 2

Pens Russell 4

Half time Bath 18-15 Sale

Saints and Bath Rugby will meet at Twickenham in the Gallagher Premiership Rugby final after coming through two pulsating Play-Off ties.

Saints edged a ferocious battle with Saracens on Friday night to reach their first final in a decade.

Bath then held off Sale Sharks at The Rec on Saturday, leaving them 80 minutes away from a first domestic title since 1996.

And so after finishing the Gallagher Premiership Rugby table on the exact same number of points, with one win apiece during their regular season clashes, Saints and Bath now play for the title at a packed-out Twickenham tomorrow.

Here are 10 of the standout statistical headlines from The Play-Offs:

• Fin Smith scored more points than any other player at the weekend (17). He also made three dominant tackles.

• Elliot Daly made the most carries in the Playoffs (20). He was also the only kicker not to miss a shot at goal.

• Billy Vunipola made as many dominant carries as any other player (three) and the most post-contact metres (21) in the Playoffs.

• Joe Carpenter was the only player who made over 100 carry metres at the weekend (130). He also beat the joint-most defenders (five), made the joint-most clean breaks (four), and made the most offloads outright (three).

• Juarno Augustus beat as many defenders as any other player at the weekend (five). He also made two dominant tackles and won a turnover.

• Alex Mitchell made four clean breaks against Saracens (1st) and assisted another.

• Alex Coles made more successful tackles than any other player at the weekend (17) and missed none.

• Juan Martin Gonzalez made five dominant tackles in the Playoffs (1st). Teammate nick Tompkins also made four and they won a turnover apiece.

• Ivan van Zyl was the only player to win four turnovers at the weekend and the first scrum-half to do so in a match this season.

• Ben Spencer made a round-high 18 kicks in play - six of which were retained - and 418 kick in play metres. He also assisted a try.

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