Bath get final revenge in five-try win over Saints

Gallagher Premiership

Bath 38 (21)

Tries: Cokanasiga, Hill, Spencer, Lawrence, Coetzee Cons: Russell 5 Pens: Russell

Northampton 16 (10)

Tries: Kemeny Cons: Smith Pens: Smith 3

Bath avenged their Premiership final defeat by Northampton Saints with a thumping five-try bonus point victory in a lively opening game at The Rec.

Johan van Graan's team pushed clear of Saints in an impressive first half, scoring three tries through Joe Cokanasiga, Ted Hill and Ben Spencer, only countered by Josh Kemeny's score for Northampton.

In a bruising encounter, defending champions Saints appeared to be caught out by changes to the offside rule, and the so-called 'Dupont's Law', which put them on the back foot.

Despite an improved second-half performance, and fly-half Fin Smith's accurate kicking, Ollie Lawrence's opportunistic try, and a late score from Jaco Coetzee, confirmed Bath's morale-boosting win.

More to follow.

Bath: De Glanville Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Butt, Muir, Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, Stuart, Roux, Ewels, Hill, Reid, Barbeary.

Replacements: Annett, van Wyk, Griffin, Jac du Plessis, Pepper, Schreuder, Bailey, Coetzee.

Northampton: Furbank, Ramm, Dingwall, Hutchinson, Sleightholme, Smith, James; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Scott-Young, Munga, Kemeny, Pearson, Graham.

Replacements: Smith, West, Green, Hunter-Hill, Augustus, McParland, Thame, Freeman.

Referee: Luke Pearce