The Final, Bath v Saints - Saturday 3.00 - ITV

[francoisfou]

Yes, this could well be a cracker and I hope I’ll be able to watch it. Someone’s told me that it’ll be shown on Just Watch” stream. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks!

Will it not be available through the ITV website?

Puja

I’ll have a look….. which I’ve just done and read that U can’t watch it here in France

[Banquo]

Yep, great to see both teams at full strength (as far as I can tell.) Is Ramm injured?

Not according to the Saints website - they have the only unavailable player as Braley, so I think it's just selection. Hard lines for him - he's been in great form, but then so have Sleightholme, Furbank, Freeman, and Hendy.

Puja

Thought Ramm was bit shaky at 15 tbh, and as you say the guys ahead of him have been excellent

[FKAS]

Yes, this could well be a cracker and I hope I’ll be able to watch it. Someone’s told me that it’ll be shown on Just Watch” stream. Does anyone know anything about this? Thanks!

Will it not be available through the ITV website?

Puja

I’ll have a look….. which I’ve just done and read that U can’t watch it here in France

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[Puja]

Looking at the two sides on paper, Saints would seem to be the clear favourites. There are a lot of headline match-ups which are very close - half-backs, back row, centres - but there's no average players in that Saints side (with the possible exception of Waller), whereas Bath you'd question Gallagher, Cokanasiga, Roux, Dunn. You'd also say that Bath's bench is weaker. The game's not played on paper though, as Bath have spent the last few years showing!

I'm in the rare position of liking both teams - Saints play some glorious rugby, but I know a lot of Bath fans given where I live and it'd be nice for them to see a trophy again. Really looking forward to the game.

Puja

[Adam_P]

Yep, great to see both teams at full strength (as far as I can tell.) Is Ramm injured?

Not according to the Saints website - they have the only unavailable player as Braley, so I think it's just selection. Hard lines for him - he's been in great form, but then so have Sleightholme, Furbank, Freeman, and Hendy.

Puja

Thought Ramm was bit shaky at 15 tbh, and as you say the guys ahead of him have been excellent

He was in great form for the first half of the season, then had a bit of time out injured and hasn't been his best since being back. Some classic signs of rustiness such as over running passes multiple times. And, as other have said, the other guys in the back 3 are playing better

[Banquo]

Not according to the Saints website - they have the only unavailable player as Braley, so I think it's just selection. Hard lines for him - he's been in great form, but then so have Sleightholme, Furbank, Freeman, and Hendy.

Puja

Thought Ramm was bit shaky at 15 tbh, and as you say the guys ahead of him have been excellent

He was in great form for the first half of the season, then had a bit of time out injured and hasn't been his best since being back. Some classic signs of rustiness such as over running passes multiple times. And, as other have said, the other guys in the back 3 are playing better

He was way better on the wing than 15 too imo

[TheNomad]

That Saints 15 looks noticeably better on paper IMO - the back row tussle should be a beauty

[Which Tyler]

That Saints 15 looks noticeably better on paper IMO - the back row tussle should be a beauty

May well be my bias, but I've got it as pretty even on paper (unless you mean Furbank > Gallagher - in which case, you'll get no argument from me).

Northampton have been building to this for a few years though, learning from semifinals, and a particularly recent SF in Dublin, refining and maturing their game-plan. They're also saying goodbye to a few club servants.
Bath are currently a flash in the pan, actually playing to our paper-par for the first time in nearly a decade.

Either team are perfectly capable of winning this, but play it 10 times, and I'd expect Saints to win 7 of them.

[Oakboy]

That Saints 15 looks noticeably better on paper IMO - the back row tussle should be a beauty

May well be my bias, but I've got it as pretty even on paper (unless you mean Furbank > Gallagher - in which case, you'll get no argument from me).

Northampton have been building to this for a few years though, learning from semifinals, and a particularly recent SF in Dublin, refining and maturing their game-plan. They're also saying goodbye to a few club servants.
Bath are currently a flash in the pan, actually playing to our paper-par for the first time in nearly a decade.

Either team are perfectly capable of winning this, but play it 10 times, and I'd expect Saints to win 7 of them.

Good assessment. In their different ways, top, meteoric games from Russell or Barbeary could upset things in a one-off game. Could one of your 3/10 results then happen? Fascinating.

[Puja]

That Saints 15 looks noticeably better on paper IMO - the back row tussle should be a beauty

May well be my bias, but I've got it as pretty even on paper (unless you mean Furbank > Gallagher - in which case, you'll get no argument from me).

Northampton have been building to this for a few years though, learning from semifinals, and a particularly recent SF in Dublin, refining and maturing their game-plan. They're also saying goodbye to a few club servants.
Bath are currently a flash in the pan, actually playing to our paper-par for the first time in nearly a decade.

Either team are perfectly capable of winning this, but play it 10 times, and I'd expect Saints to win 7 of them.

Haskell.gif

[Mikey Brown]

Yeah 70/30 in Saints' favour sounds about right to me. I'm massively swayed by the Scottish contingent at Bath in terms of who I would prefer to win, but nobody could argue Saints haven't been the best team.

[twitchy]

Nice day for it.

[FKAS]

Saints scrum creaking already. Ominous signs early doors in that department.

[twitchy]

Saints need to calm down a bit.

[Adam_P]

How could Langdon exit that ruck any faster?

[FKAS]

How could Langdon exit that ruck any faster?

Barbeary trips over him when he's on the wrong side. It's unlucky but stops the clearout on Lawes.

Saints have looked rattled. They just need to play some phases and get their composure back.

[twitchy]

Bad tackle, deserved red.

[Adam_P]

Yeah Bath have been absolutely smashing us in defence, but if you wanna hit hard you have to be accurate. Underhill has been excellent at that.

[twitchy]

Shame for the neutral.

[twitchy]

Glorious try.

[Slater582]

Congrats Northampton.

Bath would've won if they'd kept 15 on the field imo.

[Adam_P]

Unfortunate for Puja's final fantasy team too, losing both Obano and Barbeary

[FKAS]

Bad tackle, deserved red.

It's a definite red but he's unlucky there. It's throat and jaw contact, he's off by an inch or two from just a thunderous hit. Arms are wrapped and he's bent at the hips driving up into contact as you'd want from your prop on the opposition 8.

[twitchy]

Bath come back.

[FKAS]

Coles is lucky the TMO didn't look at his clearout at that last breakdown. He's straight off his feet to give the penalty away but it's shoulder to the head of Ted Hill who's stayed down holding his head. Should have been a card.