After spearheading a stirring second-half comeback to keep Northampton’s hopes of a top-six finish alive, Teimana Harrison looks destined to tour with England this summer. Jim Mallinder, however, will not be.
After a contest that jolted this season’s two sleeping giants into spirited if not particularly skilful action was settled by Mike Haywood’s late try for Saints and Stephen Myler’s conversion, Mallinder joined his Exeter counterpart Rob Baxter in ruling himself out of taking the England Saxons to South Africa at the end of the season.
“I’ve spoken about it but I won’t be taking the tour,” said, Northampton’s director of rugby, whose side are destined to finish outside the top four for the first time since 2009. “We’ve had a discussion about it, I’ve done it before and enjoyed it but it won’t be me. I think I need a bit of a break, just like some of the players.”
Saints were dominant in possession but pretty woeful with ball in hand and Bath deserved their 14-0 lead at half-time. Harrison, who scored Northampton’s first try, takes plenty of the credit, as does Haywood, who continues to deputise for Dylan Hartley but Bath will feel a first league win in 10 against Saints was beckoning.
“Haywood and Harrison are two of the young English players that have benefited from some of our senior players not playing,” added Mallinder. “Haywood’s set piece is good and he’s very good around the field. [Dylan] has not played for us since before the Six Nations, it’s a long time out and he’s not trained with us but he’s close, so we’ll see our next week goes.”
These sides were the Premiership’s top two a year ago but both have regressed. Northampton have been blighted by injuries, Bath have been improved of late but both will welcome high-profile recruits over the summer.
Northampton will qualify for next season’s Champions Cup with a win at Gloucester next Saturday but for Bath that boat has already sailed. They scored two opportunist tries through Jeff Williams, the South African-born former England sevens flyer, but they will not remember their 150th anniversary season for long.
Harrison’s bluster was key in dragging Northampton back into the contest but they were given a helping hand when Chris Cook was shown Bath’s 22nd yellow card of the season, kicking the ball out of Lee Dickson’s hands from an offside position.
“The discipline cost us in the second half,” said Bath’s head coach, Mike Ford. “When you’re doing the analysis on the yellow cards, and the points we’ve conceded, it’s horrendous. We’ve talked about it, I coach legally, nothing changed from last year when we were the best disciplined side. It’s an issue and one we’re going to address.”
In the first half Jonathan Joseph had set up both of Williams’s tries with kicks ahead, the first eluding the wrong-footed Harry Mallinder, the second leaving the wing with plenty of work still to do after Luther Burrell was turned over. Northampton were finally on the board on when Harrison shoved his way over on the right on 56 minutes and although Myler missed the conversion, the fly-half’s penalty brought Saints to within a score. Tom Wood went close, the TMO ruling out a try for the third time after Anthony Watson and George North had efforts chalked off, but Haywood barrelled over with seven minutes to go and Myler nosed Saints in front from the tee.
