Northampton Saints player ratings vs Bath | 2025/26 Gallagher PREM

Northampton Saints player ratings: Fin Smith’s late penalty gave Northampton Saints a 41-38 win at the death against Bath on Saturday in the Gallagher PREM at Franklin’s Gardens.

In a repeat of their epic Investec Champions Cup quarter-final, Saints were just about able to exact revenge against a rotated Bath side. They may have made it harder than it should have been, but there were nevertheless some flashy showings again in a high-scoring game. Here’s how the players rated:

15 George Hendy – 7
A composed presence at the back. His slick hands helped release Ollie Sleightholme early on, setting the tone for Saints’ attacking intent. Carried seven times for 31 metres and held up defensively with five tackles. Not spectacular, but quietly effective.

14 Tommy Freeman – 9
A hat-trick and five defenders beaten underline his impact, but it was his all-round threat that stood out. With 107 metres from 13 carries, he was a constant outlet. His pace to burn Louie Hennessey and involvement in the late decisive score highlighted his class.

13 Tom Litchfield – 7
A mixed but ultimately influential outing. The early yellow card put Saints under pressure, but he responded well. Two line breaks and 61 metres carried showed his attacking threat, while his pass inside for Freeman late on was crucial.

Fixture

Gallagher Premiership

Northampton

41 - 38

Full-time

Bath

All Stats and Data

12 Fraser Dingwall – 9
The architect to everything that was good from Saints. His distribution was exceptional throughout, consistently putting runners into space. Created Sleightholme’s first try with pinpoint timing and showed immense strength to offload for Fin Smith’s opener. A class display that tied Saints’ attack together.

11 Ollie Sleightholme – 8
Electric with ball in hand. Finished with a game-high 132 metres and took his tries superbly – one with pace from distance, the other through sheer power. Also contributed a turnover. A constant threat whenever he got the ball, although he won’t want to watch the way Josh Bayliss chased him down again.

10 Fin Smith – 8
Steered the ship impressively. Five from seven off the tee and, most importantly, nailed the match-winning penalty. Took his try well with a sharp inside line and controlled territory smartly. One rushed drop goal attempt at the end aside, this was a composed performance.

9 Alex Mitchell – 7
Lively around the base. His passing created opportunities, including the assist for Freeman with a cut-out ball. Seven carries and a line break showed his running threat before he departed midway through the second half.

1 Emmanuel Iyogun – 6
A frustrating outing. Missed a chance to score after fumbling over the line and was part of a front row rotated at half-time. Some solid scrum moments but lacked overall impact.

2 Craig Wright – 6
Dependable at the set-piece with 91% lineout success. Made his tackles and kept things tidy, though didn’t dominate in the loose.

3 Luke Green – 7
Delivered a big scrum moments before half-time, helping crumple Bath’s pack. Otherwise steady without being overly influential.

4 Tom Lockett – 6
Put in a big defensive shift with 17 tackles but missed three and conceded a penalty. Carried frequently but without major gainline success. The go-to man in the lineout.

5 Ed Prowse – 6
Solid but unspectacular. Ten tackles and five carries, but struggled to impose himself physically.

6 Josh Kemeny – 8
Produced one of the game’s key moments with a turnover on his own line, immediately followed by Saints scoring at the other end. Tireless at the breakdown and defensively sharp, and could have had a try before the break as he almost stole the ball from Dan Frost’s clutches.

7 Sam Graham – 7
High work-rate throughout. Made 14 tackles and carried 10 times, adding a turnover to his efforts. A reliable presence in the back row.

8 Henry Pollock – 8.5
Grew into the game after a quiet first half. Twelve carries, a key line break and a huge breakdown penalty late on swung momentum when Bath were in the pocket to potentially kick a match-winner. Also won the penalty that ultimately allowed Smith to seal the match, although it was a high tackle.

Replacements
16 Robbie Smith – 6
17 Danilo Fischetti – 6
18 Cleopas Kundiona – 6
19 JJ van der Mescht – 7
20 Chunya Munga – N/A
21 Callum Chick – 6
22 Archie McParland – 7
23 Rory Hutchinson – 6