Northampton Saints player ratings vs Bath | 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup

Northampton Saints player: For 30 minutes this looked like one of those Saints days – fast, fearless, creative and utterly ruthless. They tore Bath to shreds, leading by 21 points at one stage as the Rec blinked in disbelief. Then momentum shifted.

A yellow card, a wobble at set-piece, the Bath bench arriving like a wave, and suddenly Saints were hanging on grimly rather than running riot. They still played some astonishing rugby, but they didn’t close the door, and in knockout rugby, that’s fatal.

Here’s our Northampton Saints player ratings:

15. George Furbank (c) – 6.5
Caused Bath real problems with ball in hand, dancing through midfield at one point as though the defence wasn’t there – though a fumble undid the best of that break. Shanked a kick into touch when Saints badly needed territory and chase, which summed up the second-half shift from fluency to frustration.

14. Tommy Freeman – 8
Electrifying early doors. A brilliant two-handed take above his head set the tone and his carry and pass sent Dingwall over for Saints’ second. Consistently broke the line in the first half and was one of Saints’ biggest weapons before Bath clamped down.

13. Rory Hutchinson – 8
At the heart of Saints’ best moments. His handling and angles were superb, exploding Bath’s midfield repeatedly in the first half. Very fortunate not to be pinged for an “accidental” trip on Arundell, but otherwise sharp, lively and combative before being withdrawn late.

12. Fraser Dingwall – 7.5
Finished off Saints’ second try but his real value was in those outrageous midfield hands that pulled Bath apart time and again. Ran hard, passed flatter and smarter than almost anyone on the field in the opening half-hour.

11. Ollie Sleightholme – 8
Showed both silk and steel. Blew his way over the Bath line for his try and, astonishingly, beat six defenders in the first half alone. A constant threat until he departed and Saints lost some punch out wide.

10. Fin Smith – 7
Excellent early, taking the ball right to the line and orchestrating Saints’ free-flowing first half. Nailed his kicks and controlled territory initially, but was gradually outshone by Russell as the game became a tactical wrestle rather than a track meet.

9. Archie McParland – 8.5
Outstanding. Probed the edges relentlessly, played flat and fast and served up three try assists to underline his influence. Saints lost their attacking edge when he went off, which tells its own story.

1. Danilo Fischetti – 7
Involved in some slick handling in the build-up to Lockett’s try but couldn’t quite maintain parity once Bath’s bench arrived and the collisions intensified.

2. Curtis Langdon – NA
Forced off after just 12 minutes with what looked like a broken hand. Dreadful luck after just coming back from a shoulder injury.

3. Cleopas Kundiona – 7
A solid, no-fuss performance. Scrummaged effectively early, got through a mountain of defensive work and made his tackles without theatrics. Subbed as part of Saints’ second-half reshuffle.

4. Tom Lockett – 7.5
The beneficiary of Saints’ gorgeous handling for their third try and carried strongly throughout his stint. Busy and effective before making way as Bath turned the screw.

5. JJ van der Mescht – 5
Provided plenty of grunt work without quite making his carries count in terms of yardage. His yellow card for repeated infringements was a turning point, handing Bath both field position and belief.

6. Josh Kemeny – 7
Excellent in the lineout, disruptive at Bath’s throw and tireless in support play. His try for Saints’ fourth felt like just reward for the hard, unseen graft he did across the park.

7. Tom Pearson – 6
Barely had time to get into the contest before injury forced him off on 26 minutes, denying Saints one of their most dynamic defensive forwards.

8. Henry Pollock – 8
An absolute menace. Scored explosively after going straight over Dunn, fought for everything at the breakdown and ripped ball carriers apart. Yellow-carded late for sealing off, which hurt Saints, but his impact on this game was huge.

Replacements – 5
A mixed bag. Craig Wright did well to stabilise things early after Langdon’s injury, and Chick worked hard when he came on. But Saints couldn’t maintain their dominance up front, lost set-piece ascendancy and faded as Bath’s replacements exploded into the contest. McParland’s replacement coincided with a marked drop in attacking cohesion, and Saints never truly regained control after leading by 21.