Saturday’s Prem Rugby action sees league leaders Northampton Saints beat second-placed Bath via last-minute Fin Smith penalty; Bath were much-changed ahead of next week’s Champions Cup semi-final; Saracens beat Leicester Tigers in tight contest, while Sale Sharks won big at Harlequins
Last Updated: 25/04/26 7:59pm
Fin Smith (left) proved the match-winner as Northampton Saints beat Bath in a Prem Rugby top-of-the-table clash
Fin Smith’s last-second penalty snatched a breathless 41-38 victory for Prem Rugby leaders Northampton Saints against second-placed Bath at Franklin’s Gardens.
Two weeks on from the epic Champions Cup quarter-final these two teams played out at The Rec, they produced yet more drama as a much-changed Bath side almost claimed an unlikely draw.
Tommy Freeman scored his second hat-trick of the season against the visitors, who pushed the Saints all the way despite leaving out most of their leading players ahead of next week’s Champions Cup semi-final against Bordeaux-Begles.
It did not take Northampton long to score the game’s opening try as captain Fraser Dingwall stepped away from a would-be tackler before passing inside to put Smith through in just the third minute.
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Bath made the most of a one-man advantage straight away as Ciaran Donoghue’s long looping pass towards the right wing gave Louie Hennessey a walk-in, with Donoghue’s conversion levelling matters.
It was soon 14-a-side when Will Muir saw yellow for deliberately knocking on Alex Mitchell’s pass and from the resulting line-out Mitchell’s ball to the right gave Freeman an easy finish.
The hosts had their third try after 20 minutes when some slick handling saw the ball go through Dingwall, Litchfield and George Hendy whose final pass sent Ollie Sleightholme clear down the left. Bath were momentarily back in business as Will Butt’s ball inside sent Arthur Green through, but Northampton had their bonus-point score after half an hour when Dingwall’s pass put Freeman in for his second, and a 26-14 half-time lead.
Bath reduced the gap to five points within a minute of the restart when Donoghue’s pass put Hennessey into space and his ball back inside put replacement scrum-half Tom Carr-Smith in the clear.
The tries continued to flow relentlessly as Sleightholme muscled his way over for his second before Bath secured a bonus point of their own when Tom De Glanville went over following a terrific break from hooker Dan Frost.
The visitors then levelled the contest when replacement tighthead Archie Griffin plunged over from inches out, with Donoghue’s missed conversion leaving the sides locked at 31-31 with an hour played.
Just when it looked as though Freeman’s hat-trick score had won the day for Northampton, Bath squared the match once again when Kepu Tuipulotu squeezed over near the posts.
But there was time for one last twist as Enoch Opoku-Gyamfu was penalised for a high tackle on Henry Pollock, following a TMO check, allowing Smith to snatch the latest thriller between these two sides.
Saracens 19-15 Leicester Tigers
Noah Caluori’s wonder finish helped keep Saracens’ Gallagher Prem play-off hopes alive in a 19-15 defeat of Leicester at StoneX Stadium.
Fresh from amassing five tries against Sale a week earlier, the teenage sensation displayed his aerial skills to strike in the 21st minute of an entertaining encounter between rivals for a top four finish.
It was his 18th try in nine games to continue a stunning breakthrough season that could end with his first cap on England’s summer tour.
Olly Hartley and Eroni Mawi also crossed as Saracens stayed in sight of the play-offs, although their three tries meant they fell one short of also securing a priceless bonus point.
Eroni’s 49th-minute intervention proved to be the winning score and they were clinging on at times during the final quarter as Leicester’s high-octane attack tested their determination to give their season meaning.
Freddie Steward and Ollie Hassell-Collins breached the whitewash for the Tigers, who remain in third place with plenty to shout about from their visit to north London.
Harlequins 33-52 Sale Sharks
Joe Launchbury appeared to be saying an emotional farewell to the sport he has served and loved for almost two decades as he was applauded off the field at the end of Harlequins’ 52-33 home defeat to Sale.
Unfortunately for the former England lock, if it was his last game having recently announced his intended retirement at the end of the season, it will have left a sour taste in his mouth.
A crushing defeat for Quins added to their miserable domestic campaign with Sharks running in eight tries and finishing strongly to boost their own disappointing Premiership season.
Launchbury, 35, appeared close to tears as he repaid the applause with his own clapping and standing on the field after being an early second-half replacement to take in the situation before walking away.
