Fans have been submitting their predictions for Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership final at Twickenham between Northampton and Bath, as the two historic English clubs collide for what is expected to be a blockbuster occasion.
Bath Rugby head into their first final since 2015, a year in which they were decisively defeated by a dominant Saracens team, 28-16. Rewind to 2004, and many will recall Bath finishing at the top of the table only to fall to Wasps 10-6 in the playoff final.
Edging further back into the history books, the last time Bath actually won a top league title was way back in 1996. The professional years have not been kind to the age old club, as they look to change their fortunes and regain the influence they once had on the game.
Their opponents, Northampton, have had their own topsy turvy journey over the years, once dropping down to the Championship with the great Carlos Spencer helping to prop them back up. Their time in the top flight has, however, been met with some success over the years in both domestic and European competitions, winning the league once in 2014 and having gained European Champions Cup glory on two occasions, and Challenge Cup on one.
Predictions
As the climactic match between the two sides nears its peak, very little can separate them – much like the 90 point league total they both finished on.
Bath won the last match between the two by quite some heavy margin, although it could be argued that Saints had rested many of their men, whilst Saints beat Bath by a close margin at home.
With both sides so closely matched, we thought we’d ask the fans. On a Twitter poll set up by yours truly, you can see that Northampton were clear winners, with a percentage of 62% to 38%.
Who will win the Gallagher Premiership final on Saturday?
— Jack Tunney (@JackTunneyRugby) June 5, 2024
Providing their thoughts about the upcoming match, one fan told us: “I’m a Sale fan really, but I’ll be watching this match with interest. Bath are just so competitive around the breakdown, I think if they win that area then the game is theirs to win.”
James, a lifelong Saints fan, found himself disagreeing, adding: “It doesn’t matter what Bath throw at us, we’ve proven we can deal with anything all year. Plus our backs are the best in the league.”
To make things fair, we did find a Bath fan to chat to, her response was simply to chant “Come on you Bath” – a reasonable argument.
Bath head into the match as comparative underdogs, but as with ‘Bristanbull’ a few years ago, a result at Twickenham cannot be guaranteed.
Bookies odds:
Northampton: 4/7
Bath Rugby: 6/4
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