The game had great drama throughout, despite Bath being reduced to 14 players when Beno Obano was red-carded for a high tackle midway through the first half.
It was the same with the season as a whole, with only 10 league points separating Northampton and Bath, who finished first and second in the table on 60 points, from Exeter, who finished seventh on 50.
This season you would expect Northampton and Bath to pick up where they left off - with the Saints looking to retain the title, and Bath looking to go one better by supplanting them at the top.
Northampton topped the Premiership for most of last season, and they deserved to win it, with Courtney Lawes going out in style before moving to France to join Brive.
The Saints have such an exciting back line; Tommy Freeman is a class act, and the combination of him and George Furbank has helped to transform the England backline. I was also impressed by the way Ollie Sleightholme took his chance in New Zealand over the summer to force his way into England contention on the wing.
I'm looking forward to this season, and because I'm a Bathonian I watched a lot of Bath last season, mainly because they were worth watching - and it was the same across the board in the Premiership.
Bath's resurgence started at the end of the 2023 season, and continued strongly last campaign to put them in with a title shot. Finn Russell will be wanting to make Bath's attack even more incisive, and out wide Will Muir was brilliant last season. The fans love him, and with Joe Cokanasiga also having one of his best seasons at The Rec, they are in good shape on the wings. Johann van Graan also did well to rotate his front five but keep the pack competitive, and he looked after the squad as a whole, with no-one over-used.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22, 2024 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة September 22, 2024 من The Rugby Paper.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Ring fence has made English rugby go soft
THE most positive aspect to come out of the opening round of the European Cup was that, despite six out of the eight English clubs losing, it can get better and relatively quickly.
The global travellers who light up game
THERE is nothing especially funny about short-term memory loss, but it may just have an upside when it comes to rugby.
Battling Bath looking to revive cup campaign
JOHANN van Graan is braced to take on the Italian national team in all but name as Bath look to revive their Champions Cup campaign.
Off-target Gloucester get lesson in finishing
KIWI Michael Ruru scored two early tries and put in a silky display as Vannes created a famous night in their history, securing a first ever Challenge Cup win over a misfiring Gloucester.
We're happy to be the hunted, says Beckett
SARAH Beckett admits Gloucester-Hartpury have made an underwhelming start to their title defence but believes that's partly due to competition across the PWR being at an alltime high.
Heard takes charge to keep out Sarries
GLOUCESTER-HARTPURY secured a pulsating victory over Saracens to leapfrog the Londoners in the PWR table.
Hellfire Corner gives a warm welcome to all
RUGBY was undergoing a massive boom 150 years ago so we shouldn’t be surprised so many teams are celebrating their sesquicentennial anniversary as those who glory in long words like to call it.
My fierce Tigers are roaring-Howison
A RUTHLESS second-half display saw Sheffield Tigers come from behind to score 29 unanswered points and seal a vital bonus point win against bottom of the table Billingham.
Brave Lupus banking on Mo'unga class
THE fourth season of Japan Rugby League One kicks off this week, with the tournament opening with the clash between Mie Honda Heat and Ricoh Black Rams Tokyo on December 21.
Oyonnax must live without El-Abd
OYONNAX’S seven-try 53-10 bonus-point win over ProD2 rivals Soyaux-Angouleme on Friday – their first victory since October 25 – was a relief in more ways than one. In fact, relief probably doesn’t cover it.
