Northampton Saints 41-38 Bath result - Leaders win Gallagher PREM classic with last kick of game as Fin Smith keeps calm

Northampton Saints won an absolute thriller against Bath thanks to Fin Smith’s dramatic 83rd-minute penalty.

It was a blockbuster clash between the sides sitting first and second in the PREM Rugby table and it lived up to the billing and then some.

Saints came roaring out the gates with an early Smith try and looked like they might run away with it at times in the first half.

Tommy Freeman bagged a first-half double and Ollie Sleightholme also got on the scoresheet before the break as Saints showed why they are renowned as such a devastating attacking side.

But Bath kept in touch through Louie Hennessey and Arthur Green tries and hit back after the break to set up a pulsating finale.

Freeman looked like he might have won it for Northampton when he completed his hat-trick but, as was the way of this chaotic encounter, Bath soon restored parity when Tuipulotu went over from close range.

With the clock in the red there was time for one final dramatic twist. The game appeared to be over when Smith missed a drop-goal attempt but the TMO alerted referee Luke Pearce to a potential high tackle on Henry Pollock.

Pearce agreed, giving Smith a chance to win it in the 83rd minute, and he made no mistake, slotting it to claim all five points and extend Northampton’s lead at the top.

Northampton travel to take on Leicester Tigers next, while Bath face Bordeaux in a mouth-watering Champions Cup semi-final.

On the decisive penalty decision, Bath director of rugby Johann van Graan tells TNT Sports: "The referee made the decision. [I'm] gutted to lose an amazing game like that."

He adds: "We are tough to beat, we stick to our process, we go to our strengths. We came here to win. Congratulations to Northampton but what a game of rugby. I'm so proud of our lads."

On if Bath landed a psychological blow with a heavily rotated side, Van Graan continued: "I've got too much respect for Northampton and for Dows and his team. They are a brilliant side. I can only speak about our group and we back our squad.

"We don't listen to the outside noise."

Speaking to TNT Sports, Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson said: "I'm delighted with the five points but I'm really frustrated with the performance. When we played them in Europe we spoke about the defence and how we wanted to be better. Today we weren't at it.

"What I would say is I thought Bath were excellent and they got in amongst us and we went away from our game.

"They played very well and we were very poor."

Bath captain Miles Reid admitted he was "gutted" to be on the losing side of such a tight contest but was eager to take the positives

He told TNT Sports: "I always want to win. I hate losing, we hate losing but we pride ourselves on being tough to beat and we showed that today.

"I don't like to look at the media but everybody tried to write us off saying we had rotated so much, but we know as a squad we can rotate and we have the quality to still match boys like this.

"I'm so proud of the boys."

Wow, you've got to feel for Bath there.

Pearce agrees that it's a high hit on Pollock and awards the penalty. The Bath fans will likely feel like it's harsh but that's the way it goes.

Smith makes no mistake and slots it to win an absolute classic.

Bath clear from the restart and come again. Approaching the 22, can they make a telling break and win this chaotic encounter?

Muir juggles it and offloads to Underhill, but he can't gather and the ball is out of play.

Northampton counter and get into the Bath 22 - time for a drop-goal? Smith goes for it but it's wide!

The clock is in the red but Pearce has been alerted to a high tackle on Pollock. It looks like a penalty so Smith could have another chance to win it at the death.

Time for one more twist? Of course there is.

A pinpoint 50:22 puts Bath in position to respond again. The line-out is won and here they come. They pick and go, pick and go, pick and go until Tuipulotu decides he's seen enough and barges over.

The conversion is good and we are level again!

After absorbing the pressure, Northampton strike in style.

Smith finds Freeman, who makes the break and gives it to the man on his outside. Freeman continues his run and takes the return to blaze over the line for a sublime hat-trick try.

Saints clear but not well, so Bath have the ball in the hosts' half.

The visitors then claim the up-and-under in the Northampton 22, but the ball is turned over again by Pollock. He has been absolutely immense at the breakdown today.

Bath make a couple of line breaks and Underhill pulls off a stunning step. But Northampton turn the ball over and break themselves.

Bath re-gather and kick deep into the Saints 22. A frantic finale is on the cards.

Pollock makes a stunning break forward from the base of the scrum. Northampton get the ball out early but Bath scramble well.

Underhill dislodges the ball with a big hit but knocks it on in the process, so the hosts have a scrum.

Bath clear cleanly from the restart for maybe the first time all game and put Northampton under pressure just outside the 22.

Muir takes a hit on the left wing but tries to get an offload away out the back of his hand to Tuipulotu. It's a whisker too high and goes out for a Saints line-out. The margins.

From defense to attack in an instant, a superb 50:22 puts Bath within five metres of the Northampton line.

A couple of penalties come the visitors' way and eventually, Archie Griffin dives over from close range.

Donoghue just misses the conversion so the game is all tied up at 31-31.

What a game!

Northampton win a penalty in the scrum but sub Cleopas Kundiona takes a sore one in the process. After a short delay, he is deemed fit to continue.

The penalty is kicked to the corner but in the line-out drive, Pearce has spotted a Saints knock-on. A chance now for Bath to clear their lines.

Saints find touch after winning a penalty. From the line-out they attack out wide and the ball is passed to Pollock, but the England international delays a little too much and the ball is lost.

Pearce initially calls it a knock-on but revises that call, so it's a Saints scrum.

As he so often does around the 50-minute mark, Johann van Graan has emptied the Bath bench. Will the fresh legs make an impact?

Like a game of ping pong, here come Bath in response.

The visitors claim the restart and edge their way forward. It's less explosive but equally effective.

After gaining ground, Dan Frost bursts through a hole in the Saints defence. He comes up just short of the line but there are attackers lining up to score and it happens to be De Glanville who is the one who breezes over.

It's now Northampton 31-26 Bath.

Northampton win a penalty for a Bath offside - time to go for the posts? No chance.

Smith nudges it into the Bath 22 and win the line-out but instead of driving for the line, they go short to Sleightholme so powers his way over the line to extend Northampton's lead once again.

Back with a bang.

Bath gather the restart and go on the attack. There is no obvious danger but Hennessey fires a Finn Russell-esque pass out wide to release Muir, who then flings it back inside to Carr-Smith for the simplest of run-ins.

That was a beauty. The extras are added and it's now 26-21 in favour of Northampton.