Northampton vs Bath predictions and Gallagher Premiership final tips: Saints can march to glory

Where to watch Northampton v Bath

Live on ITV1 & TNT Sports 1, 3pm Saturday

Best bet

Northampton to win by one to 12 points
2pts 8-5 bet365

Northampton v Bath predictions

The top two in the Premiership regular-season standings meet in the grand final at Twickenham on Saturday, and it will be an unfamiliar experience for both clubs.

It's a decade since Northampton last reached this stage, triumphing over Saracens in extra time in 2014, while Bath have appeared in only one final, losing to Wasps in 2006. They were last Premiership champions in 1996, seven years before the playoff format was introduced.

However, both teams fully deserve their chance to go for glory at the end of this campaign having impressed from the off with their sharp attacking play and free-scoring success.

They were rewarded with home semi-finals but those were far from straightforward clashes. Northampton had to get past champions Saracens while Bath took on last year's beaten finalists Sale, both teams renowned for their physical and pragmatic approach so suited to knockout rugby. To come out on top, both teams demonstrated that as well as their swashbuckling style they had a steely side that could stand up to the toughest of battles in the set piece and at the breakdown.

Neutrals will no doubt be hoping for a free-flowing open contest with bags of attacking ambition and a bucketload of tries, and the make-ups from recent meetings provide plenty of encouragement.

The teams met in the final week of the regular season, when the Saints, already assured of a home playoff berth, opted to rest a few big names and were beaten 43-12 at Bath in a match featuring eight tries.

The reverse fixture at Franklin's Gardens produced five tries, while last season's clashes ended with totals of ten and five tries and the season before it was ten and nine.

Coral and Ladbrokes offer even money that there are seven tries or more while the under is 8-11, while Hills set their line at 5.5, going 4-7 over and 13-10 under.

With the brilliance of Finn Russell at fly-half pulling the strings for Bath and 14-try top scorer for the season Ollie Sleightholme lining up in an exciting back three for the Saints, there is clearly the potential for fireworks. 

However, it is a final and both teams came through in cagey semi-finals and may not be ready to simply flick a switch back to all-out attack mode.

Northampton are narrow favourites, giving up handicaps from three to five points, and the best bet may be to back the Saints to come out on top of a close-fought game.

The way Northampton stood up to the Saracens scrum offers plenty of encouragement that they can do the same to Bath, and they look supremely well organised and consistent over 80 minutes. Bath have been prone to spells of sloppiness and could have made more of their periods of dominance in their semi-final against Sale.

Northampton are more conditioned to playoff rugby and will be fired-up as they prepare to say goodbye to clubs stalwarts Courtney Lawes and Lewis Ludlam. Eight of their 12 victories this season have come by a margin of one to 12 points and the Saints can edge this one too.

Click for free bets and betting offers from the Racing Post

Commercial notice: This article contains affiliate links. Offers are handpicked and come from operators our experts have first-hand experience of. Opening an account via one of these links will earn revenue for the Racing Post, which will be used to continue producing our award-winning coverage of horseracing and sports betting.