Bath clinched a 43-41 victory over Northampton at the Recreation Ground, sealing an Investec Champions Cup semi‑final berth for the first time in three seasons. A late yellow card sent England centre Henry Pollock off, leaving the Saints with 14 men as the clock wound down. Ted Hill’s try, converted by Finn Russell, provided the decisive margin three minutes from full‑time.

Both sides displayed relentless attacking rugby, combining for an unprecedented 11 tries. Northampton surged early, recording five first‑half scores from Pollock, Fraser Dingwall, Tom Lockett, Josh Kemeny and Ollie Sleightholme, all nailed by Fin Smith. Bath answered with a flurry of tries from Hill, Kepu Tuipulotu, Russell, Henry Arundell, Francois van Wyk and Tom Dunn, while Russell added five conversions and a penalty.

Fin Smith kept his conversion record perfect, yet Bath’s composure in the second half erased a 12‑point deficit. A sin‑bin for Northampton lock JJ van der Mescht and a crucial defensive tackle by Archie McParland set the stage for Tuipulotu’s late try, cementing Bath’s win. The victory propels them into a semi‑final against either Bordeaux‑Begles or Toulouse.