Northampton outgun Bath in 18-try, 119-point classic

Northampton beat Bath in an 18-try, 119-point thriller that tore up the Prem record books.

The defending champions scored 11 tries to Bath's seven to win a wild contest, The Guardian reported on 10 October 2026. It finished as the second-highest scoring match in the league's history.

Ollie Sleightholme led the way for Northampton with a hat-trick. Tommy Freeman, his fellow England wing, added two more as the home attack kept finding space wide.

A try — five points for grounding the ball over the opposition line — came roughly every four minutes. Northampton just about had the edge in finishing, even as Bath refused to go away.

The game pitted England's Fin Smith against Scotland's Finn Russell at fly-half, the playmakers who steer the attack with kick and pass. For long spells neither defence could live with them.

Bath pushed hard after the break. Then scrum-half Alex Mitchell scored Northampton's seventh try to put his side back in front at 45-41.

Bath flanker Josh Bayliss was shown a yellow card for a cynical infringement, which meant 10 minutes off the field and a man advantage for Northampton. In a game moving this fast, that gap was brutal.

The only league game with more points was also a Northampton game. They beat Bristol 94-33 in May 2026, a match that still sits top of the list.

What makes this stand out is not just the numbers. Eleven tries to seven tells you both teams attacked with courage and neither could slow the other down. For fans, this means Northampton keep their title defence full of momentum — and Bath leave with pride, and nothing else.