Northampton Saints scored seven tries as they retained the Mobbs Memorial Trophy with a 28-40 victory over Bedford Blues in their first run out of the 2025/26 season.
Saints rushed out to an early 14-0 lead in the Mobbs Memorial Match at Goldington Road thanks to tries from James Pater and Toby Thame, but Bedford hit back and sent two driving mauls over to level things before the break.
The half-time interval was sandwiched with a pair of Saints scores that saw Pater grab a second and Angus Scott-Young pounce when the ball came loose.
And though Blues came back at Saints once again with two well worked scores, James Martin’s interventions on his debut outing in Black, Green and Gold – first an intercept try and then a sublime break to set up Henry Lumley – secured the trophy for Northampton.
FIRST-HALF:
After a series of Bedford attacks, it was Saints who drew first blood. A flowing move off a lineout saw Sam Graham tip the ball onto fullback Pater, who cut a swift line through Blues’ defence to score his first senior try for Saints.
Anthony Belleau racked up his first points in Black, Green and Gold with the conversion and was soon doubling his efforts when Thame scooped up loose lineout ball in Blues’ 22 and scrambled over for Saints’ second.
A pair of driving Bedford mauls brought the game level after half an hour. The first seeing lock Rory Ward over from close range off the base and the second sent Oisin Heffernan rumbling over. Blues’ fly-half Tom Price was good from the tee with both conversions to make it 14-14.
Pater claimed his second just before the break after more strong lineout ball from Saints put them close. The ball went through the hands, and it was eventually the fullback who slipped through a gap just right of the posts.
Belleau’s third conversion of the evening went through the uprights to make it 14-21 and Saints would the successfully defend a series of Bedford mauls from five metres out to keep it that way until the break.
SECOND HALF:
Saints bookended half-time with another score of their own, as Scott-Young scooped up loose ball and took his opportunity to snipe over from close range.
Pater – who had taken over kicking duties for the men in Black, Green and Gold – sent the conversion over but Blues hit back, with Saints’ Sonny Tonga’uiha barrelling through for the Club’s strategic partner side before Ryan Hutler finished the move.
An intercept gave Saints their next score, when winger Martin picked off a stray pass in Blues’ 22 to score his first in Saints’ colours and Northampton’s fifth of the night.
Tired Saints bodies couldn’t keep out Bedford’s attack on the hour though, with Louis James finishing off the move that sliced through from the halfway line.
Price’s conversion brought the game within five points but Saints would stretch their lead again when another Martin involvement saw the winger shoot through Blues’ defence before popping the ball up to centre Lumley to finish.
It was Edoardo Todaro’s turn to kick from the tee and he sent the conversion through, ending the scoring for the evening – with the final scoreline seeing Saints retain the Mobbs Memorial Trophy with a 40-28 victory.
Saints remain on the road next week when a trip to Glasgow Warriors set to completes their preseason preparations, before their PREM Rugby Cup campaign gets underway against Saracens on Friday 19 September (kick-off: 7.30pm).
LINE-UP:
Bedford: 15 James, 14 Hutler, 13 Worth, 12 Titherington, 11 Adamson, 10 Price, 9 Day (c); 1 Conway, 2 Fish, 3 Heffernan, 4 Ward, 5 Woolford, 6 Uru, 7 Finch, 8 Tuilagi.
Replacements: Pearce, Jack, Tonga’uiha, Appleby, Sylvester, Hosking, Lennon, Hill, Pasco, Le Bourgeois, Witheat.
Saints: 15 Pater, 14 Rowe, 13 Litchfield, 12 Thame, 11 Todaro, 10 Belleau, 9 McParland; 1 Scola, 2 Walker, 3 Green, 4 Prowse, 5 Munga (c), 6 Benson, 7 Scott-Young, 8 Graham.
Replacements: Wright, Murphy, Millar Mills, Lawrence, Atuanya, Ainsworth-Cave, Walta, Brown, Weimann, James, Martin, Lumley, Caqusau.
