Head coach Sam Vesty has praised young scrum-half Archie McParland after Northampton Saints’ record 21-41 win over Bath Rugby on Saturday.
McParland’s breakthrough try just before half-time saw a much-changed Northampton outfit go in at the interval level pegging with their hosts, adding to man-of-the-match Tommy Freeman’s early effort to bring the score to 14-14.
And despite falling behind on the restart when Bath opened the second half with a close-range effort, Saints scored 27 unanswered points with the remaining minutes of the Round 8 clash – sending Henry Pollock over twice, while Freeman wrapped up his hat-trick and Anthony Belleau brought his total from the tee to 11 points.
Saints’ performance was littered with standout individuals but for Vesty it was the 20-year-old scrum-half who earned his praise, as McParland’s attack-shaping speed at the breakdown played a pivotal role in Saints claiming their first win at the Recreation Ground since 2022.
“Archie was on fire, wasn’t he?” Vesty said.
“Archie had a very different mindset to how he wanted to play; he played with freedom and looked like he had a smile on his face. It absolutely brought the best out of him.
“It’s great to see because we know what he can do and for him to show it on the big stage, I was very happy for him because he’s worked hard for that.”
The win marks Saints’ sixth of the Gallagher PREM season to date and their fifth victory on the road across all competitions this term, equalling the number they achieved in the whole of the previous campaign.
And, for Vesty, Northampton’s mindset to go to the home of the reigning champions and stick to their own gameplan was the most pleasing for the Saints head coach.
Vesty said: “I thought the mindset we had for 80 minutes to keep attacking and just go at it was excellent.
“It didn’t all go our way, but we never wavered from that attacking mindset and that brought the best out in us.
“We hadn’t won here at the Rec since 2022, so it was a good place to come and do it.
“I’m just so proud of the boys to back themselves and have the confidence and mindset just to go at them – it’s a tough place to come and win.
“For our boys, to get over the line and do it in such fantastic style, when scoreline could have been even more, was brilliant.”