Northampton Saints came through a test of the depth of their squad, with injuries afflicting three of their England forwards, as the champions withstood a withering late comeback by Bath to leapfrog their opponents into second place in the Premiership table.

Bath had won a few friends in this part of the East Midlands with their 45-0 thrashing of Northampton’s local rivals Leicester last weekend but the Saints were never going to roll over as easily, even after Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood were withdrawn late from the starting line-up, with back and shoulder problems respectively. And a third member of the England contingent, the loose-head prop Alex Corbisiero, was forced off early in the second half after needing treatment to his left shoulder. All three, though, should be available to play at London Irish next Saturday.

But a fourth, Saints’ captain Dylan Hartley emerged triumphant after making a crucial contribution to prevent a Bath try, getting his body under Alafoti Fa’osiliva’s drive for the line with four minutes left when Northampton were clinging to a seven-point lead.

“Bath have talked about being contenders this season and they proved they are today,” said Hartley, whose team had led 31-10 and bagged a four-try bonus point by the 54th minute. “But we had big names missing and we showed we had real depth.” As for his try-saving plunge, Hartley half-joked: “The ball was exposed, you have to get in there and luckily I’ve got the depth of midriff to do it. ”

2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Show all 39 1 /39 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale Sharks 25 Wasps 14 Tom Arscott goes over for Sale’s opening try against Wasps at the AJ Bell Stadium GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 29 Exeter 25 Tom Catterick (left) celebrates his try for Newcastle GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 21 Saracens 11 Jonathan Joseph (right) clashes with Chris Ashton of Saracens after scoring Bath’s first try. Ashton was sent to the sin bin GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Leicester Tigers 19 London Irish 22 London Irish fly-half Shane Geraghty kicks the winning penalty Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton Saints 31 Bath 24 Dylan Hartley is tackled by Stuart Hooper Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 40 Sale Sharks 19 Alex Goode scores for Saracens Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 10 Northampton 35 George North scores Saints’ fourth try at Newcastle GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 10 Northampton 35 Will Hooley marked his third Premiership start with a try, two conversions and three penalties GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 45 Leicester 0 Bath players celebrate a try in their crushing 45-0 win over old foes Leicester GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Harlequins 26 Wasps 23 Mike Brown attempts to break through the tackle of Tom Varndell GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 46 London Welsh 8 Luke Arscott scores one of his three tries against the Exiles GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 32 Saracens 36 Billy Vunipola crashed over for the match-winning try in the final seconds of the match GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Wasps 20-16 Northampton Ashley Johnson breaks away from Stephen Myler to score Wasps’ first try against Northampton GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Wasps 20-16 Northampton Tom Varndell holds off the tackle of Saints' Lee Dickson PA 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Newcastle 18-20 London Irish Shane Geraghty of London Irish reacts first to a loose ball as Newcastle Falcons’ Mark Wilson is forced to take evasive action GETTY IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Exeter Chiefs 20 Leicester Tigers 20 Julian Salvi is tackled as he attempts to break the Exeter defensive line Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Exeter Chiefs 20 Leicester Tigers 20 Richard Cockerill looks on despite finding it a frustrating game to watch Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Peter Browne is congratulated by his team-mates after going over for London Welsh Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Anthony Watson crashes over to extend the lead Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Bath 53 London Welsh 26 Semesa Rokoduguni celebrates scoring a try for Bath Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Chris Cusiter attempts to break away for Sale Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Jonny May breaks free as he leads the Gloucester fightback Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Gloucester 34 Sale Sharks 27 Yann Thomas and Henry Trinder celebrate after the former scores a try Getty 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Harlequins 0 Saracens 39 Chris Aston celebrates scoring a try against Harlequins as Sarries crushed their opponents at the Twickenham Stoop Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Welsh 0 Exeter 52 Chrysander Botha (left) of Exeter Chiefs celebrates his try with team mate Matt Jess 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Welsh 0 Exeter 52 Ian Whitten crosses for one of Exeter Chiefs’ seven tries against London Welsh GETT IMAGES 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 15 Harlequins 20 Joe Marler is sent to the sin-bin Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures London Irish 15 Harlequins 20 Ollie Lindsay-Hague scores for Harlequins Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Danny Cipriani can't prevent Semesa Rokoduguni crashing over to put Bath out of sight Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Will Addison finds himself at the centre of a on-filed scrap between Sale and Bath players Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 Will Addison of Sale is tackled by Anthony Watson of Bath Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Sale 20 Bath 29 George Ford gets the ball away despite the attentions of Danny Cipriani Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 David Strettle celebrates scoring the match-winning try after sliding in to sink Wasps Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 Saracens fans celebrate victory against Wasps Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 David Strettle touches down to seal a 34-28 win for Saracens Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Saracens 34 Wasps 28 Christian Wade races clear of David Strettle to score for Wasps Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 Jon Fisher of Northampton celebrates after scoring their sixth try Getty Images 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 George Pisi found with a touchdown at the sticks GETTY 2014/15 Aviva Premiership - in pictures Northampton 53 Gloucester 6 George North scores for Northampton in their 53-6 rout of Gloucester Getty Images

Fa’osiliva did well for Bath who were missing their first-choice back- rowers Carl Fearns and Francois Louw against opponents they have not beaten here since April 2003, or anywhere in the Premiership in three and a half years. A stream of penalties at the scrums in the first half were evenly distributed but the intuitive sense was that Corbisiero, Hartley and Salesi Ma’afu in the home front-row were having the better of it.

They also had the boost of a 14-point lead within the opening 15 minutes. Ben Foden’s blistering break led to Bath’s Luke Arscott illegally knocking down a pass from Kahn Fotuali’i aimed at fly-half Steve Myler. Referee Tim Wigglesworth decided it merited a penalty try, which was converted by Myler. With Arscott in the sin- bin, three missed tackles by Bath allowed George Pisi and Luther Burrell to work flanker Calum Clark over for an easy try.

Two England assistant coaches Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree were here to consider international candidates, and Hartley and Rob Webber was one tasty battle within the war, with the Bath No 2’s ball-carrying catching the eye. The snazziest running came in the centres from Jonathan Joseph as Bath cut the Northampton lead to 17-10 by half-time. Webber battered across the gainline and George Ford set up prop Davey Wilson for a try any back would have been pleased with.

Ford’s conversion and 35-metre penalty goal sandwiched a penalty by Myler, but Saints’ pivot also pushed a head-on attempt wide in the 38th minute.

Northampton took control with their third and fourth tries. One dart by Foden after 10 Northampton phases put lock Christian Day in at the left corner, then Foden was at the heart of a raid by Saints from their own half, linking with George North and Burrell to make a try for George Pisi. Myler’s pair of touchline conversions had Saints 31-10 up. But not quite home free when Gavin Henson, on for Arscott, exploited a gap on the short side and fed a no-look scoring pass to Olly Woodburn, with Ford converting.

A big drive from a line-out caught by Dave Attwood brought a try for replacement prop Nick Auterac but Attwood’s last-ditch charge was fumbled and Saints held on.

Line-ups:

Northampton Saints: B Foden (J Wilson 66); K Pisi, G Pisi, L Burrell, G North; S Myler, K Fotuali’i (L Dickson 55); A Corbisiero, (A Waller 51) D Hartley (capt), S Ma’afu (G Denman 61), J Craig (T Harrison 76), C Day, C Clark, J Fisher, S Manoa (P Dowson 68).

Bath: L Arscott (G Henson 55); S Rokoduguni, J Joseph (D Devoto 63), K Eastmond (Joseph 76), O Woodburn; G Ford, C Cook (P Stringer 52); P James (N Auterac 55), R Webber, (T Dunn 55), D Wilson (H Thomas 50), S Hooper (capt, D Day 55)), D Attwood, A Fa’osiliva, G Mercer, L Houston.