A COMPREHENSIVE 24-3 defeat at Northampton left Bath coach Mike Foley hoping for double good news from his medical team and the RFU ahead of Saturday's crunch league clash with old rivals Gloucester.

Foley insisted he was "very confident'' that the decision to hand his skipper Danny Grewcock a 35-day ban for kicking Saracens' Kyran Bracken would be overturned at an appeal in London of Thursday.

But perhaps more urgently, Foley now knows he must get hamstring victim Mike Catt back off the treatment table to add the killer instinct missing from his try-shy side in time for Saturday's clash and the appointment at Leicester on October 5.

Catt seems likely to return against Gloucester but Grewcock's situation is less clear-cut.

Foley, who revealed Bracken will speak up for his ex-flatmate at the appeal, insisted: "We're confident our appeal will succeed because we feel it was a purely accidental situation especially with Kyran coming out in the press this week and saying it was accidental.

"Kyran has agreed to appear at the hearing and argue in Danny's favour and his involvement could be crucial.''

Catt's absence and that of Ireland's Kevin Maggs were major factors as Bath were outscored four touchdowns to none.

Once again Bath had chances, especially in a dire second period, but their inability to finish ended any hope of a comeback.

"We lacked direction amongst the backs, most of whom are young players,'' added Foley. "They did some good things but we needed Catt or Maggs in there.

"Catt should be available for Saturday and when he returns we'll have a lot more direction.

"We did some good things in the second half but we're not making the most of our opportunities and that is an area we're looking at.''

In contrast Northampton should have been 30 points clear after a first half-hour in which their handling and support play was top drawer.

It took them just six minutes to open up Bath, England scrum-half Matt Dawson bursting through the middle and quick hands from Nick Beal and Peter Jorgensen sending livewire Spaniard Oriol Ripol over.

Paul Grayson converted, but missed 15 minutes later as Beal pierced the line to send Jorgensen in out wide for the second.

Bath were further behind on 29 minutes as Dawson's instinctive reverse flip-pass sent Jorgensen in under the posts from close range, Grayson stretching the gap to 19-0 with the conversion.

An Olly Barkley penalty finally got the visitors on the board and after the break, Bath largely dominated a desperately poor half despite losing scrum-half Gareth Cooper to an ankle blow and centre Mike Tindall to a harsh yellow card for a deliberate knock-on.

But chances went begging and Ben Cohen's last-gasp try secured Saints' bonus point.

n TEAMS: Bath: Barkley, Danielli, Crockett, Tindall (yellow card, 66-77, Thirlby 77), Voyce, Malone, Cooper (Blake 53), Emms (Barnes 40), Humphreys (Mears 62), Galasso (Mallett 58), Beattie (Lloyd 65), Grewcock (capt), G Thomas (Scaysbrook 50), Lyle, N Thomas.

Northampton Saints: Beal, Ripol, Jorgensen, Leslie (capt), Cohen, Grayson, Dawson, Smith,Thompson (Richmond 65), Stewart (Morris 55, yellow card 70), Phillips (Hunter 33-40), Connors, Blowers (Hunter 75), Pountney, Seely (Soden 59). Subs not used: Brooks, Tucker, Sleightholme.

Referee: David McHugh

Attendance: 9,560