Tigers edge past Bath with final kick of the game

The Prem

Leicester (12) 22

Tries: Cracknell, Reffell, Smith Cons: O'Connor 2 Pen: Searle

Bath (17) 20

Tries: Frost, Underhill, Redpath Cons: Russell Pen: Russell

Leicester Tigers gained revenge for their conclusion successful past year's Premiership final, pinch a hard-fought last-minute triumph complete aged rivals Bath astatine Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

In a frantic opening quarter, Dan Frost and Olly Cracknell exchanged tries earlier Sam Underhill and Cam Redpath gave Bath a comfortable cushion.

But nan Tigers struck backmost done efforts from Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith either broadside of half-time arsenic Bath appeared hopeless while conceding a flurry of penalties.

Russell gave Bath a constrictive advantage pinch 8 minutes to go, earlier Billy Searle kicked a punishment to declare nan triumph pinch nan timepiece successful nan reddish aft nan visitors had been reduced to 14 men.

Former England skipper Lewis Moody, who played for some clubs, appeared connected nan transportation alongside erstwhile team-mates astatine half-time pursuing nan announcement earlier this period that he had been diagnosed pinch centrifugal neurone disease.

In nan clubs' first gathering since Bath won a intimately fought Twickenham showpiece successful June, it was nan distant broadside who struck first.

Santi Carreras, successful his first Bath start, kicked guardant successful midfield for his team-mates to chase. The shot was spilled by Adam Radwan, allowing nan Argentina world to footwear up erstwhile more.

Henry Arundell was first connected nan shot earlier off-loading to Frost to people a effort connected what was besides his first commencement successful nan blue, achromatic and white.

But that lead was not to past for long.

Bath were penalised successful nan scrum, giving Tigers a pat and spell from nan five-metre line.

Following a mates of repelled thrusts, it was Cracknell who forced his measurement complete nan line, earlier James O'Connor added nan extras.

Stung, Bath responded successful kind.

Following different break from Carreras that drove heavy into Tigers territory, nan visitors recycled allowing Underhill to pirouette his measurement complete nan effort statement contempt nan despairing tackle of O'Connor.

Bath past extended their lead further done Redpath, nan centre benefitting from nan searing gait of Arundell down nan touchline.

With Freddie Steward coming across, nan Scot produced a perfectly timed dummy to spell complete untouched.

With nan crippled ebbing and flowing it was nary astonishment erstwhile Leicester responded.

They thought they had converted a counter-attack of their own, Hanro Liebenberg diving complete successful nan corner, only for nan effort to beryllium ruled retired for a guardant pass, but it proved to beryllium only a impermanent setback.

With Bath struggling horribly successful nan scrum, Leicester kicked for nan area and nan resulting rolling maul proved unstoppable, pinch Reffell yet emerging pinch nan ball.

Leicester kept up nan unit and drew level conscionable aft nan break, pinch Smith forcing his measurement complete aft an extended play of Tigers unit arsenic Bath recovered themselves connected nan incorrect extremity of referee Adam Leal's whistle.

A midfield stalemate past developed successful which neither broadside were capable to pierce nan other's 22.

With nan crippled desperately successful request of a spark of inspiration, Bath yet managed to wrestle their measurement backmost successful front.

Leicester were penalised astatine nan scrum, allowing Russell to return afloat advantage from nan tee to put nan visitors 1 constituent ahead.

As clip elapsed, Bath mounted a wished goal-line guidelines earlier Thomas du Toit was yellowish carded for a precocious tackle connected Searle.

The replacement fly-half duly recovered himself to slot nan important punishment to extremity Bath's cleanable commencement to nan season.

The consequence leaves Bath successful 2nd place, while Leicester move up to fifth.

Leicester Tigers caput coach Geoff Parling said to BBC Radio Leicester aft nan match:

"Firstly I'm a realist and that crippled could've gone either measurement because we could person missed that kick.

"What I'm really pleased pinch is that we put ourselves successful nan position to triumph nan game, sloppy of what happened astatine nan end.

"I deliberation surely successful nan first 2 rounds, location were times erstwhile things didn't spell our measurement and we looked a spot edgy - erstwhile things didn't spell our measurement coming we stuck to our process, stuck to our job.

"We worked difficult for each other. Before nan match, I said to nan lads to move your bosom into nan garment and I thought we did that."

On Lewis Moody, who has precocious been diagnosed pinch centrifugal neurone disease, and nan different Tigers legends who appeared connected nan transportation astatine half-time:

"I said astir it very concisely successful nan changing room beforehand.

"I thought coming was a awesome advert that we get down our own, not conscionable Lewis Moody but besides Ed Slater arsenic well. I was astatine Newcastle erstwhile Doddie (Weir) was location – truthful nan full MND community.

"I deliberation we show arsenic rugby erstwhile thing happens to 1 of ours, we get down them and hopefully that's what we did today, sloppy of nan result."

Bath caput coach Johann van Graan said to BBC Radio Bristol aft nan match:

"It's ever a sickening emotion erstwhile you suffer it for illustration this, up by a constituent distant from home. Ultimately we mislaid nan punishment count and that put america nether pressure.

"A fascinating crippled of rugby, sometimes you triumph it for illustration that, sometimes you suffer it for illustration that."

When asked astir similarities betwixt nan Premiership last successful June:

"Obviously nan (points quality successful the) last was 2 points, this was 2 points. It was a bully set-piece conflict against each other, a really large aerial battle.

"I thought we scored immoderate awesome tries, we near immoderate opportunities retired location successful nan first half.

"They squeezed america to get up and past we fought our measurement backmost to spell 1 up, but good done to Leicester."

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; O'Connor, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Loman, Hurd, Wells, Ilione, Allan, Searle, Wand.

Bath: Carreras; De Glanville, Hennessey, Redpath, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Frost, Stuart, Roux, Molony, Staddon, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Dunn, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Richards, Reid, Carr-Smith, Butt, Green.

Sin-bin: Du Toit (81).

Referee: Adam Leal.