Bath overpower Leicester in top-of-the-table clash

Gallagher Premiership

Bath (19) 43

Spencer, Obano, Roux, Dunn, Stuart, Cokanasiga, Butt Cons: Russell 4

Leicester (15) 15

In a fiery top-of-the-table encounter with Tigers of Leicester, Leaders Bath defeated leaders Bath 43-15 to set up a significant milestone in the Premiership’s final weekend.

Leicester must wait until the final league game in two weeks before making a playoff debut following a second half defeat that saw the Tigers hold them to a scoreless draw.

After tries from Ben Spencer, Beno Obano, and Quinn Roux, Leicester responded with tries from Joseph Woodward and Adam Radwan, and Bath won 19-15.

However, a showpiece intercepted effort from Joe Cokanasiga and Will Butt’s last-minute score sealed a statement victory in a dominant second 40 minutes with tries from Tom Dunn and Will Stuart.

In their final game on May 31st, Leicester will face bottom-of-the-table Newcastle at home, five points clear of Gloucester in fifth.

Despite being three weeks away from the Twickenham spectacle, the match started with all the tension of a Premiership final. Two of the league’s most competitive packs faced off against one another.

After four minutes, Spencer threw a dummy to close the gap left by Handre Pollard, who had already scored, into the corner to give Leicester the lead.

The Tigers’ defense was superb as Julian Montoya skillfully held them over the line after Ollie Chessum’s early yellow card for head contact on Will Muir then appeared to hand Bath the initiative.

Leicester came out of the period with 14 men better, as Jack van Poortvliet picked out Woodward with a cross-field kick in space to give Tigers an 8-5 lead, knowing that just one point from the match would put them in second place.

Hill initially thought he had pulled one back for Bath, but it was offside, with Obano then heading over as the score returned to the home side.

Leicester forced Bath to endure wave after wave of pressure, made worse by Dunn’s yellow card for head contact on Hanro Liebenberg.

The excellent covering tackle from Radwan almost immediately put him in again, but Hill’s excellent coverage tackle saw Bath finish the half with a run in under the posts.

As Bath turned the tables in the second half, Dunn’s celebration on his club-record 184th appearance was savoured by the home fans after his earlier yellow was disappointing.

Leicester were penned back deep by their own line as Bath’s replacements have consistently proved to be a major difference this season.

After one crucial Bath try was ruled out for a knock-on, Stuart scored Bath’s fifth try from close range to all but seal the victory.

Johann van Graan, the head of rugby at Bath, stated to BBC Radio Bristol:

We gave an 80-minute performance, stating that “we had a good 40 minutes of fighting between two of the best teams in the Premiership.”

We only had a few chances, but I adore the hunger. We continued to punch, and for the final 20 minutes, we were outstanding.

The final try at the end demonstrated what we were all about: it was difficult to beat until it was over. Everyone at the Rec is welcome, and I’m happy.

Michael Cheika, the head coach of the Tigers of Leicester, told BBC Radio Leicester:

I believed our defense team worked really hard. They did score a few tries at the end, but they won because the line-out, we drop a ball, and they ran the length.

“We simply didn’t have the extra edge in attack, even though I thought we were quite physical,” he said.

Through our own fault and Bath’s excellent play, we played a lot of the second half in our own half.

“Early on, we scored a few good tries, and I thought at half-time that we were in the game. I think you need to make sure you nail as many chances as you can while putting the pressure on them,” said one player.

Replacements: Green, Ojomoh, Van Wyk, Van Wyk, Molony, Pepper, Carr-Smith, and Annett

Sin bin: Dunn (28 mins)

Leicester: Steward, Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Pollard, Van Poortvliet, Smith, Montoya (c), Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell, Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell,

Replacements: Kelly, Cronin, Hurd, Rogerson, Ilione, Youngs, Shillcock, and Clare.

(10 mins) Sin bin: Chessum