Tuilagi intercepted Mark Lilley's pass inside the Tigers half and sprinted 60 metres to dot down with the last play of the game.

Centre Billy Twelvetrees had earlier scored two tries and there was a penalty try won by the Tigers scrum while Sam Vesty kicked the rest of the points.

Bath replied through Jonny Faamatuainu's try late in the second half and two penalties for Ryan Davis.

Tigers welcomed back Harry Ellis, Lucas Amorosino and Billy Twelvetrees to the backline. In the forwards, England international prop Julian White made a first start following his recovery from injury and joined Boris Stankovich and Joe Duffey in the front row.

Tigers made a bright start with Vesty's dummy creating a half opening in their first attack that Twelvetrees followed up but his pass failed to go to hand 10 metres out.

Tigers maintained the pressure and were awarded a penalty when Ellis was tackled from an offside position but Vesty struck his penalty against the left post and the ball landed in Bath hands.

Bath came close to breaking the deadlock when Peter Short charged down Aaron Mauger's attempted clearance but Tuilagi reacted quickly and beat Daniel Browne to the loose ball inside Tigers' in-goal area.

Josh Ovens then threatened after picking up a loose ball in midfield but he was pulled down by last man Amorosino on the edge of the Tigers 22 and knocked on in the contact.

But Bath ensured they came away with the first points of the game through Davis's well-struck penalty.

Amorosino was again called on in defence and he combined with Brett Deacon to hold up Jack Cuthbert on the Tigers line. The visitors were awarded a penalty at the resulting scrum but Davis was off target with his kick.

Tigers drew level five minutes before half-time when Vesty punished an offside in midfield with a 40-metre kick.

And they went ahead with the last attack of the half through an excellent try from Twelvetrees. It began with Tuilagi and Amorosino combining on halfway, and when Amorosino offloaded for Mauger on the right touchline the All Black displayed quick thinking to chip into space for Twelvetrees to dot down. Vesty struck the right post with his conversion as Tigers led 8-3 at the break.

Davis cut the lead four minutes after the restart with his second penalty of the game before Vesty was off target with a Tigers penalty moments later.

Tigers kept up the pressure with a series of scrums close to the Bath line and, when the visitors pulled the set-piece down under the posts, referee David Rose awarded a penalty try. Vesty made no mistake with the conversion to put Tigers 15-6 up midway through the second half.

Mauger thought he had added a third try when he crashed onto Grindal's short pass five metres out but referee Rose judged the final ball had gone forward.

But they had their third score five minutes from time when Twelvetrees showed quick feet to step through the Bath defence from 15 metres out and score by the right of the posts.

Tigers pushed for the fourth try and a bonus point but it was Bath who scored their first of the game when Faamatuainu charged down Johne Murphy's attempted kick ahead and grabbed the loose ball to score on the left.

But there was still time for Tigers to secure the try bonus when Tuilagi intercepted Mark Lilley's pass and raced home from 60 metres for the final score of the game.