During the final home game of the 2018/19 season, it was the turn of the Junior Tigers Club Takeover Day winners to go behind the scenes and discover the work that goes into matchday at Welford Road. 

JTC reporter Megan Stanley and media assistant Christopher Swaby joined the Tigers media team for the home game against Bath in the Gallagher Premiership. 

Megan, 15, hopes to become a rugby player and got enjoy all the action from the Leicester Tigers press box in The Breedon Stand. 

After the match, she caught up with player Tatafu Polota-Nau on the pitch for a quick interview. 

Chris, 12, joined Manu Tuilagi on the pitch at half-time and grabbed him for a quick chat on camera. 

You can also read Megan’s match report below:

Both teams make their way on to the pitch with Tigers fans in full voice cheering on the team. Tigers set to kick off towards the Robin Hood Stand.

Right away the pressure was on and Bath scored the game’s first try, passing wide and finding full-back Watson’s hands to go over. Freddie Burns converted to make the score Tigers 0 Bath 7

Bath were penalised with a high tackle giving Tigers fly-half George Ford a chance for the posts which he successfully kicked. Leicester 3 Bath 7.

With a Tigers line out, the crowd knew what to expect. A driving maul saw Tigers flanker Brendon O’Connor score Tigers first try. The TMO confirmed the try and Ford converted to add two more points on the board. 

Bath faced a strong Tigers defence with smashing tackles coming in from skipper Youngs and forwards Graham Kitchener and Sione Kalamafoni. Tigers added three more points to the board following a penalty, however, in the next play a Bath overlap led to Cokanasiga going over for Bath’s second try.

The TMO ruled out a second try for Tigers, before a George Ford penalty added more points on the board and Brendon O’Connor went over again for a second try. Ford’s conversion took the scores to 23-12. Bath’s Lahiff was shown a yellow card before Ford and Bath’s Priestland both added three points to the board before half-time.

Into second half, Tigers Sam Aspland-Robinson was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock on and Bath forward Beno Obano went over for Bath’s third try, which Burns converted.

Tigers worked the ball wide to find Clayton Blommetjies for their third try of the afternoon. The conversion was unfortunately missed by Ford. Priestland added three more to Bath’s score to make it 31-25.

Entering the final five minutes and Bath edged towards Tigers try-line when Van Rooyen crosses making the score 31-30. Tigers fans by now biting their nails hoping that Priestland would miss the kick, but he slots it straight through the centre of the posts. Final score. 31-32. 

The Junior Tigers Club is a free membership for under-16s with more than 40,000 young Tigers on board. Each year, the club hosts its JTC Takeover Day giving young fans the chance to take on matchday roles.