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Report | Tigers triumph at Bath

Leicester Tigers beat Bath Rugby 24-20 at The Recreation Ground in Round 17 of the Gallagher Premiership season on Saturday.

After defeat on their last nine visits to The Rec in Premiership rugby since a 37-6 victory in March 2011, Tigers had to be patient before Freddie Burns scored a decisive try in the second half.

It had been a free-scoring opening, as Tigers claimed tries through Jasper Wiese and Richard Wigglesworth, with Bath squeezing one in from wing Will Muir, to lead 14-5 after just 12 minutes.

But Bath then enjoyed a run of 15 unanswered points as Max Ojomoh and Josh Bayliss ran in two more tries on the way to a 20-14 lead at half-time.

Top-of-the-table Tigers, though, following a 40-23 win at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in Round 8, stayed in the game and responded with a converted score from Burns and then a Bryce Hegarty penalty before the forwards pinned Bath back in the closing minutes.

George Ford was among the tryscorers in the earlier win and the fly-half was among five players absent on England duty this time, though Joe Heyes resumed in the front row after being part of national squad in Italy last week. There were also places in the starting line-up for Francois van Wyk, Eli Snyman and George Martin, with Hanro Liebenberg named among the replacements.

Ewan Richards was a late drop-out from the Bath team due to illness, with former Leicester player Richard de Carpentier brought in from the bench to play in the second row.

Following the chaos of successive storms in the second half of the week, the sun briefly shone as Bath kicked off, though a blustery and unpredictable wind made it difficult in all areas of the pitch.

The opening score from Wiese came from good composure by Tigers with just six minutes gone, using lineout ball on the left to set up an enterprising attack along the backline. Freddie Burns found Bryce Hegarty, then Harry Potter continued to make territory even after being tackled and Nemani Nadolo almost reached the line. But Tigers kept ball and Wiese bundled over.

After a conversion from Burns, Bath came up with an immediate response as Ben Spencer chipped ball into the left-hand corner and Muir read the play to dot down. Orlando Bailey was unable to add the extras as the wind caught his conversion attempt and it fell short.

A second Tigers try came just three minutes later as Dan Kelly put Guy Porter through a gap in midfield and, drawing in the last defender, he put Wigglesworth in to score under the posts. Burns added a conversion to make it 14-5.

Bath lost scorer Muir to a yellow card as he challenged Potter for high ball on halfway, but Tigers were unable to add any further points against the 14 men as Tom de Glanville closed down one attack near the touchline.

A penalty award near halfway finally allowed Bath to build some phases of possession and they used the impetus to add a penalty from Bailey and then, as Muir returned from the sin bin, Bailey chipped the ball towards the posts and Ojomoh ran in to score.

Josh Bayliss, sent on when Nathan Hughes made way for an HIA, marked his first touch of the ball with a try, charging through one tackle on the left touchline to score. Bailey’s kick came back off the post with the hosts 20-14 in front and only half an hour played.

Tigers had barely had any play between the two scores, but a scrum penalty and lineout drive looked promising as they built pressure on the Bath defence until they were penalised just in front of the posts.

The final chance of the half came from the Kelly-Porter combination again, with Porter charging on to a short pass and almost reaching the corner before being met by two defenders as Bath scrambled ball clear to reach the break in front.

Bath had Hughes back in their pack for the start of the second half, catching the kick-off from Burns and then picking up from a scrum which brought a penalty so they could advance on the right. But good work in defence, with Julian Montoya and Heyes leading the way, overturned possession.

Kelly’s kickchase then gave Tigers a promising scrum position, but it ended with a Bath penalty as Steve Borthwick sent on James Whitcombe, Liebenberg and Jack van Poortvliet.

Tigers swarmed over a mix-up in the Bath defence just 10 metres out from their posts, but after a handful of phases, the hosts’ jackal on to ball gained a turnover and scrum put-in.

The visiting pack, though, got a big push on, winning a free-kick and then a penalty as Bath backpedalled. With referee Karl Dickson waving his arm again, van Poortvliet played ball out and Burns made use of space on the right to score.

Burns kept his kick low and true through the posts for a 21-20 lead and was immediately back in the action to stop Muir’s break on the left touchline.

The fly-half left the field for an HIA check, with Chris Asthon temporarily joining the backline and Hegarty moving to first receiver.

Tigers has some momentum in possession, with Wiese almost pushing through the defence before a penalty awards in front of the posts and Hegarty stretched the lead to four points.

Tommy Reffell had to dot down behind his own line as Muir chipped ahead on the left wing. Hughes picked up from the scrum and, although tackled short, the penalty went in Bath’s favour.

Twice Tigers stood up to the lineout drive, eventually wrapping up play as their rivals got to the tryline and then gaining a penalty from a scrum in a decisive phase of defensive play.

The set-piece worked well at the other end of the field, with a lineout drive making quick progress up to the five-metre line. A penalty followed, with the pack stopped just short in the left corner as Bath were awarded scrum put-in.

Wiese met their back row as they attempted to play out from deep and Burns then took play back into the corner with the clock up to 78 minutes.

A knock-on on the edge of the Bath 22 provided one last chance of possession for the home team but, after they spilled ball under pressure, Matt Scott hacked clear.

Time was up as the resulting scrum set and Tigers kept chasing until forcing one final error to seal the win.

Match Details

HT ScoreHalf Time Score

BAT 20-14 LEI

FT ScoreFull Time Score

BAT 20-24 LEI

Attendance

14,100

Referee

Karl Dickson

Bath Rugby
Bath Rugby
20

Full Time

Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
24
Bath Rugby
T
P
T
C
T
KOHTFT
Leicester Tigers
T
C
T
C
T
C
P

Match Stats

Bath Rugby
Leicester Tigers
Possession
48%
52%
Territory
30%
70%
Penalties Conceded
10
12
Yellow Cards
1
0
Red Cards
0
0
Tackles Won
133/148 90%
104/119 87%
Scrums Won
7/9 78%
7/7 100%
Lineouts Won
13/13 100%
13/14 93%

Player Stats

Bath Rugby
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
TCDP
15Bryce Hegarty1P
14Harry Potter
13Guy Porter
12Dan Kelly
11Nemani Nadolo
10Freddie Burns1T3C
9Richard Wigglesworth1T
1Francois van Wyk
2Julian Montoya
3Joe Heyes
4Harry Wells
5Eli Snyman
6George Martin
7Tommy Reffell
8Jasper Wiese1T
16Charlie Clare
17James Whitcombe
18Will Hurd
19Calum Green
20Hanro Liebenberg
21Jack van Poortvliet
22Matt Scott
23Chris Ashton

Commentary

TIGERS TAKE THE WIN

Tigers win 24-20 at Bath, 3 tries each in Round 17.

66

Tigers stand up to back-to-back lineout drives and then hold up Bath on the tryline. Still 24-20 in front. 

Hegarty kicks a penalty with Burns off for an HIA, Tigers now lead 24-20 on 60mins

Burns keeps his conversion kick low and true, straight through the posts for a 21-20 Tigers lead on 55 minutes

TRY for Freddie Burns on the back of a big scrum. Tigers back within range at 20-19 with conversion to come on 54mins

46

First replacements for Tigers are Liebenberg, Whitcombe and van Poortvliet, 46mins gone. 

41

Freddie Burns kicks to start the second half with Tigers 14-20 down against Bath.

HALF-TIME

Bath lead 20-14 at half-time, tries by Muir, Ojomoh and Bayliss for the hosts; scores from Wiese and Wigglesworth for Tigers. 

38

Superb break from Porter almost takes him to the tryline on the right before Bath scramble back and clear.

32

Bailey's conversion comes out off the post, Bath still 20-14 in front.

Bayliss, on as Hughes goes for HIA, scores with a run down the left touchline to put Bath 20-14 in front.

30min | Bailey adds the conversion to give Bath a 15-14 lead.

29min Score for Bath, Bailey's chip in behind dotted down by Ojomoh to cut the gap to a point with conversion to come.

22min | Penalty from 35 metres, Bailey lands the points to cut the Tigers' lead to 8-14. 

Will Muir yellow carded as he challenges Potter in the air.

13min Burns adds the conversion to put Tigers 14-5 in front.

GET IN THERE

Kelly links superbly with Porter in midfield and Wigglesworth arrives in support to score.

10

The wind holds up the conversion attempt and Tigers are still in front at 7-5. 11min.

A quick reponse from Bath as Spencer prods the ball through to the left corner and Muir dots down. 

Burns adds the conversion and Tigers lead 7-0 on 7mins

HE'S IN

Jasper Wiese scores the opening points of the day after big carries from Potter and Nadolo out wide on the right.

KICK-OFF | Bath v Tigers

We are under way, as Bath kick off. The sun is at the backs of the Tigers as they play towards the clubhouse end.

0

Starting to fill up at The Rec...

bathrec.jpg

0

WEATHER CHECK

Storms Dudley and Eunice have largely blown over, but it's still been a wet and windy day. Clouds have blown over for now as we approach 20min to kick-off.

0

TODAY’S OPPOSITION

Ewan Richards misses out through illness. Richard de Carpentier replaces him in the second row with Academy lock Josh Dingley coming on to the bench.

Bath Rugby: 15 Tom de Glanville, 14 Will Butt, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Max Ojomoh, 11 Will Muir, 10 Orlando Bailey, 9 Ben Spencer; 1 Valeriy Morozov, 2 Jacques du Toit, 3 D’Arcy Rae, 4 Josh McNally ©, 5 Richard de Carpentier, 6 Taulupe Faletau, 7 Jaco Coetzee, 8 Nathan Hughes

Replacements: 16 Tom Doughty, 17 Arthur Cordwell, 18 Kieran Verden, 19 Josh Dingley, 20 Josh Bayliss, 21 Joe Simpson, 22 Danny Cipriani, 23 Max Clark

0

HOW TIGERS LINE-UP

There are no changes to the team announced on Friday, with Joe Heyes and George Martin in the forward pack.

Starting XV

15 Bryce Hegarty [9], 14 Harry Potter [29], 13 Guy Porter [33], 12 Dan Kelly [36], 11 Nemani Nadolo [26], 10 Freddie Burns [89], 9 Richard Wigglesworth (c) [27]; 1 Francois van Wyk [9], 2 Julián Montoya (vc) [18], 3 Joe Heyes [88], 4 Harry Wells [143], 5 Eli Snyman [11], 6 George Martin [31], 7 Tommy Reffell [65], 8 Jasper Wiese [31]

Replacements

16 Charlie Clare [41], 17 James Whitcombe [14], 18 Will Hurd [4], 19 Calum Green [78], 20 Hanro Liebenberg [46], 21 Jack van Poortvliet [37], 22 Matt Scott [39], 23 Chris Ashton [1]

0

MATCH PREVIEW | Bath v Tigers

Leicester Tigers are at The Recreation Ground in Bath to a resume a rivalry which features more than 200 meetings since 1913/14.

This is the club’s 10th visit to The Rec where the Tigers record is won 40, lost 54, drawn 10. The last league win here, though, was back in March 2011.

Bath have won their last two home games, against Worcester and Harlequins, and are aiming for three in a row for the first time since February 2020.

Tigers did win the first meeting of the teams this season, with tries from Nic Dolly, Matt Scott, George Ford and Tom Cowan-Dickie in a 40-23 triumph in Round 8.

Ford is among five Tigers players still with England this weekend, though Joe Heyes has been released and starts in the front row. There are also places in the forward pack for Eli Snyman and George Martin, with Hanro Liebenberg named among the replacements.

Tom de Glanville returns to Bath’s starting line-up behind an unchanged forward pack from the team that lined up against Wasps last time out.

Tigers are in change colours of white, black and orange, and referee is Karl Dickson.

0

WELCOME TO MATCHDAY LIVE!

We’re LIVE from the West Country as Leicester Tigers meet Bath at The Recreation Ground in Round 17 of the Gallagher Premiership season. Kick-off is at 3.00pm.

If you are unable to join us at the game, you can keep up to date with all of the action right here with our Matchday Live service on the Tigers App and website at www.leicestertigers.com.


Opposition Lineup

Starting XV

15
Tom de Glanville
14
Will Butt
13
Jonathan Joseph
12
Max Ojomoh
11
Will Muir
10
Orlando Bailey
9
Ben Spencer
1
Valery Morozov
2
Jacques du Toit
3
D'Arcy Rae
4
Josh McNally
5
Richard de Carpentier
6
Taulupe Faletau
7
Jaco Coetzee
8
Nathan Hughes

Replacements

16
Tom Doughty
17
Arthur Cordwell
18
Kieran Verden
19
Josh Dingley
20
Josh Bayliss
21
Joe Simpson
22
Danny Cipriani
23
Max Clark

Preview | Tigers travel to The Rec

Leicester Tigers follow a well-trodden path to The Recreation Ground in Bath this afternoon in Round 17 of the Gallagher Premiership season.

The teams have met on more than 200 previous occasions since the 1913/14 season, with 104 of those matches at The Rec where the Tigers record is won 40, lost 54, drawn 10.

The last league win for Tigers at the venue was back in March 2011, with defeats in the nine subsequent Premiership encounters there.

Bath have won just twice in the Gallagher Premiership so far this season, but they came in their most recent home games, against Worcester and Harlequins during January, and they will be aiming for three in a row at The Rec for the first time since February 2020.

Tigers have lost their last two Premiership away games, at Wasps and at Sale, with the most recent victory on the road in the competition coming at Bristol on Boxing Day.

They did, though, win the first meeting of the teams this season, with tries from Nic Dolly, Matt Scott, George Ford and Tom Cowan-Dickie in a 40-23 triumph in Round 8. Fly-half Ford also became the first player to reach 100 Premiership points for the season in that game at the start of November.

Ford is one of the players missing this weekend, among the five retained for a training camp with England ahead of next week’s Six Nations resumption against Wales.

Ollie Chessum, Freddie Steward, Ben Youngs and Ellis Genge also remain part of that England group, though Joe Heyes has been released to play for Tigers after being part of the travelling party for the win in Italy last weekend.

Heyes joins Francois van Wyk and Julian Montoya in the Tigers front row, while Eli Snyman and George Martin both return to the starting pack. The captaincy returns to Richard Wigglesworth with Hanro Liebenberg named among the replacements this week. Freddie Burns faces his former club.

Bath boss Stuart Hooper is without England players Charlie Ewels and Will Stuart, as well as wing Semesa Rokoduguni who starts a ban following his red card for a dangerous tackle against Wasps in Round 16.

Tom de Glanville returns to the starting line-up, with wing Will Butt making just a second Premiership start. The pack is unchanged from the match against Wasps – the first time the same eight has started back-to-back games this season – with fit-again Taulupe Faletau continuing alongside Jaco Coetzee and recent arrival Nathan Hughes in the back row.

Danny Cipriani returns to the matchday squad for the first time since the beginning of December following concussion.

Former Leicester duo Mike Williams and Will Spencer are among Bath's injured list.

Tigers will wear the club’s change colours of white, black and orange on Saturday.

Referee is Karl Dickson, in charge of his 56th Premiership fixture.

There is live coverage of the game on BT Sport 2HD. Or you can keep up to date with events using the club’s Matchday Live service on app and website. And look out for full post-match reaction on the club channels.

Tigers are back on home territory next Saturday (February 26) when Gloucester Rugby are the visitors. Kick-off at Mattioli Woods Welford Road is at 3.00pm, followed by full coverage of England versus Wales on the big screen in Final Whistle. Match tickets, car parking and bus travel are available to book now online or by phoning 0116 319 8888 (option 2).

Round 17 in full

Friday: Worcester Warriors v Bristol Bears

Saturday: Bath Rugby v Leicester Tigers (3.00pm), Harlequins v Wasps (3.00pm), London Irish v Saracens (3.00pm), Northampton Saints v Sale Sharks (3.00pm)

Sunday: Newcastle Falcons v Exeter Chiefs (1.00pm)

posteamteam namepldwdlfadifftftatblbpts
1
Leicester Tigers
Leicester TigersLEI242004726452274885211394
13
Bath Rugby
Bath RugbyBAT245118461763-302571074634
Form Guide
Form
WWLLW
Last Match
Beat Sale Sharks 42-24
Past Meeting
Lost 22-35
Form
Last Match
Past Meeting
Form
LWWLL
Last Match
Lost to Gloucester Rugby 25-27
Past Meeting
Won 35-22

Matchday Live

Bath Rugby20
Bath Rugby
Leicester Tigers24
Leicester Tigers
Full Time