Bath 24-25 Leicester Tigers: Tigers end Gallagher Premiership losing run with thrilling win at The Rec
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Updated 28/10/2023 at 20:32 GMT
Leicester snatched victory from the jaws of defeat to claim their first win of this season's Gallagher Premiership and ended Bath's winning start in a thrilling match at The Rec. Tries from Will Muir and Thomas Du Toit looked to set the home side on the their way to another win but they were denied by a late penalty from Jamie Shillcock.
amie Shillcock (2nd L) of Leicester Tigers celebrates with the team kicking the winning penalty during the Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Bath Rugby and Leicester Tigers at The Recreation Ground on October 28, 2023 in Bath.
Image credit: Getty Images
Jamie Shillcock kicked a penalty with the last touch of the game to give Leicester victory over Bath at the Recreation Ground.
The win was Leicester's first of the campaign, taking them off the bottom of the Gallagher Premiership Rugby table and ending the perfect start for the hosts.
Bath scored the two tries to Leicester's one through Will Muir and Thomas Du Toit and went in front through Finn Russell's fourth penalty a minute from time.
Leicester had one last surge towards the line and a penalty gave Shillcock the chance to win, which he made no mistake notching his seventh successful kick of the game.
The win is the Tigers' first under the tutelage of Australian coach Dan McKellar and lifts them to seventh in the table.
Bath remain top a point clear of the rest with no team unbeaten after three games.
Talking point - A worthy addition to hallowed rivalry
In truth the first half wasn't the best spectacle and there wasn't skill to dazzle the casual viewer, but it is hard to argue with a game swinging both ways in the final minutes and one which saw both side's fans go from despair to exultation or vice-versa.
Bath's forwards showed their mettle muddying Leicester's hitherto perfect line-out in the first half and driving their way to a try through du Toit early in the second.
When they needed it, Leicester's pack came through driving towards the line to get their only try of the match and then forcing a penalty from a scrum in time on.
Player of the match - Jamie Shillcock (Leicester Tigers)
The talk before the match was about Finn Russell and his amazing start to the season for Bath, but as well as he played he was outshone by Shillcock who in the most treacherous of conditions was near perfect from the boot deciding the game. Seven from eight with most of the kicks coming from at least 40 metres out was an exceptional effort and he did not shirk in defensive erfforts either.
Player ratings
Bath: Gallagher 6, Cokanasiga 7, Ojomoh 6, Redpath 6, Muir 7, Russell 7, Spencer 7; Obano 6, Dunn 6, Du Toit 7, McNally 6, Ewels 6, Lee-Warner 7, Reid 7, Barbeary 6.
Replacements: Schoeman 6, Jonker 6, Richards 6, Coetzee 6, Schreuder 6, Bailey 6, Cloete 6.
Leicester: Brown 6, Bassett 6, Porter 6, Kelly 7, Hassell-Collins 6, Shillcock 8*, Whiteley 7; Cronin 7, Clare 7, Heyes 7, Henderson 7, Well 6, Liebenberg 7, Reffell 6, Rogerson 6.
Replacements: Dolly 6, Van Wyk 6, Hurd 6, Ilione 6, Powell 4,
Match highlights
15' TRY FOR BATH! Fantastic kick from Russell, he picks out Muir in stride with a pin-point cross-field kick which allows the winger to just run in for a try.
54' WELLS SENT TO SIN BIN For killing ball deliberately. No penalty try given though. Just a penalty five metres from the Leicester line.
56' TRY FOR BATH! Eventually it came with Du Toit diving over through the exhausted Tigers defence.
68' TRY FOR LEICESTER! Too much power, the Leicester pack win the lineout and drive over the line with Cloete at the bottom of the pack.
79' RUSSELL KICKS THE PENALTY! And Bath will now surely hold on.
80+1' SHILLCOCK KICKS THE PENALTY! He wins it with the last touch of the game.
Key stat
- 9 - The number of lead changes in the game.
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