| Bath: (8) 24 |
| Tries: Muir, Dunn; Pens: Russell 4; Cons: Russell |
| Leicester: (9) 25 |
| Tries: Clare Pens: Shillcock 6 Cons: Shillcock |
Jamie Shillcock’s penalty with the last kick of the game saw Leicester edge a thriller over Bath in the teeming rain.
Finn Russell kicked Bath back in front in the final minute but Jaco Coetzee dropped the restart and Tigers won a scrum penalty that Shillcock landed.
It was a scrappy game in foul weather and tries from Will Muir, Thomas du Toit and Russell’s boot looked to be enough for the home side.
But Tommy Reffell’s try and Shillcock’s 20 points was just enough for Tigers.
It was Leicester’s first win of the season and a first defeat for Bath, who were a perfect 10 points from 10.
Shillcock kicked the day’s first points before Bath scored from a scrum on Tigers’ 22.
Russell ran the play left and cross-kicked perfectly for Muir to gather and slide into the left corner.
Shillcock landed two more penalties against his old club, the first from the halfway line, before Russell replied to trim the deficit to 9-8 at half-time.
The fly-haves exchanged further penalties after the break before Bath took a tap-and-go in front of the posts and prop du Toit eventually slid over.
Tigers’ reply was swift as a strong rolling maul drove Reffell over before Shillcock was on target again to give the visitors the lead once more.
As time ticked down, Russell chipped over the Leicester defence and Tigers’ replacement scrum-half Joe Powell blocked Russell, conceding a penalty that the Scot sent over from in front of the posts.
But Coetzee’s error from what should have been the final play saw the game slip from Bath’s grasp.
Bath: Gallagher; Cokanasiga, Ojomoh, Redpath, Muir, Russell, Spencer; Obano, Dunn, du Toit; McNally, Ewels; Lee-Warner, Reid, Barbeary.
Replacements:Annett, Schoeman, Jonker, Richards, Coetzee, Schreuder, Bailey, Cloete.
Leicester: Brown; Bassett, Porter, Kelly, Hassell-Collins, Shillcock, Whiteley; Cronin, Clare, Heyes; Henderson, Wells; Liebenberg, Reffell, Rogerson.
Replacements: Dolly, Van Wyk, Hurd, Carter, Ilione, Powell, Atkinson, Cokanasiga.
Referee: Jack Makepeace (RFU)
