Aviva Premiership: Leicester 27-27 Bath

Jamie Gibson's last-minute try rescued a draw for Leicester against Bath.

Bath led 20-14 at the break through tries from Anthony Watson and Francois Louw plus George Ford's two penalties, with Miles Benjamin's try and Owen Williams's nine points for Leicester.

A Williams penalty reduced that lead but Jamie Joseph's try, which Ford converted, gave Bath a 27-17 advantage.

Thomas Waldrom scored Leicester's second try but Williams missed the conversion, before Gibson's late score.

The result sees Bath remain in third place with Leicester still fifth but now level on points with Harlequins on 33 - who occupy the final play off place.

Leicester were first to score with Williams going over in the corner after the Tigers pack did the damage up front. Williams missed the conversion but soon added a penalty to give the hosts an 8-0 lead.

However Bath were soon back in the game thanks to a fine try by Watson, who showed great pace and footwork to finish off a counter-attack in the corner.

Ford kicked the conversion and Louw was the next to cross, with Kyle Eastmond beating two men before releasing the South African flanker.

Ford again added the extras before Williams sent over a penalty to make it 14-11. That became 17-11 through a Ford penalty, and the pair added another three points each before the half ended.

Williams reduced that deficit with a penalty shortly after the break but Joseph's try under the posts, Bath's third of the game, which Ford converted, gave the visiting team a healthy lead.

Bath were then reduced to 14 men with their captain Stuart Hooper sent to the sin bin and that gave Leicester a lift heading into the final stages.

Replacement Waldrom bundled over with 15 minutes remaining for Leicester's second try to take the score to 27-22, but the conversion was missed.

And in the dying seconds Gibson crashed over in the corner to level the scores at Welford Road, but Williams again missed the conversion as the game ended all-square.

VIEW FROM THE DRESSING ROOM

Bath head coach Mike Ford:

"That feels like bit of a loss, which is good because it shows how far we've come.

"We're still third in the table, we have 10 games left with six of them at home. We're in a strong position, but we still have to prove it.

"If we have to come back here in the play-offs, then we won't be afraid."

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill:

"To battle back after trailing like we did and to be in with a shout of winning it at the last play is credit to the players.

"We're still fifth with 10 games to go so it's not the end of the world. We have a long list of very good players to come back. We're not in a bad place.

"The game lasts for 80 minutes, not 79 minutes, and we just had to keep on going to see where we got to."

SUNDAY'S LINE-UPS

Leicester: Tait, Morris, Goneva, Flood, Benjamin, Williams, B. Youngs, Crane, Salvi, Gibson, Slater, Deacon, Cole, T. Youngs, Ayerza.

Replacements: Mele for B. Youngs (62), Waldrom for Crane (62), De Chaves for Slater (58).

Not Used: Hawkins, Stankovich, Balmain, Hamilton, Smith.

Bath: Abendanon, Watson, Joseph, Eastmond, Banahan, Ford, Stringer, Fearns, Louw, Garvey, Attwood, Hooper, Perenise, Webber, James.

Replacements: Agulla for Abendanon (75), Devoto for Eastmond (72), Roberts for Stringer (59), Houston for Fearns (67), Day for Attwood (68), Orlandi for Perenise (67), Guinazu for Webber (70), Catt for James (59).

Sin Bin: Hooper (60).

Att: 22,479

Ref: JP Doyle (RFU).