Tigers edge past Bath with final kick of the game

James O'Connor was a constant threat in his first league start for the Tigers

The Prem

Leicester (12) 22

Tries: Cracknell, Reffell, Smith Cons: O'Connor 2 Pen: Searle

Bath (17) 20

Tries: Frost, Underhill, Redpath Cons: Russell Pen: Russell

Leicester Tigers gained revenge for their defeat in last year's Premiership final, with a hard-fought last-minute win over old rivals Bath at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

In a frantic opening quarter, Dan Frost and Olly Cracknell exchanged tries before Sam Underhill and Cam Redpath gave Bath a comfortable cushion.

But the Tigers struck back through efforts from Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith either side of half-time as Bath appeared desperate while conceding a flurry of penalties.

Russell gave Bath a narrow advantage with eight minutes to go, before Billy Searle kicked a penalty to claim the win with the clock in the red after the visitors had been reduced to 14 men.

Former England captain Lewis Moody, who played for both clubs, appeared on the pitch alongside former team-mates at half-time following the announcement earlier this month that he had been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

In the clubs' first meeting since Bath won a closely fought Twickenham showpiece in June, it was the away side who struck first.

Santi Carreras, in his first Bath start, kicked forward in midfield for his team-mates to chase. The ball was spilled by Adam Radwan, allowing the Argentina international to kick ahead once more.

Henry Arundell was first on the ball before off-loading to Frost to score a try on what was also his first start in the blue, black and white.

But that lead was not to last for long.

Bath were penalised in the scrum, giving Tigers a tap and go from the five-metre line.

Following a couple of repelled thrusts, it was Cracknell who forced his way over the line, before James O'Connor added the extras.

Stung, Bath responded in kind.

Following another break from Carreras that drove deep into Tigers territory, the visitors recycled allowing Underhill to pirouette his way over the try line despite the despairing tackle of O'Connor.

Bath then extended their lead further through Redpath, the centre benefitting from the searing pace of Arundell down the touchline.

With Freddie Steward coming across, the Scot produced a perfectly timed dummy to go over untouched.

With the game ebbing and flowing it was no surprise when Leicester responded.

They thought they had converted a counter-attack of their own, Hanro Liebenberg diving over in the corner, only for the try to be ruled out for a forward pass, but it proved to be only a temporary setback.

With Bath struggling horribly in the scrum, Leicester kicked for the corner and the resulting rolling maul proved unstoppable, with Reffell ultimately emerging with the ball.

Dan Frost scored on his first start for the reigning Prem champions Bath

Leicester kept up the pressure and drew level just after the break, with Smith forcing his way over after an extended period of Tigers pressure as Bath found themselves on the wrong end of referee Adam Leal's whistle.

A midfield stalemate then developed in which neither side were able to pierce the other's 22.

With the game desperately in need of a spark of inspiration, Bath finally managed to wrestle their way back in front.

Leicester were penalised at the scrum, allowing Russell to take full advantage from the tee to put the visitors one point ahead.

As time elapsed, Bath mounted a determined goal-line stand before Thomas du Toit was yellow carded for a high tackle on Searle.

The replacement fly-half duly recovered himself to slot the crucial penalty to end Bath's perfect start to the season.

The result leaves Bath in second place, while Leicester move up to fifth.

'A sickening feeling' - reaction

Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling spoke to BBC Radio Leicester after the match:

"Firstly I'm a realist and that game could've gone either way because we could have missed that kick.

"What I'm really pleased with is that we put ourselves in the position to win the game, regardless of what happened at the end.

"I think certainly in the first two rounds, there were times when things didn't go our way and we looked a bit edgy - when things didn't go our way today we stuck to our process, stuck to our job.

"We worked hard for each other. Before the match, I said to the lads to pour your heart into the shirt and I thought we did that."

On Lewis Moody, who has recently been diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and the other Tigers legends who appeared on the pitch at half-time:

"I spoke about it very briefly in the changing room beforehand.

"I thought today was a great advert that we get behind our own, not just Lewis Moody but also Ed Slater as well. I was at Newcastle when Doddie (Weir) was there – so the whole MND community.

"I think we show as rugby when something happens to one of ours, we get behind them and hopefully that's what we did today, regardless of the result."

Bath head coach Johann van Graan spoke to BBC Radio Bristol after the match:

"It's always a sickening feeling when you lose it like this, up by a point away from home. Ultimately we lost the penalty count and that put us under pressure.

"A fascinating game of rugby, sometimes you win it like that, sometimes you lose it like that."

When asked about similarities between the Premiership final in June:

"Obviously the (points difference in the) final was two points, this was two points. It was a good set-piece battle against each other, a really big aerial battle.

"I thought we scored some fantastic tries, we left some opportunities out there in the first half.

"They squeezed us to get ahead and then we fought our way back to go one up, but well done to Leicester."

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hassell-Collins; O'Connor, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Chessum, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Loman, Hurd, Wells, Ilione, Allan, Searle, Wand.

Bath: Carreras; De Glanville, Hennessey, Redpath, Arundell; Russell, Spencer (c); Obano, Frost, Stuart, Roux, Molony, Staddon, Underhill, Barbeary.

Replacements: Dunn, Van Wyk, Du Toit, Richards, Reid, Carr-Smith, Butt, Green.

Sin-bin: Du Toit (81).

Referee: Adam Leal.