MATCH REPORT: Leicester Tigers 17 Bath Rugby 35
Bath Rugby booked themselves a home semi-final in the LV= Cup thanks to a rare success at Welford Road this evening.
Mike Ford's side produced a dominant second-half display in foul weather conditions to romp to a bonus-point victory at the home of Premiership champions Leicester Tigers.
The result sees Bath finish the LV= Cup pool stages with four wins from four, and their haul of 19 points means they will definitely finish amongst the top two seeds when the group phase concludes over the weekend.
Bath edged an end-to-end first half by a single point but racked up a further 17 without reply after the restart. Alafoti Fa'osiliva and Matt Banahan scored first-half tries for the visitors, while Pablo Matera and Blaine Scully got over the whitewash for Tigers.
Ollie Devoto and Carl Fearns touched down after the break for Bath, while Gavin Henson's haul of 15 points with the boot outshone Owen Williams' seven for Leicester.
The game was lively from the off and centre Henson put Bath ahead as early as the second minute with a 25m penalty.
The visitors were keen to lay down a statement of intent and just missed out on a try immediately after the restart when they were denied by excellent covering defence.
Fly-half Devoto caught the high ball and sidestepped his way out of the Bath 22. He offloaded to Banahan, who charged forward and chipped ahead, but the giant centre was just beaten in the race to the line by Tigers winger Scott Hamilton.
Tigers hit straight back, though, and when fly-half Williams sent a penalty to the corner, the hosts won a close-range lineout. The Leicester pack drove forward and flanker Matera smashed his way over the line. Williams added the extras.
Bath replied in kind with their opening try as a result of a brilliant break from Nick Abendanon. The full-back showed his pace from deep to gain 25m. Flanker Fa'osiliva picked up at the breakdown, chipped ahead on the wing and sprinted away to get the touchdown. Henson could not convert a tough kick in the lashing rain.
Momentum continued to swing and Tigers got a second try when Bath were caught out under the high ball. Abendanon was outmuscled in the air by the leaping Scully and the Tigers full-back gobbled up possession to charge unopposed to the line. Williams converted in front of the posts.
Henson and Williams traded penalties before the visitors had the final word of the half, sneaking into the changing rooms with the narrowest of leads.
A fabulous break by first Banahan and then Leroy Houston got Bath to the Tigers line. The big back-rower was stopped just short but Banahan powered over the whitewash when the ball came back out wide. Henson added a super conversion to give Bath a 18-17 lead at the break.
The second half got off to a slow start but it burst into life when George Chuter was shown a yellow card on the 50-minute mark. The hooker had only come on as a half-time replacement but was sin-binned for collapsing a maul, and Henson was able to split the posts from 20m as a result.
Williams had an immediate chance to respond but he sent a long-range kick just wide and the visitors soon made him pay with their third try.
Tigers lost control of a lineout deep in their own half and Bath pounced to pound the tryline. They looked like being frustrated but Peter Stringer suddenly got quick ball out to half-back partner Devoto and the Leicester defence could not hold him back from close in. Henson added the extras.
And the visitors then wrapped up the bonus point when Henson opted to send a kickable penalty to the corner. Stuart Hooper claimed the lineout close to the Tigers' line, a driving maul powered forwards and flanker Fearns smashed over the whitewash for a try converted by Henson.
Tigers finished the game in the ascendency but Williams turned down several shots at goal, instead opting to go for the corner. The Bath defence proved to be just as good as the attack, however, as they kept any skirmishes towards the tryline at bay.Leicester Tigers: Scully, Hamilton, Smith (R Williams 69), Hepetema, Catchpole (Hawkins 58-63), O Williams, Harrison, Bristow (Stankovich 41), Hawkins (Chuter 41), Balmain (Pasquali 41), Price (Noone 60), De Chaves, Mafi (Wells 69), Matera, Waldrom (c). Replacements not used: Steele, Lamb.Tries: Matera, Scully. Conversions: O Wlliams 2. Penalty: O Williams.Bath Rugby: Abendanon, Woodburn, Banahan, Henson, Biggs, Devoto, Stringer (Roberts 69), Beech (Perenise 52), Batty (Webber 52), Orlandi (Palma-Newport 69), Hooper (c), Day (Caldwell 69), Sisi (Louw 53), Fa'osiliva (Mercer 70), Houston (Fearns 52).Tries: Fa'osiliva, Banahan, Devoto, Fearns. Conversions: Henson 3. Penalties: Henson 3.Referee: Wayne BarnesAttendance: 20,616
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