Leicester edge Bath in dramatic finish

Leicester Tigers pulled off a dramatic 22-20 victory over Bath Rugby in a gripping Premiership clash at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

The contest swung back and forth before being settled by a last-gasp penalty from Billy Searle deep into stoppage time, leaving Bath stunned after they had led for most of the evening.

The visitors made a blistering start, striking inside the opening minutes when Dan Frost powered over for the first try in the 2nd minute.

Leicester hit back quickly, with Olly Cracknell finishing strongly to level the contest, before James O’Connor’s conversion edged the home side ahead at 7-5.

Bath responded with a surge of their own, Sam Underhill crashing over in the 12th minute to reclaim the lead. Soon after, Cameron Redpath added another try and Finn Russell converted to give Bath a 17-7 cushion midway through the first half. Leicester’s forwards tried to impose themselves, but Bath carried the advantage.

Nevertheless, the Tigers regrouped impressively with Tommy Reffell’s try in the 36th minute brought them back into contention, and just after the restart, Nicky Smith touched down to level the scores. O’Connor’s conversion handed Leicester a 19-17 lead, raising the noise around the stadium.

Bath went into the lead by the 71st minute when Finn Russell kicked a three-pointer to make it 19-20 and as the game ticked into the final stages, tension soared.

In the 80th minute, Bath suffered a decisive setback when prop Thomas du Toit was sent to the sin-bin for a high tackle. Reduced to 14 men, Bath faced relentless Leicester pressure in the closing seconds. When the penalty opportunity arrived, Searle showed composure under immense pressure, drilling his kick through the posts to seal a famous win for the Tigers.