LEICS
No.Name
15Telusa Veainu, FB
14Adam Thompstone, W
13Peter Betham, C
12Mathew Tait, C
11JP Pietersen, W
10Owen Williams, FH
5
9Ben Youngs, SH
1Marcos Ayerza, P
2Tom Youngs, H
T
3Dan Cole, P
4Michael Fitzgerald, L
5Graham Kitchener, L
6Mike Williams, FL
7Brendon O'Connor, FL
T
8Lachlan McCaffrey, N8
Replacements
16George McGuigan, R
17Ellis Genge, R
18Greg Bateman, R
19Ed Slater, R
T
20Will Evans, R
21Sam Harrison, R
22Freddie Burns, R
23Jack Roberts, R

*Players currently on the pitch are shown in bold

Game Info

Venue: Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium
3:00 PM, September 25, 2016
All CommentaryKey Events

Match Commentary

81'+134-14 End of second half
80'Leicester have been looking to combine the pragmatic approach of Director of Rugby Richard Cockerill, and the Southern hemisphere style brought by Head Coach Aaron Mauger. Today seemed to be the first time those styles came together nicely.
80'Bath lose their unbeaten record, and it means Wasps are the last unbeaten side in the Aviva Premiership this season.
80'Leicester the deserved winners - they had the better of possession and territory and won all the key battles.
Mike Williams was the man-of-the-match, utterly dominating with some excellent work at both the set-piece and the loose, including some crucial turnovers.
80'Leicester 34 - 14 Bath full-time
80'Tigers fighting hard to get the fourth try for the bonus point. They lose the ball in contact and after a break from Bath the ball goes into touch and it's all over here.
79'34-14 Conversion - Freddie Burns , Leicester Tigers
78'Richard Cockerill's face isn't showing but he'll be pleased with this dominant second-half performance. The one time Bath sparked up for a few minutes the Tigers then found another gear.
78'32-14 Try - Ed Slater , Leicester Tigers
77'The pressure pays off! Slater scores for Leicester after a classic Tigers catch and drive line-out.
77'Substitute on - Will Evans , Leicester Tigers
77'Player substituted - Lachlan McCaffrey , Leicester Tigers
76'All Leicester across the last few minutes without quite managing another try to give them an outside shot of the 4 needed for the bonus point.
74'The Bath momentum is dented by two good turnovers from Leicester, one on their own line, one on half-way. Substitute Freddie Burns then pings one beautifully into the corner and now Leicester are trying to extend their lead
73'Bath have suddenly come alive since the try and Leicester look nervous. Ford is making things happen. This game is still not done.
73'Player substituted - Kahn Fotuali'i , Bath Rugby
73'Substitute on - Will Homer , Bath Rugby
73'Substitute on - George McGuigan , Leicester Tigers
73'Player substituted - Tom Youngs , Leicester Tigers
69'It's a 1st Premiership try for Dunn - bath really need Ford to notch the extras and HE DOES!
69'Player substituted - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
69'Substitute on - Freddie Burns , Leicester Tigers
69'27-14 Conversion - George Ford , Bath Rugby
68'A brilliant short line-out from Bath and Tom Dunn goes over in the corner. This game isn't over yet!
68'27-12 Try - Tom Dunn , Bath Rugby
67'Bath have a try! Out of nowhere! Is this the start of a brilliant comeback!
67'Substitute on - Greg Bateman , Leicester Tigers
67'Player substituted - Dan Cole , Leicester Tigers
65'Player substituted - Ben Youngs , Leicester Tigers
65'Substitute on - Sam Harrison , Leicester Tigers
64'Another penalty in the scrum against Bath, something that has been a regular occurance in the second-half, this time for wheeling the scrum, though Leicester make nothing of it.
64'Bath finally make something happen.
An excellent move through the backs culminates in Anthony Watson diving the try and score in the corner.
Veainu appears to knock the ball out of the hands of Watson in the tackle, though it is unintentional so just a 22 dropout.
Encouragement for Bath.
64'Substitute on - Beno Obano , Bath Rugby
64'Player substituted - Nathan Catt , Bath Rugby
64'Player substituted - Henry Thomas , Bath Rugby
64'Substitute on - Max Lahiff , Bath Rugby
63'Houston comes off after 62 minutes and just 1 carry. it's not been a great game from someone normally so influential.
63'Bath have been particularly poor in this second-half, in which they have not scored a point. Too many mistakes and the Welford Road pressure cooker is getting hotter by the minute.
63'Substitute on - Zach Mercer , Bath Rugby
63'Player substituted - Leroy Houston , Bath Rugby
63'Substitute on - Ed Slater , Leicester Tigers
63'Player substituted - Michael Fitzgerald , Leicester Tigers
62'27-7 Penalty goal - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
61'Williams notches the penalty and the Welford Road crowd roar in approval as the sunshine comes out in the late evening.
61'Excellent from Leicester, a kick just over the head of George Ford and the fly-half then puts in a poor pass. The Leicester forwards pile in and force a turnover under the posts.
60'A minute after missing one Williams does get a three-pointer, coming after an illegal block on Fotuali'i on Veainu after a brilliant up-and-under.
60'24-7 Penalty goal - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
59'Both Williams and Ford have been good with kicking in play but not from the tee.
58'Williams misses a very kickable penalty that was to the right of centre from his viewpoint.
58'After a serious lecture to the ref for both packs Bath are penalised for standing in this scrum. Williams is kicking for goal.
56'A few quiet minutes as the referee is having problems managing to get a decent scrum out of both sets of forward.
56'Substitute on - Tom Dunn , Bath Rugby
56'Player substituted - Ross Batty , Bath Rugby
55'Dan Cole gives away a needless penalty that allows Bath a chance to clear, but once again their line-out is stolen. The Tigers looking the stronger side here.
54'Williams kicks from his own 22 into the opposition one with an excellent long-distance kick that puts the bath line-out under real pressure.
53'A brilliant kick from Owen Williams ends a spell of rather dull kick tennis from both teams.
52'Ayerza comes off just after conceding the penalty, which Ford misses. That could prove crucial as we're now into the last half-hour.
52'Substitute on - Elliott Stooke , Bath Rugby
52'Player substituted - Dave Attwood , Bath Rugby
52'Substitute on - Ellis Genge , Leicester Tigers
52'Player substituted - Marcos Ayerza , Leicester Tigers
52'Player substituted - Ed Slater , Leicester Tigers
52'Substitute on - Mike Williams , Leicester Tigers
51'The penalty for Marcos Ayerza making absolutely no effort to roll away is one you'd expect Ford to convert.
51'You feel Bath need to score to keep them in the game. They have a penalty advantage but want more. Just 5m out.
49'Bath have not had much of the ball but when they have they have created chances and looked dangerous. They go through the hands, with George Ford the conductor, and it brings them into the Tigers 22.
48'It was Tom Youngs who scored for the Tigers, and they have been good value for that second try. Two more now for them to get the bonus point.
46'A BIG try in the context of this match. They now lead by 14 points. Bath have a proverbial mountain to climb now.
46'21-7 Conversion - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
45'19-7 Try - Tom Youngs , Leicester Tigers
45'Substitute on - Ed Slater , Leicester Tigers
45'Player substituted - Mike Williams , Leicester Tigers
44'Leicester go for the corner AGAIN and it PAYS OFF! A fantastic catch and drive routine.
44'Leicester rejected the first chance to kick and now have a decision to make as they've won another kickable penalty, conceded by Tom Ellis in the ruck.
44'Leicester win a penalty as a reward for 15 phrases of good pressure, including some short carries around the fringes of rucks. They go for the corner.
44'Substitute on - Aled Brew , Bath Rugby
44'Player substituted - Dan Bowden , Bath Rugby
43'In what feels like a carbon copy of the first-half, Leicester utterly dominate the opening minutes after the half-time oranges.
41'Player substituted - JP Pietersen , Leicester Tigers
41'Substitute on - Jack Roberts , Leicester Tigers
41'14-7 End of first half
40'Join us for the second-half to see if Bath can recover to claim a first win at Welford Road since 2003.
40'Brendon O'Connor crossed for Leicester early on, after superb work from Peter Betham andTtelusa Veainu.
bath then had a try when a sliced kick from Ford was brilliantly gathered by Semesa Riokoduguni, who ran on to score. Not the worst thing to do with Eddie Jones watching on.
However, three penalties from Owen Williams, playing instead of the unwell Freddie Burns, mean the Tigers lead.
40'Half-time, Leicester 14 Bath 7.
the home side have had 67% possession and 73% territory, so might actually be a little frustrated to lead by just seven points.
40'Leicester looking particularly dangerous when sniping around the fringes, as currently the Bath guards to often seem to be spread too wide.
40'14-7 Start of second half
40'14-7 Penalty goal - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
39'An easy penalty from infront of the sticks is slotted by Williams. Leicester have a lead by a converted try and are worth it.
39'However, he gets Leicester right on the Bath try-line, and that pressure ultimately leads to a penalty for offside. A soft penalty.
39'The South African winger surges through a gap but with a three-on-two he cannot secure the try.
38'JP Pietersen has had a quiet first-half, until now. Suddenly he's running the show!
35'With the line looming as Veainu runs a lovely inside channel he finds Mike Williams who loses the ball in contact, and Bath clear.
33'A quiet few minutes but Leicester have had the better of it and are paying a visit to the Tigers 22.
29'Ford misses a very kickable penalty to cut the gap to one. Leicester deserve to be leading here having dominated territory and possession.
26'Bath are growing into this game now and a much better kick through from Ford nearly finds the hands of Banahan, but for an awkward bounce.
24'Bath will hope that try will give them some momentum in this game - it certainly has quietened the crowd.
24'Eddie Jones is watching on today, plenty of players pushing for England recognition in both teams on show here.
24'Bath have been second best by a long way in this game but, having sliced the kick that led to the try, Ford gets the conversion to cut the Leicester lead to just four.
24'11-7 Conversion - George Ford , Bath Rugby
23'What a strange try! A terrible up and under that George Ford sliced is picked up by Rokoduguni, who beats JP Pietersen in the air then runs on to score!
23'11-5 Try - Semesa Rokoduguni , Bath Rugby
21'11-0 Penalty goal - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
20'Handbags at dawn!
A bit of a scuffle between the forwards after a heated few scrum resets ends in a Tigers penalty.
Matt Garvey was the man penalised, and Wiliams sends the kick over.
18'A relatively quiet few minutes since the try.
16'A brilliant pass inside from Veainu was collected by Brendon O'Connor who touched down.
It should be added that before the excellent work from Betham and Veainu it was Mike Williams who stole the line-out.
14'What a try from Leicester! Superb break from tyhe Tigers after stealing the ball.
It started when Betham burst through two would-be tacklers, cutting between Houston and Watson. The ball was then spread wide to full-back Veainu, who was going into touch.
14'8-0 Try - Brendon O'Connor , Leicester Tigers
12'Bath pressure ends with a superb clearing kick from Tigers fly-half Owen Williams, and the line-out that follows is stolen.
12'Bath FINALLY having a spell with the ball in the Leicester half after a first ten minutes dominated by the Tigers.
10'Leicester have had 90% possession and 96% territory so far - those stats tell you as much as any words from me could really. the Tigers need to convert that pressure into points.
9'All Leicester right now and a good drive from the lineout brings them yet another visit to the Bath 22.
7'Williams puts the penalty over, a good start to replacing the unwell Burns on kicking duties, and in the 7th minute of the game Bath finally get the ball into the Leicester half.
6'3-0 Penalty goal - Owen Williams , Leicester Tigers
5'Leicester have it again and once again are testing out the Bath defence, spreading the ball across both flanks. They now have a penalty in the centre of the field on the 22.
4'Bath managed to withstand the assault and grab a turnover with the Tigers just metres away from the line.
3'An autumnal shower starts almost immediately after kick-off as Leicester continue to pile the pressure on.
2'Leicester have started the better side, and go through the phases, taking 13 of them to make their way into the Bath 22.
1'The teams are running out now. Bath have only won once at Leicester in the Premiership.
Two powerhouses in English rugby history, Leicester and bath, can the visitors claim their first win at Welford Road in 14 years?
1'PREVIEW
Bath are seeking a first win at Leicester since 2003, when they claimed a 13-12 victory.
Todd Blackadder has taken Bath to the top of the Aviva Premiership for the first time since September 2014, but only a win today will keep them there.
Bath have scored 95 points in thrashing Newcastle and Worcester recently, though you'd expect this to be a significantly tougher proposition.
1'KEY BATTLES
JP Pietersen vs Anthony Watson
Two wingers who are a joy to watch and nightmare for defences, with Pietersen in particular in superb form currently.
Freddie Burns vs George Ford
Unfortunately this will not be one we get to see from the start, as Burns is unwell so drops to the bench. Owen Williams moves to fly-half and Matthew Tait comes in at centre.
Mike Williams vs Matt Garvey
These two flankers are both capable performers, so who has the better game will certainly influence the result.
1'Hello and welcome to ESPN's live text commentary on this afternoon's Aviva Premiership match at Welford Road. I'm Michael McCann and thanks for joining us for Leicester Tigers vs Bath Rugby.
1'0-0 Start of first half