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Amidst one of English rugby's greatest rivalries, the match involving Leicester and the visitors was heavily influenced by the emotion at the interval as the rugby during the pitch.

Martin Johnson led a contingent of Tigers old boys to pay tribute to Lewis Moody, after he revealed that he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

The last time Moody last pulled on the Tigers' shirt here, a decade and a half past, prior to joining Bath for his final two seasons of a storied career, the home side remained still at the peak of their powers, whereas their opponents found themselves enduring a long drought without the title. Times have changed since. The Tigers’ great rivals arrived as champions, the first time they've held that status in over two decades.

A Truly Emotional Welcome on Home Turf

Leicester, on a wave of emotion, offered them a classic, robust reception, embracing the role of the unfancied team on their own pitch, the 18,000 Midlanders greatly inspired by Moody's heartfelt admission during the break that regardless of his residence, this famous ground remains his rugby home.

Looking back, the visiting side did not stand a chance. True to form, in a last-minute assault deep in Bath territory, Leicester won one last penalty from the tiring Bath defenders.

A Dramatic Decisive Moment

The replacement fly-half, on for the impressive James O'Connor, the experienced Wallaby making his debut start for Leicester, took a quick tap, and the Bath prop caught him high, for which offence he saw yellow. With the last kick, Searle landed the penalty on an angle to steal the win.

We might as well have been transported back of Moody’s pomp. Without a doubt, the home team, who climb a little higher in the mid-table bun fight, can take great encouragement that their traditional, direct approach can still yield results, no matter the pedigree of the opponent.

Contrasting Styles

Bath were sublime with ball in hand. Therefore, Leicester, after a bewildering first half-hour which saw them trail 17-7, adapted to starve them of possession. A succession of penalties conceded by Bath kept Bath on the back foot, their forwards comprehensively bested in the scrums and lineouts for most of the match.

The Tigers' three touchdowns were remarkably similar, all scored from close range; Bath’s three were works of art. Dan Frost, Sam Underhill and Cameron Redpath were the finishers, either side of Cracknell's score for Tigers. Then, capitalizing on the penalty count, Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith forced their way over for tries just before and just after the break.

A Tense Conclusion

Those scores gave Leicester the lead, an advantage they maintained for the majority of the second period. It appeared inevitable before Bath secured sufficient possession to grab a fourth try. Actually, their scoring opportunity arrived via an infrequent penalty in the scrum, their South Africans by then on. Finn Russell, having missed two of his three earlier attempts, landed the kick with a little less than 10 minutes to play.

This merely galvanized Leicester for one last, brutish assault, set up by the energetic Hassell-Collins on the left wing. After earning the penalty that put Bath ahead where he is most comfortable, the unfortunate prop conceded where he is not. The outcome was then a foregone conclusion.