Ideal conditions for open flowing rugby and style more associated with Bath than Leicester.

Now that Tigers have played a few times at the Walkers Stadium a few and have won there, it doesn’t quite have same negative feelings for me as it did when we lost to Bath there a couple of years ago.  As you walk down to Raw Dykes Road you can see the top of the old Cattle Market clock tower and the king truss of the CAT stand at Welford Road.  However, the stadium is blue and Bath play in blue. 18000 or so had been tempted by the £15 ticket price to watch and, although a very respectable crowd, it left a lot of blue seats in view.  Then the team was announced.  No Aaron Mauger so no top quality overseas inside centre.  He was replaced by the willing Erinle, who never lets us down but is no All Black playmaker.  Hipkiss moved to inside centre, not his natural position.  It felt like a banana-skin match.  Bath had lost James, but we had lost Flood. The only positive thougt came from the absence of Lipman, Bath’s captain and no 7.  Perhaps that would give Tigers an edge at the breakdown. Then Bath kicked off and the ball sailed well over the touchline; scrum to Tigers.  It took Bath about four or five minutes to get the ball back during which time Geordan Murphy had cut through the Bath defence and made a pass to Ayerza, but referee Pearson ruled it forward as the prop touched down.

In Tigers’ next attack Vesty decided on a cross-kick that Hamilton hoofed on before being blocked by Abendanon who was penalized.  Dupuy was off target with the resulting kick at goal.  Tigers were enjoying a large cat’s share of possession and turned it into points at last when Crane collected defenders in with a drive into the Bath 22 before Hipkiss forced his way through traffic to score behind the posts.

The crowd thought Johne Murphy had extended the lead a couple of minutes later when he hacked down the right wing but the ball took a rugby bounce and Hape was advantaged just to win the race to touch down.

Tigers continued to dominate possession with the forwards turning over Bath time and time again.  They got their second try with half time approaching after a knock on.  The pack destroyed the Bath scrum to win the put-in ten metres out.  Dupuy fed Vesty who jinked under the posts to score. Tigers were full value for a 14-0 lead at half-time.

Bath came out with nothing to loose and immediately after the restart forced a penalty for not rolling away, but young fly-half Davis pushed a difficult kick wide.

Bath then pushed Tigers back to their line and scrum-half Claassens threw a dummy to scramble over near the corner. Davis’s conversion was off target.

Tigers responded to drive down the field and Bath for come in at the side of the breakdown. Dupuy slotted the penalty to increase the Tigers’ lead to 17-5.

Bath were showing much more energy and a second try after 57 minutes by swinging the ball back and forth across the field to manufacture an overlap on the right that was finished in the corner by Hooper. Davis missed again as Bath pulled the difference back to a converted try.

Tigers matched the required energy level and enjoyed their first period of sustained possession of the second half. The ball was moved to Tom Croft on the right wing and he stretched for the line but Claassens knocked the ball out of his hands. With ten minutes remaining. Vesty and Geordan Murphy combined to put Johne Murphy away down the left and his kick ahead was perfect.  Murphy was tripped by Abendanon, arousing the ire of the Tiger supporters, but the ball was collected over the line by the fresh replacement Moody.  Despite a flag from the sideline, referee Pearson took no action against Abendanon.  Dupuy converted to put Tigers 24-10 in front and effectively out of sight.

After the final whistle the retirement of club Captain Martin Corry was announced and he was cheered on a lap of honour. 

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