Picture courtesy of Jules

How fickle we are, well I am anyway! Before the game I predicated to anyone who asked that I couldn't see us beating this Leicester team, certainly after I watched them on TV last week. Even at half-time I said to a neighbour that Bath looked slightly laboured in possession whereas the Tigers always looked likely to score when in our danger zone. Yet come the second half we scored 26 points to their 3! Perhaps this is why Steve Meehan is the coach and I run a website?

With the words of Bob Calleja about the future of the Rec fresh in my mind I sat for a moment before kick-off and surveyed the the local scenery. Across from my seat at the front of the Kronenburg Stand was a riot of colour: from the multitude of hues created by supporters sat in the Hellfire Stand to the rolling green hills of Bathampton which serve as an ideal backdrop for the honey-colored Bath stone of the various Georgian Terraces. This is a glorious location and something we all have to fight to keep. None of us want to destroy the existing beauty of Bath, instead we must seek to enhance the current facilities so they complement their surroundings. We will win this battle!

Picture courtesy of Jules

Lost for a moment in my reverie I was brought back to Earth with a bump as I realised the Bath team was being announced and no one, not one person was cheering the players as the register was called. I cannot recall when this last occurred and summed up for me the general feeling of torpor that surrounds our club at present.

But then the game started! 

We were on the board after less than two minutes when Olly Barkley kicked the first of his 20 points but this was soon followed up by an Andy Goode penalty and set the tone for the next 40 minutes as the lead swung back and forth between the teams like a pendulum. Bath grabbed the first try of the game after Lee Mears dashed towards the edge of the Tigers' twenty-two, off-loaded to Barkley who fed Berne who linked with Borthwick to score. Three tries in two weeks from the Bath locks - pure gold!

Picture by Empics (courtesy of Sportnetwork)

But again, within a few minutes, the Tigers matched Bath with a try of their own as scrum half, Scott Bemand, peeled off the back of a ruck and dashed through the Bath defence without a finger being laid upon him. I was impressed with this lad throughout the match and if this try summed up his talent then Leicester are a lucky club indeed. 

Andy Goode gave the visitors the lead with a tidy conversion near the touchline. It has to be said that the standard of kicking from both sides was top drawer today. Amazingly it was the easier kicks that were missed with the touchliners generally hitting their target. Chris Malone came on for one kick, after Barkley had been the victim of a clothesline tackle, and was immediately in the groove and Sam Vesty chipped over a beautifully cheeky drop goal from the touchline. We were blessed with a lot of skill and lashings of excitement today.

A series of penalties were exchanged throughout the rest of the first half to leave the score at 17-22 as the break was called.

Picture by Empics (courtesy of Sportnetwork)

Bath scored first in the second period through a Zak Feau'nati's converted try after 49 minutes, only for Andy Goode's fifth penalty to put Leicester back in front. Bath then shut out their visitors for the rest of the match and proceeded to score two tries, and gain a bonus point, and three penalties. Bath came close to a fifth try when Chris Malone kicked cross-field for Shaun Berne to dive forlornly like a Gridiron wide receiver in the Leicester goal area, now that would have been spectacular.

However Bath were on form as both Abendanon and Maddock scored late tries. The young full back's score was a joy to behold as he started off in his twenty-two, dashed upfield and, after a one-two with Joe Maddock, took on the Tigers' defence to score in the corner - the crowd was certainly cheering the players by this time.

Picture courtesy of Jules

Leicester showed their desperation towards the end of the game with a series of high tackles, all penalised by Dave Pearson. However this was not a "dirty" game despite the awarding of four yellow cards. I watched Danny Grewcock appear to berate the fourth official as he was clearly unhappy with his sin-binning. Louis Deacon was similarly less than chuffed as he trudged off to sit on the yellow chair later in the game.

After arriving at the Rec somewhat jaded the Bath players provided just the tonic I needed. After a tight first half they suddenly found the confidence and will to succeed and boy did they put on a show in the final quarter. Great play, great game, great day - thank you boys.

Picture courtesy of Jules

My man of the match was Nick Abendanon, I thought he looked awesome at fullback, with a change of pace and overall speed we have been seeking for so long. When he joined the line our options increased and he looked equally comfortable sweeping up at the back. His kicking from hand was assured and, in my opinion he's the real deal! Mind you I was equally impressed with Zak Feau'nati and the work-rate of Borthwick and Grewcock was immense - these blokes are so fit I feel sick just thinking about it. Olly Barkley wasn't too shoddy either!

I now looking forward to the next game!

Referee: Dave Pearson

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