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Amidst a classic rugby union's greatest rivalries, the match involving the Tigers versus the visitors proved to be heavily influenced by the emotion at half-time than any rugby during the pitch.

The legendary Martin Johnson led a phalanx comprising Leicester former players in honour of the great Lewis Moody, after he announced that he has been diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

The last time Moody last pulled on a Leicester shirt here, 15 years ago, before moving to their rivals Bath for the last two years in a distinguished playing career, the home side were more or less close to the peak of their powers, whereas their opponents were situated in the middle of a lengthy period without the title. Times have changed since. Bath arrived as champions, the first time they have called themselves that in over two decades.

An Passionate Welcome on Home Turf

The Tigers, riding a powerful emotional surge, offered them a classic, robust reception, relishing their status as the unfancied team in their own stadium, the 18,000 Midlanders further emboldened by Moody's heartfelt admission during the break that regardless of his residence, Welford Road remains his rugby home.

In retrospect, Bath were always up against it. True to form, in a last-minute assault deep in Bath territory, Leicester managed to coax a crucial penalty from the tiring Bath defenders.

The Decisive Moment

Billy Searle, on for the impressive James O'Connor, the seasoned Australian making his first start for the club, darted blind, and the Bath prop made a high tackle, for which offence he received a yellow card. From the final play, Searle landed the penalty from a difficult angle to steal the win.

It felt like being transported back of Moody’s pomp. Without a doubt, the home team, who moved up the table in the mid-table bun fight, can take great encouragement that their traditional, direct approach can still yield results, regardless of the quality of the opponent.

Contrasting Game Plans

The visitors were sublime with ball in hand. So Leicester, following a confusing opening period in which they fell 17-7 behind, adapted to starve them of possession. A deluge of penalties against 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. Frost, Underhill, and Redpath were the finishers, either side of Ollie Cracknell’s try for Leicester. Then, on the back of those penalties, Reffell and Smith powered over for tries either side of half-time.

The Nail-Biting Finish

That earned Tigers a narrow advantage, which they held for the majority of the second period. It appeared inevitable before Bath won enough ball to score their fourth. In fact, their scoring opportunity arrived via an infrequent penalty in the scrum, with their South African reinforcements now on the field. Finn Russell, after missing two earlier kicks, successfully converted the penalty with a little less than 10 minutes to play.

That only inspired Leicester for one last, brutish assault, set up by the energetic Hassell-Collins down the left. Having won the penalty that earned Bath the lead where he is most comfortable, poor Du Toit gave away a penalty in a vulnerable position. The outcome was then a foregone conclusion.