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Amidst one of English rugby's most storied rivalries, the match involving the Tigers and the visitors proved to be as much about the emotion at the interval as any rugby on the pitch.

Martin Johnson headed a phalanx of Leicester old boys in honour of Lewis Moody, after he announced that he has been diagnosed with MND.

When Moody wore the Tigers' shirt here, a decade and a half past, prior to joining their rivals Bath for his final two seasons in a distinguished playing career, Leicester remained still at their very best, whereas Bath found themselves enduring a lengthy period devoid of championship success. Times have changed since. The Tigers’ great rivals came into the match as title holders, the first time they have called themselves that in over two decades.

A Truly Passionate Reception on Home Turf

The Tigers, on a wave of emotion, served up a classic, robust reception, embracing the role of underdogs on their own pitch, the large home crowd greatly inspired by Moody’s confession at half-time that, no matter where he may live, this famous ground remains the home of his rugby heart.

In retrospect, Bath did not stand a chance. Sure enough, during a final, desperate attack on the Bath line, the Tigers managed to coax one last penalty out of the Bath defence.

A Dramatic Climax

Billy Searle, who replaced the impressive James O'Connor, the experienced Wallaby making his debut start for the club, 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 snatch a dramatic victory.

It felt like being transported back to Lewis Moody's prime. Without a doubt, the home team, who moved up the table in the mid-table bun fight, will be heartened that a familiar frontal assault remains effective, no matter the pedigree of the opponent.

A Tale of Two Game Plans

Bath were sublime when in possession. Therefore, Leicester, after a bewildering first half-hour which saw them trail 17-7, adapted to starve them of possession. A deluge of penalties conceded by Bath put Bath under constant pressure, their pack thoroughly outplayed in the scrums and lineouts for most of the match.

Leicester’s three tries were remarkably similar, neither scored from more than a yard; Bath’s three were works of art. Dan Frost, Sam Underhill and Cameron Redpath were the finishers, before and after Cracknell's score for Leicester. Subsequently, 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 Finish

Those scores gave Leicester the lead, which they held for the majority of the second period. It appeared inevitable before Bath won enough ball to grab a fourth try. In fact, their breakthrough arrived via an infrequent penalty at the scrum, their South Africans by then on. The fly-half, after missing two earlier kicks, 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. Having won the penalty that put Bath ahead where he is most comfortable, the unfortunate prop gave away a penalty in a vulnerable position. There could be only one result.