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Against the backdrop of a classic English rugby's most storied rivalries, this fixture between the Tigers and Bath was heavily influenced by the emotional tribute at the interval as any on-field action during play.

The legendary Martin Johnson headed a contingent of Leicester old boys in honour of Lewis Moody, who has announced that he has been diagnosed with MND.

When Moody wore the Tigers' jersey here, 15 years ago, before moving to their rivals Bath for his final two seasons of a storied career, Leicester remained close to their very best, whereas their opponents were situated in the middle of a lengthy period without the title. Times have changed since. Bath came into the match as title holders, the first time they have called themselves that since the 1990s.

An Emotional Reception on Home Turf

The Tigers, riding a powerful emotional surge, offered them a classic, robust reception, relishing their status as underdogs in their own stadium, the 18,000 Midlanders further emboldened by Moody's heartfelt admission at half-time that regardless of his residence, this famous ground remains his rugby home.

In retrospect, the visiting side were always up against it. Sure enough, during a final, desperate attack on the Bath line, Leicester won one last penalty from the tiring Bath defenders.

The Climax

The replacement fly-half, on for the impressive James O’Connor, the seasoned Australian making his first start for the club, darted blind, and Thomas du Toit made a high tackle, for which offence he saw yellow. From the final play, Searle landed the penalty from a difficult angle to steal the win.

It felt like being back in the days of Moody’s pomp. Without a doubt, the home team, who moved up the table in a congested league, can take great encouragement that a familiar frontal assault can still yield results, no matter the pedigree they face.

Contrasting Styles

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 put Bath under constant pressure, their forwards comprehensively bested in the scrums and lineouts for most of the match.

The Tigers' three touchdowns were carbon copies of each other, 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. Subsequently, on the back of those penalties, Reffell and Smith forced their way over to score either side of half-time.

A Nail-Biting Finish

Those scores gave Leicester a narrow advantage, which they held for the majority of the second period. It appeared inevitable before Bath secured sufficient possession to grab a fourth try. In fact, their breakthrough came with a rare penalty at the scrum, with their South African reinforcements now on the field. The fly-half, after missing two earlier kicks, landed the kick inside the final ten minutes.

This merely galvanized Leicester for one last, brutish assault, set up by the lively Ollie Hassell-Collins down the left. After earning the penalty that earned Bath the lead where he is most comfortable, the unfortunate prop conceded where he is not. There could be only one result.