Bath end their wait for a title with narrow final win over Leicester

Bath sealed an historic treble at Twickenham after battling through the blazing heat to secure a 23-21 Gallagher Premiership final victory over Leicester at Allianz Stadium.

Their tries came from Thomas du Toit and Max Ojomoh on a brilliant afternoon for Scotland’s  Finn Russell, who kicked three penalties and two conversions.

Jack van Poortvliet opened the scoring with a try for underdogs Leicester, while  tries from Solomone Kata and Emeka Ilione – the latter with less than five minutes remaining – dialled up the drama, Handre Pollard adding three conversions but missing a penalty of his own.

The Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin –  departing captain Julian Montoya late the first half, while it was not an ideal send-off for the retiring Dan Cole, who saw yellow late in the second.

Johann Van Graan’s side ended the club’s 17-year trophy drought earlier in the campaign by lifting the Premiership Rugby Cup, before landing the European Challenge Cup last month with victory over Lyon in Cardiff.

Leicester were unchanged from their Sale semi-final triumph, while Van Graan made two changes for Bath, with Miles Reid replacing Alfie Barbeary at number eight and du Toit coming into the front row.

Eurovision 2022 runner-up Sam Ryder and his electric guitar shredded his way through the national anthem before kick-off and Leicester drew first blood after winning an early scrum penalty.

Pollard expertly kicked from hand to the five-metre line and, after Tigers came up just short in the ensuing maul, scrum-half van Poortvliet was able to pry the ball away from the base and dive down before Pollard added the extras.

Bath reduced the deficit four minutes after conceding the opening try after winning a penalty just outside Tigers’ 22, Russell getting his side on the scoreboard in the ninth minute.

Van Graan’s side were plagued by handling errors as a cagey contest approached the midway point, then began to find a foothold and took the lead when a big carry over the gain line allowed du Toit to pick up the ball from the breakdown, barge through and dot down. Russell converted to make it 10-7 in the 27th minute.

Montoya was sent to the sin bin a minute later for a high tackle on flanker Ted Hill, stood up by TMO, avoiding a red as he was the second Leicester player into the tackle.

But just as they were restored to full strength, Russell slotted in a penalty to extend Bath’s advantage to 13-7 on the stroke of half-time.

Pollard, who was off-target from 10 metres inside Bath’s half early in the second half, before the Somerset side extended their lead in style.

Russell produced an excellent interception and stormed towards the line after nicking Pollard’s pass inside his own half before teeing up outside centre Ojomoh, who crossed under the posts.

Russell added the extras, and there was reprieve for Leicester when TMO ruled out a Guy Pepper try for a Will Muir knock-on in the build-up.

But Solomone Kata’s 67th-minute try and Pollard’s conversion made it 20-14 before Cole, who had come on in the 63rd minute, was then issued a controversial yellow for his challenge on Russell, who gave Bath breathing space with the resulting penalty.

Leicester reduced the deficit with less than five minutes remaining when  replacement Ilione crossed, Pollard converting.

While Bath held on for their first Premiership title since 1996, Leicester came up just short of making it a fairytale farewell for scrum-half Ben Youngs and prop Dan Cole, who have called time on their careers after this contest and were introduced after the break.

The Tigers twice had men sent to the sin bin –  Cole seeing late in the second after departing captain Montoya’s departure before the turnaround.