Leicester (6) 24
Tries: Croft 2 Pens: Hougaard 3 Drop: Hougaard Con: Hougaard

Bath (15) 22
Tries: Hooper, Dixon, Maddock Cons: James 2 Pen: James

By Oliver Brett

Leicester team-mates Tom Croft and Johne Murphy celebrate

Leicester left it late to secure a dramatic win over Bath in the Premiership after the visitors had dominated at Welford Road.

Bath led 22-9 with 23 minutes remaining but two Tom Croft tries either side of a Derick Hougaard drop-goal took the score to 22-22.

Having missed two easy kicks, Hougaard faced a nervy conversion attempt.

But he nailed the winning kick to send the home fans delirious, with Bath left to wonder how they had thrown it away.

South Africa fly-half Butch James had an outstanding game for the visitors, setting up the first try for Stuart Hooper and a brilliant third for Joe Maddock.

But in trying to be too creative in the closing stages - and certainly seeking the fourth try which would have taken them above London Irish in the table - a tiring Bath conceded too much ball to Leicester.

Hougaard gave Leicester an early lead with a penalty, but the first try was scored inside the first 10 minutes and it came from the visitors.

James made a powerful drive from a Bath scrum, taking out Leicester scrum-half Julien Dupuy in the process. When the ball was recycled, Hooper, called into the team at short notice, made the score and following James's conversion the visitors led 7-3.

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Bath did collect a second try before half-time however, Pieter Dixon touching down from close range, and after each side scored a penalty it was 15-6 at the interval.

A long-range Hougaard penalty cut the deficit to six points before Bath plundered a line-out only for James to spill the ball as he went for the line.

It was a rare error from the Springbok ace though, and he more than made up for that when setting up a scintillating try from a defensive position.

James collected his own delicate kick into space behind the Leicester line, then exchanged passes with Maddock on the right wing, before sending a second, decisive pass for the winger to score.

However that glorious moment was soon forgotten as two multiple-phase moves brought Croft the two vital scores - and all Bath's hard work had counted for nothing.

Leicester forwards coach Richard Cockerill:

"We didn't play very well, but we saved our best rugby until the end, and our players stuck in there.

"You never give it up at Welford Road, and our players kept on playing. They have been very resilient all week, and the win is massive for us."

Bath head coach Steve Meehan:

"The changing room is not the happiest place in the world. A golden opportunity has passed us by. Our front row feels they have been robbed of an opportunity.

"Before the scrums went uncontested, there was a real competition there. I am not saying it was the sole reason we lost the game, but it didn't help us."

Leicester: G. Murphy, J. Murphy, Hipkiss, Mauger, Smith, Hougaard, Dupuy, Stankovich, Kayser, White, Corry, Kay, Croft, Moody, Newby.

Replacements: Chuter, Castrogiovanni, Wentzel, B. Deacon, B. Youngs, Rabeni, Varndell.

Bath: Abendanon, Maddock, Crockett, Hape, Higgins, James, Bemand, Barnes, Dixon, Bell, Hooper, Short, Beattie, Scaysbrook, Browne.

Replacements: Hawkins, Jarvis, Harrison, Claassens, Fuimaono-Sapolu, Cuthbert, Lipman.

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