It could yet be that these two teams will meet again in this season’sPremiershipfinal at Twickenham. If so Leicester will have to look for some different solutions. This meeting of the leagues’s top two was compared to a “heavyweight boxing clash” by Bath’s head of rugby, Johann van Graan, but even the ability of Leicester’s defence to soak up plenty of punishment could not save them in the end.
Bath’s first-choice forwards are increasingly taking no prisoners and this seven-try victory on a glorious early summer evening was the latest reason to fancy they will eventually end up as champions. The highlight was a memorable score from Tom Dunn, setting a new club record for the most Premiership appearances in the famous blue, black and white striped jersey. The hooker’s extravagant dummy and subsequent 20-metre sprint to the line would have been collector’s items even in a game of social tag rugby
Friday’s Challenge Cup final against Lyon in Cardiff is Bath’s next target and, aside from a limping Cam Redpath, they are managing to sidestep serious injury to their star men. Maintain their current momentum for another month and this really could be a special season, with Finn Russell’s playmaking quality and their enviable bench resources once again conspicuous here. “We spoke about going 12 rounds for 80 minutes and I thought we did that,” said a satisfied Van Graan.
Leicester were also denied a losing bonus point and, for all their bristling competitiveness, were unable to muster a single point in a one-sided second half which Bath won 24-0. The Tigers, though, still have a home game against bottom-placed Newcastle to play and it remains all but certain they will have a home semi-final in next month’s playoffs.
“We worked really hard in defence but I just don’t think we had that extra edge in attack,” said the Leicester head coach, Michael Cheika. “We learned a good lesson … but we’ve still got our destiny well and truly in our own hands.”
Despite the final scoreline it was a genuinely absorbing contest for the first hour but Cheika’s side could not sustain their first-half competitiveness. Then again, the majority of sides would have wilted in the face of such prolonged forward pressure. It is reaching the point where the only team capable of stopping Bath from lifting their first domestic league title for 29 years is probably themselves.
Van Graan is not yet counting any trophy-shaped chickens but, beneath a cloudless blue sky, Bath looked encouragingly sharp from the outset. Ben Spencer always has a keen eye for a gap but even he must have been surprised at the space that suddenly opened up as he ran 35 metres direct from a lineout to score in the right corner.
The Tigers also had to cope with an early visit to the sin-bin for their England forward Ollie Chessum after a high challenge on Will Muir. Even with 14 men, though, they kept playing and a lovely chip over the top from Jack van Poortvliet yielded a try for a soaring Joe Woodward. Their lead proved only fleeting, Bath rumbling over through Beno Obano with Chessum still off the pitch.
With Dunn also shown a yellow card the momentum was about to swing again. Some home fans felt Freddie Steward’s long scoring pass may have drifted forwards but there was absolutely no doubt about Adam Radwan’s flying finish in the corner.
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Radwan would have had a second almost immediately but for an incredible cover tackle from the long-striding Ted Hill, enjoying another fine game. It was also Hill who burst clear at the other end to relieve a lengthy period of pressure and set up the position from which Russell put Quinn Roux over for Bath’s third try of the afternoon.
It gave the hosts a four-point half-time lead that, given Bath’s bench depth, boded well for the hosts. So it proved, a delighted Dunn bringing the house down with his eye-catching try after 47 minutes, helped by a lovely one-handed offload from Russell.
Will Stuart added a fifth from close range and further tries for Joe Cokanasiga and Will Butt sealed a win which rubber-stamped Bath’s place at the top of the regular season table. Van Graan’s well-stocked squad are not champions yet but here was another powerful statement of intent.