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| Bath v Leicester: Premiership play-off semi-final – live! | Bath v Leicester: Premiership play-off semi-final – live! |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 5.39pm BST17:39 | |
| YELLOW CARD! Anthony Watson | |
| 31 min: Leicester are straight back into the Bath 22 and Salvi makes a crucial break but some supreme defence from Burgess holds Leicester up. Next phase sees Cole head for the line but JP Doyle blows for a penalty and Anthony Watson faces a trip to the sin bin for a high tackle. The away side really need a try with this man advantage. James, bandaged up, is back on. | |
| Updated at 5.39pm BST | |
| 5.37pm BST17:37 | |
| TRY! Bath 21-3 Leicester (try: Eastmond, con: Ford | |
| 29 min: Banahan collects a Burns kick on the Bath 22. From the ensuing ruck, Stringer kicks towards halfway and Banahan somehow claims it. Then they spread it quickly to the right. Ford just about finds Rokoduguni, who chips past Morris, Eastmond races past him. The ball bounces, he collects and crosses for their third try. Ford’s kick, from 38m, is perfect. | |
| 5.34pm BST17:34 | |
| 27 min: The game so far: Leicester have made it into the Bath 22 on seven ocassions so far and have had more ball in hand, Bath have made it into Leicester’s red zone twice and scored tries both times. | |
| 5.32pm BST17:32 | |
| TRY! Bath 14-3 Leicester (try: Banahan, con: Ford) | |
| 25 min: Banahan is over again. Burgess was crucial in the buildup, making a key break, and after the ball works from Stringer via Ford, Joseph and Burgess it reaches Banahan who dashes over. Another difficult kick for Ford on the far left is good. | |
| 5.30pm BST17:30 | |
| PENALTY! Bath 7-3 Leicester (pen: Burns) | |
| 24 min: Auterac is on temporarily while James is treated. James was penalised for leading with his head in a tackle, Burns’ kick lacks certainty but it’s between the posts and that should settle his nerves. | |
| 5.28pm BST17:28 | |
| 22 min: Leicester showing lots of energy and are working hard to make ground but they cannot find a decisive break. Tait goes closest but play is stipped for a head injury sustained by James, who collides with Goneva’s knee as the Leicester player ran towards him. There’s quite a lot of blood but he does not appear dazed so should continue once the flow is stemmed. | |
| Updated at 5.29pm BST | |
| 5.25pm BST17:25 | |
| 20 min: The frantic start has been tempered and Leicester have plenty of the ball. Burns finds touch from halfway and Tom Youngs will deliver another lineout inside the Bath 22. | |
| 5.23pm BST17:23 | |
| 18 min: Leicester win a second penalty within kicking distance and this time Burns hits the left-sided post. Only two Leicester players follow it up for and Bath clear to halfway. | |
| 5.20pm BST17:20 | |
| 16 min: From the lineout, Leicester go back on the attack via Tait and Bath concede another penalty before the visitors progress to within 10m of the line. Burns gives it to Goneva who gives it to Tait and he is halted. They spill the ball, Stringer picks it up and swiftly hoofs away. | |
| 5.18pm BST17:18 | |
| 14 min: Bath concede a penalty from a second scrum in the same area. Burns kicks to just outside the 22. The lineout progresses to Loamanu and he drives forward before being smashed by Louw. But Leicester recycle, make a few yards through Slater and Crane but the former wraps himself over the ball and Bath force the turnover. Ford clears to touch near halfway. | |
| 5.14pm BST17:14 | |
| 10 min: Eight phases later, Leicester take possession on their own 10 but they meet some powerful resistance and fail to make ground, moving sideways, before the move breaksdown near halfway and Bath are awarded a scrum. The evergreen Stringer – he’s now 37! – to put in. | |
| 5.12pm BST17:12 | |
| 8 min: Bath have started so, so well. A Burns kick is caught by Watson deep in his 22 but he bursts forward and break past halfway with a stunning turn of pace. | |
| 5.11pm BST17:11 | |
| 7 min: And Burns cannot find the target, shaping his kick too far to the left. | |
| 5.10pm BST17:10 | |
| 4 min: Leicester, orange-clad today, are attacking immediately from the restart and soon make it into the Bath 22. Goneva makes a break before Tait feeds Loamanu before Ford produces a really good tackle. Bath are then penalised for offside, Burns goes to touch, and after the lineout, with an advantage to play, attempts a speculative chip which produces nought. We will go back for the penalty a little bit to the right of the posts. | |
| 5.06pm BST17:06 | |
| TRY! Bath 7-0 Leicester (try: Banahan, con: Ford) | |
| 2 min: What a start! There are only 90 seconds on the clock when Ford picks out Joseph on his left. His shimmy buys him a yard of space before picking out Banahan who goes over into the corner. The conversion is a difficult one but Ford finds his range. | |
| Updated at 5.23pm BST | |
| 5.04pm BST17:04 | 5.04pm BST17:04 |
| 1 min: Eastmond sends it back, Burns skies it back to Eastmond, who is tackled in the air by Watson and Ford sends the penalty to touch on the Leicester 22. | 1 min: Eastmond sends it back, Burns skies it back to Eastmond, who is tackled in the air by Watson and Ford sends the penalty to touch on the Leicester 22. |
| 5.03pm BST17:03 | 5.03pm BST17:03 |
| Peep! | Peep! |
| Freddie Burns gets us going. | Freddie Burns gets us going. |
| 5.02pm BST17:02 | 5.02pm BST17:02 |
| Here come the teams! It looks like a lovely day in Bath – certainly brighter than the charcoal sky outside my office window in London – and the pitch is said to be firm. This should flow a bit more than Saints-Sarries. | Here come the teams! It looks like a lovely day in Bath – certainly brighter than the charcoal sky outside my office window in London – and the pitch is said to be firm. This should flow a bit more than Saints-Sarries. |
| 4.33pm BST16:33 | 4.33pm BST16:33 |
| It has been five years since Bath were last in the play-offs. So much has changed at the Rec since and while it would be easy to list off a series of weak motoring puns about the Fords, much of this season’s success can boil down to the father and son combo. | It has been five years since Bath were last in the play-offs. So much has changed at the Rec since and while it would be easy to list off a series of weak motoring puns about the Fords, much of this season’s success can boil down to the father and son combo. |
| George has been this season’s standout performer at fly-half, deservedly named player of the year, and his father, Mike, displayed such impressive tactical nous throughout he was named coach of the year. “If you’re not feeling good for these kind of games you’re probably in the wrong business,” George says in the run-up to this one. | George has been this season’s standout performer at fly-half, deservedly named player of the year, and his father, Mike, displayed such impressive tactical nous throughout he was named coach of the year. “If you’re not feeling good for these kind of games you’re probably in the wrong business,” George says in the run-up to this one. |
| In Leicester, however, they face sticky opposition. Brad Thorn will retire at the end of the season but he wants one more game. They are, traditionally, the dominant force in the Premiership and having missed last season’s final will be depserate to be back at Twickenham. They only guaranteed third place by beating an under-strength Northampton last weekend, but they are in good form and will fancy their chances of another away win after Saracens did Northampton earlier this afternoon.. | In Leicester, however, they face sticky opposition. Brad Thorn will retire at the end of the season but he wants one more game. They are, traditionally, the dominant force in the Premiership and having missed last season’s final will be depserate to be back at Twickenham. They only guaranteed third place by beating an under-strength Northampton last weekend, but they are in good form and will fancy their chances of another away win after Saracens did Northampton earlier this afternoon.. |
| Since Bath last claimed to be the kings of English rugby, the Tigers have won eight titles. Then again, their last trip to the Rec ended in a 45-0 defeat – their heaviest in top-flight history – and as Robert Kitson points out, many thought they were lucky to get nil. Bath, it must be noted, won 10 of their 11 home games this season and before Sarries’ victory earlier only four away teams have won semi-finals in the past decade. | Since Bath last claimed to be the kings of English rugby, the Tigers have won eight titles. Then again, their last trip to the Rec ended in a 45-0 defeat – their heaviest in top-flight history – and as Robert Kitson points out, many thought they were lucky to get nil. Bath, it must be noted, won 10 of their 11 home games this season and before Sarries’ victory earlier only four away teams have won semi-finals in the past decade. |
| The teams | The teams |
| Bath: 15 Anthony Watson; 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan; 10 George Ford, 9 Peter Stringer; 1 Paul James, 2 Ross Batty, 3 David Wilson; 4 Stuart Hooper (capt), 5 Dave Attwood; 6 Sam Burgess, 7 Francois Louw, 8 Leroy Houston. Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dominic Day, 20 Matt Garvey, 21 Carl Fearns, 22 Chris Cook, 23 Ollie Devoto. | Bath: 15 Anthony Watson; 14 Semesa Rokoduguni, 13 Jonathan Joseph, 12 Kyle Eastmond, 11 Matt Banahan; 10 George Ford, 9 Peter Stringer; 1 Paul James, 2 Ross Batty, 3 David Wilson; 4 Stuart Hooper (capt), 5 Dave Attwood; 6 Sam Burgess, 7 Francois Louw, 8 Leroy Houston. Replacements: 16 Rob Webber, 17 Nick Auterac, 18 Henry Thomas, 19 Dominic Day, 20 Matt Garvey, 21 Carl Fearns, 22 Chris Cook, 23 Ollie Devoto. |
| Leicester: 15 Niall Morris; 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Christian Loamanu, 11 Vereniki Goneva; 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs (capt); 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dan Cole; 4 Brad Thorn, 5 Graham Kitchener; 6 Ed Slater, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Jordan Crane. Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 George Catchpole. | Leicester: 15 Niall Morris; 14 Adam Thompstone, 13 Mathew Tait, 12 Christian Loamanu, 11 Vereniki Goneva; 10 Freddie Burns, 9 Ben Youngs (capt); 1 Marcos Ayerza, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dan Cole; 4 Brad Thorn, 5 Graham Kitchener; 6 Ed Slater, 7 Julian Salvi, 8 Jordan Crane. Replacements: 16 Neil Briggs, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Sebastian De Chaves, 20 Jamie Gibson, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Tommy Bell, 23 George Catchpole. |
| Referee: JP Doyle. Assistant referees: Paul Dix and Ashley Rowden. TMO: Graham Hughes. Kick-off: 5pm. | Referee: JP Doyle. Assistant referees: Paul Dix and Ashley Rowden. TMO: Graham Hughes. Kick-off: 5pm. |