So Bath Rugby are human after all. The undoubted superstars of the Gallagher PREM lost for the first time in their defence of the crown when they were undone by Leicester Tigers in agonising fashion on Saturday 18th October.
Bath Rugby lost for the first time in the 2025-26 Gallagher PREM when Leicester Tigers kicked a winning penalty right at the death on Saturday 18th October | Photo © Richard Briggs
Leading 20-19 with the final whistle looming at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the Round 4 clash, Bath conceded a penalty when Thomas du Toit made a high tackle on Billy Searle.
The South African was sent to the sin bin and Searle, the Tigers’ replacement fly-half, booted the three points from the left. Referee Adam Leal blew immediately for full-time and the Blue, Black & White were beaten 22-20.
Having gone to the top of the table after winning their first three games of the campaign by the bonus point, Bath are now down in third spot, with a derby against fourth-placed Bristol Bears to come at The Rec in Round 5 on Saturday 25th October.
Although Bath had only 41% of the possession and 36% of the territory at Welford Road, arguably the most concerning statistic was the number of penalties they conceded – 12 to the Tigers’ five.
But the Blue, Black & White opened the scoring in the third minute. Leicester’s Adam Radwan made a hash of a chip ahead by Santi Carreras. The Argentina star kicked on again, Henry Arundell took possession and offloaded for Dan Frost to touch down on the right for a try on his first start in a Bath jersey. Finn Russell sent his conversion attempt wide.
But Leicester were in front in the eighth minute. Number 8 Olly Cracknell forced his way over from short range on the left and James O’Connor kicked the extras.
Bath regained the initiative in the 13th minute, Sam Underhill going over from five metres – shrugging off a tackle in the process – on the right. Again Russell’s conversion attempt was off target, and the visitors led 10-7.
The scoreline became 17-7 to the guests in the 25th minute. Cameron Redpath ran in from 30 metres on the left following another display of speed by Arundell, and Russell majored.
Leicester had a 35th-minute try in the right corner by Hanro Liebenberg disallowed for a forward pass.
But they added a legitimate touchdown two minutes later, Jamie Blamire scoring from a rolling maul on the right. O’Connor failed from the tee but the hosts were only five points adrift.
And the Tigers edged 19-17 in front by scoring again in the 44th minute. Pressure on the Bath line resulted in Nicky Smith forcing his way over from close range. O’Conor landed the two points.
But Bath bagged their first points of the second half when Russell kicked a 73rd-minute long-range penalty from the right. It looked as though it might be enough to extend the Blue, Black & White’s winning start to 2025-26 to four matches.
However, Leicester struck the decisive blow at the death to record their second win of the league campaign and move up to fifth place in the standings.
Long-serving Bath hooker Tom Dunn came on as a replacement early in the second half to make his 250th appearance for the club.
It certainly was a day of milestones, as Tom de Glanville turned out for the Blue, Black & White for the 100th time – and Ewan Richards arrived from the bench to clock up his 50th appearance.
Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Dan Frost, 3 Will Stuart, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Ross Molony, 6 Ethan Staddon, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Henry Arundell, 12 Cameron Redpath, 13 Louie Hennessey, 14 Tom de Glanville, 15 Santi Carreras.
Bath replacements: 16 Tom Dunn, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Thomas du Toit, 19 Ewan Richards, 20 Miles Reid, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Will Butt, 23 Arthur Green.
Leicester starting XV: 1 Nicky Smith, 2 Jamie Blamire, 3 Joe Heyes, 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 7 Tommy Reffell, 8 Olly Cracknell, 9 Tom Whiteley, 10 James O’Connor, 11 Ollie Hassell Collins, 12 Joseph Woodward, 13 Solomone Kata, 14 Adam Radwan, 15 Freddie Steward.
Leicester replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 Ale Loman, 18 Will Hurd, 19 Harry Wells, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ollie Allan, 22 Billy Searle, 23 Will Wand.
The few remaining tickets for the Saturday 25th October match against Bristol (3.05pm) are available here.
Seven Bath players – Guy Pepper, Stuart, Underhill, Arundell, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh and Spencer – are in the England squad for a three-day training camp ahead of the Quilter Autumn Nations Series. The squad assembled on Sunday 19th October.
England training squad:
Forwards: Fin Baxter (Harlequins), Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Theo Dan (Saracens), Ben Earl (Saracens), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), Emeka Ilione (Leicester Tigers), Maro Itoje (Saracens), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Asher Opoku-Fordjour (Sale Sharks), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Will Stuart (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath).
Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), Ollie Lawrence (Bath), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Raffi Quirke (Sale Sharks), Adam Radwan (Leicester Tigers), Tom Roebuck (Sale Sharks), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Fin Smith (Northampton Saints), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers).
