Bath clinched a dramatic Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers in a tense showdown marked by intercepts, yellow cards, and late heroics. Bath’s 25-23 win was powered by Finn Russell’s 13-point haul and a crucial second-half try assist that swung the game.
Leicester started strong, with Jack van Poortvliet scoring early after a precise Handré Pollard kick set up a maul. But Bath responded, taking a 13-7 lead into half-time after a Thomas du Toit try and two Russell penalties. Tigers captain Julian Montoya was sin-binned for a high tackle but Bath failed to capitalise.
The match pivoted 10 minutes into the second half when Russell intercepted a Pollard pass, sprinted from his half, and set up Max Ojomoh to score. With Russell’s conversion, Bath led by 13.
Leicester fought back with tries from Solomone Kata and Emeka Ilione, who impressed off the bench. However, a highly controversial yellow card for Dan Cole—playing his final professional game—allowed Russell to extend Bath’s lead with a penalty that ultimately proved decisive.
Despite Leicester’s late surge and closing the gap to just two points, Bath held possession in the dying minutes to secure their first Premiership title in a decade. Russell, flawless with the boot, was central to Bath’s victory, delivering under pressure in a nervy, high-stakes final.
Swifteradio.com
