Champions Bath edge past Leicester to secure home semi-final

Image source, ShutterstockImage caption, Bath will host Exeter Chiefs in their semi-final next Saturday Tries: Du Toit 3, Cokanasiga Cons: Carreras 2 Tries: Bailey, Van Poortvliet, Pearson Cons: O'Connor 2 Pen: O'Connor Bath held on to beat Leicester Tigers to secure second place in the Prem and set up a home semi-final against Exeter Chiefs next week. Tigers' defeat, coupled with Exeter's win against Saracens, consigned them to a fourth-place finish in the table and meant they will travel to face league leaders and fierce near neighbours Northampton Saints in Friday's first semi-final. Orlando Bailey gave Tigers the ideal start with an early try, only for Bath to respond with two scores from Thomas du Toit and a third from Joe Cokanasiga. A Jack van Poortvliet try for Leicester just before the break allowed Australian James O'Connor - who landed a crucial penalty earlier in the half - to convert and level the scores 17-17 at the interval. Du Toit completed what was a decisive hat-trick after the break, with the game eventually decided by a missed conversion by Bailey after George Pearson went over for a last-gasp try for Tigers. Exeter beat Saracens to reach play-offs and end McCall's reign Published23 minutes agoPrem final day: Bath secure home semi-final, Exeter reach play-offs There was a minute's applause before kick-off at The Rec in memory of Bath legend Roger Spurrell, who passed away at the age of 71 earlier in the week. It was then a former Bath player that went on to quickly subdue the expectant home crowd, with O'Connor sending ex-Blue, Black and Whites man Bailey over for the game's first try after just three minutes. O'Connor added to the lead with his conversion, but it was a short-lived advantage for the visitors as South Africa prop Du Toit powered over twice in quick succession to put Bath ahead within 10 minutes of Bailey's opener. O'Connor got Tigers back to within two points with a 25th-minute penalty, only for Cokanasiga to weave his way over at the other end to add to Bath's advantage soon after. The Van Poortvliet try that O'Connor converted to level the scores just before half-time proved to be the final say that 35-year-old Australia international had on the game, as he failed to rejoin the action after the break. Bath piled huge pressure on Tigers' defence early in the second half and eventually forced their way over under the posts, with Du Toit getting the ball down for a season-defining treble. Despite their continued dominance, the hosts failed to go over again in a game that came down to the final few tense minutes. Bath were bunkered down defending their tryline when a succession of penalties eventually saw Cokanasiga sin-binned, and it was with the numerical advantage that Tigers eventually went over through Pearson. It was a try that set Bailey up for a shot to level the scores with two minutes to play, but he failed to land his kick and missed the chance to earn Tigers a third-placed finish that would have set up a trip back to The Rec. Bath: De Glanville; Cokanasiga, Lawrence, Ojomoh, Arundell; Carreras, Spencer (capt); Obano, Tuipulotu, Du Toit; Hill, Ewels, Bayliss, Underhill, Barbeary. Replacements: Frost, Van Wyk, Sela, Molony, Richards, Carr-Smith, Redpath, Reid. Leicester Tigers: Pearson; Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hamer-Webb; O'Connor, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Blamire, Heyes; Henderson, Chessum (capt), Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell. Replacements: Clare, Van der Flier, Hurd, Martin, Watson, Bemand, Kata, Perese.

Champions Bath edge past Leicester to secure home semi-final

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Champions Bath edge past Leicester to secure home semi-final

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