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Amidst a classic English rugby's most storied contests, this fixture between Leicester and the visitors was as much about an emotion at half-time than any on-field action during play.

Martin Johnson headed a contingent comprising Leicester former players in honour of Lewis Moody, after he revealed his diagnosis with motor neurone disease.

When Moody last pulled on the Tigers' jersey here, a decade and a half past, before moving to Bath for the last two years in a distinguished playing career, the home side were more or less still at their very best, whereas their opponents found themselves in the middle of a lengthy period devoid of championship success. The landscape has shifted dramatically since then. The Tigers’ great rivals came into the match as title holders, marking the first occasion they've held that status in over two decades.

A Truly Emotional Welcome on Home Turf

The Tigers, on a wave of emotion, offered them a classic, robust reception, embracing the role of underdogs on their own pitch, the large home crowd further emboldened by Moody’s confession during the break that regardless of his residence, this famous ground remains the home of his rugby heart.

Looking back, Bath did not stand a chance. True to form, in a last-minute assault on the Bath line, the Tigers won a crucial penalty from the tiring Bath defenders.

The Decisive Moment

Billy Searle, who replaced the excellent James O'Connor, the seasoned Australian making his debut start for Leicester, darted blind, and the Bath prop caught him high, for which offence he received a yellow card. With the last kick, Searle landed the penalty from a difficult angle to snatch a dramatic victory.

We might as well have been transported back of Moody’s pomp. Without a doubt, the home team, who moved up the table in a congested league, will be heartened that their traditional, direct approach can still yield results, regardless of the quality they face.

A Tale of Two Game Plans

The visitors were sublime when in possession. Therefore, Leicester, after a bewildering first half-hour which saw them trail 17-7, adapted to starve them of possession. A deluge of penalties against the away side kept Bath on the back foot, their forwards thoroughly outplayed at the set piece throughout the game.

The Tigers' three touchdowns were carbon copies of each other, neither scored from more than a yard; Bath’s three were studies in poetry. Dan Frost, Sam Underhill and Cameron Redpath were the finishers, either side of Cracknell's score for Leicester. Subsequently, capitalizing on the penalty count, Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith powered over to score just before and just after the break.

A Tense Conclusion

That earned Tigers a narrow advantage, which they held for most of the second half. It appeared inevitable before Bath secured sufficient possession to score their fourth. In fact, their breakthrough came with a rare penalty in the scrum, their South Africans by then on. The fly-half, after missing two earlier kicks, landed the kick inside the final ten minutes.

That only inspired Leicester for one last, brutish assault, set up by the lively Ollie Hassell-Collins down the left. Having won the penalty that earned Bath the lead in a situation he relishes, poor Du Toit conceded where he is not. There could be only one result.