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Rugby Union: Tigers caught cold by Bath

Bath 16 Leicester 5

Chris Rea
Sunday 15 March 1998 00:02 GMT
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IT WILL be of small consolation to Leicester, but the try which cut them cold and finished off their season was an absolute gem which would have broken most sides. It covered fully 75 yards, involved half a dozen Bath players and lifted the numbingly dull mediocrity of the 40 minutes which had preceded it.

Joel Stransky's kick to start the second half was fielded by Ieuan Evans who, apart from one compulsive run, had spent the entire first half in splendid isolation from the action - such as it was. But now, making the most of this heaven-sent opportunity, he took Rich Butland's pass at full pelt and at just the right angle to take him beyond two Leicester defenders.

Eric Peters was at his elbow and with an astonishing turn of pace the No 8 left Stransky stranded as he sped deep into the Bath half. Russell Earnshaw was up in support to continue the move and after that it was plain sailing for Phil de Glanville and finally for Jeremy Guscott to finish off the sparkling move.

It was a spectacular try, all the more welcome because of the unappetising fare earlier in the match. Throughout the first half there were more turnovers per minute than there were passes, with neither side able to display any control. On the rare occasions they got their passing together, handling let them down. There were no excuses because the conditions were ideal, but so frantic was the pace that without a steady hand or a sure touch mistakes were unavoidable.

Stransky is normally the coolest head in such situations, but even he suffered in the general mediocrity and was not helped by Austin Healey's erratic service from the base of the scrum. Healey himself had reasonable grounds for complaining. The Leicester forwards are a shadow of the unit which appeared to be on an irresistible roll earlier in the season and there were times when one was scouring the programme to find out whether Martin Johnson was on the field.

The general view is that this immense forward is exhausted from playing too much rugby and that is very probably true, but sadly his main contribution to games these days is the running dialogue he maintains with the referee.

Yesterday, he was up before the beak on two or three occasions and was present when his second-row partner Fritz Van Heerden was shown a yellow card. Above all, however, Leicester missed the continuity that Neil Back brings to their movements and once again Eric Miller, who was substituted midway through the second half, faded after a bright start.

It was his beautifully judged long pass to Craig Joiner which had put the Leicester wing in for the first try of the match seven minutes before half-time. This, rather undeservedly, brought them to within a point of Bath, whose points had come from two penalty kicks by Butland.

Bath were much more dominant in the loose, where Peters is enjoying a fine spell. Earnshaw was also a prominent figure behind the two admirably uncomplaining workhorses Nigel Redman and Martin Haag. This, in turn, allowed Butland to settle in after he had endured an awkward opening when his hands were letting him down and when Stransky had on one occasion left him leaden-footed.

From that point on, though, he discovered his rhythm. His kicking from the hand was long and accurate and he created space for his three-quarters who, with Matt Perry linking from fullback, always carried more threat than their opposite numbers.

Leicester's inadequacies in this area were most obvious in the closing stages when they were playing catch-up rugby and making no impression. Twice Stransky ran strongly at the Bath defence, but had no support within five yards of him.

Butland's third penalty early in the second half removed whatever sting may have been left in the Tigers' tail. The truth is that there wasn't much of anything in this Leicester side, whose only incentive now is to destroy the title aspirations of others. Bath, on the other hand, still have hope and playing as they are at present, they could yet profit from the leaders' frailties in the final stretch.

Bath: M Perry; I Evans, P de Glanville, J Guscott, A Adebayo; R Butland (J Callard, 78) , A Nicol (capt); D Hilton, M Regan, V Ubogu, M Haag, N Redman (D Jones, 30-39), R Earnshaw, E Peters, R Bryan.

Leicester: M Horak; C Joiner, W Greenwood, S Potter, L Lloyd; J Stransky, A Healey; G Rowntree (P Freshwater, 75), R Cockerill (D West, 66), D Garforth, M Johnson (capt), F Van Heerden, P Gustard, E Miller (W Johnson, 66), L Moody.

Referee: S Lander (Liverpool).

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