Bath Rugby secured a coveted home semi-final spot in the Gallagher Premiership play-offs after narrowly defeating Leicester Tigers 24-22 at a rain-soaked Recreation Ground on the final weekend of the 2025/26 regular season.
The reigning champions held firm against a determined Leicester side to claim second place behind Northampton Saints. This result means Bath will host Exeter Chiefs next Saturday, while Leicester Tigers must travel to Northampton for their penultimate league clash.
The standout performer was South African prop Thomas du Toit, who scored a remarkable hat-trick of tries from close range. His dominant display was a fitting send-off ahead of his move to the Sharks in Durban after the season. Alongside du Toit, winger Joe Cokanasiga also crossed the try line, and fly-half Santi Carreras contributed two vital conversions.
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Leicester Tigers fought valiantly, with tries from Orlando Bailey, Jack van Poortvliet, and George Pearson keeping the game intensely competitive. James O’Connor added two conversions and a penalty to keep the Tigers within striking distance throughout the match.
Leicester started strongly, taking an early lead through Bailey’s try after just four minutes, converted by O’Connor. However, Bath quickly responded with du Toit crashing over from their first meaningful attack. Moments later, he scored again from a powerful lineout drive, putting Bath ahead 12-7 after Carreras’ conversion.
Despite O’Connor narrowing the gap with a penalty, Bath extended their lead through Cokanasiga’s powerful break and try just before halftime. Leicester responded immediately with Van Poortvliet’s try and O’Connor’s conversion to level the score at 17-17 at the interval.
In the second half, tactical shifts saw Bailey move to fly-half, with O’Connor replaced. Bath pressed aggressively inside Leicester’s 22, and du Toit completed his hat-trick to give Bath a crucial seven-point lead, extended by Carreras’ conversion.
Although Leicester pushed hard in the final quarter, errant passes and missed opportunities prevented them from clinching victory. Pearson’s late try after Cokanasiga’s yellow card narrowed the deficit but wasn’t enough to overcome Bath’s resilience.
Bath now look forward to hosting Exeter Chiefs, aiming for a third consecutive Premiership final after last year’s triumph and a 2024 runners-up finish. Meanwhile, Leicester face a tough challenge visiting Northampton Saints, a team they defeated decisively earlier in the season.
Bath Rugby: Santi Carreras, Joe Cokanasiga, Ollie Lawrence, Max Ojomoh, Henry Arundell, Ben Spencer, Beno Obano, Kepueli Tuipulotu, Thomas du Toit, Ted Hill, Charlie Ewels, Josh Bayliss, Sam Underhill, Alfie Barbeary; Replacements: Dan Frost, Francois van Wyk, Vilikesa Sela, Ross Molony, Ewan Richards, Tom Carr-Smith, Cameron Redpath, Miles Reid.
Leicester Tigers: George Pearson, Adam Radwan, Will Wand, Orlando Bailey, Gabriel Hamer-Webb, James O’Connor, Jack van Poortvliet, Nicky Smith, Jamie Blamire, Joe Heyes, Cameron Henderson, Ollie Chessum (c), Hanro Liebenberg, Tommy Reffell, Olly Cracknell; Replacements: Charlie Clare, Archie van der Flier, Will Hurd, George Martin, Hamish Watson, Charlie Bemand, Solomone Kata, Izaia Perese.
Referee: Ian Tempest | Assistant Refs: Sara Cox, Jonathan Healy | TMO: Adam Leal