Leicester 34-14 Bath: Williams stars in Tigers win
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 25/09/16 6:10pm
Owen Williams kicked 17 points as Leicester ended Bath's 100 per cent record with a 34-14 victory and moved into fourth place in the Aviva Premiership.
Williams switched from centre to fly-half a few minutes before kick-off after Freddie Burns withdrew through illness, and the Welshman's kicking was the key difference between the sides, with Leicester scoring three tries to Bath's two at Welford Road.
Tom Youngs, Brendon O'Connor and Ed Slater all scored for the Tigers, while Semesa Rokoduguni and Tom Dunn replied for Bath.
Having made a stuttering start to the season the Tigers were desperate to perform, and they started brightly. The home side led 11-0 after 21 minutes, with Willliams kicking two penalties and O'Connor finishing off a fabulous 15th-minute move which started just inside Leicester's half when they pinched a Bath lineout.
Centre Peter Betham received the stolen ball in midfield, and split the Bath defence with a searing break before finding Telusa Veainu outside him, and the full-back passed inside for O'Connor to score. Williams missed the conversion.
Leicester then handed Bath a try in the 23rd minute; fly-half George Ford sliced his clearance but Leicester winger JP Pietersen hardly got off the ground to take the catch as Rokoduguni plucked the ball out of the air and sprinted 45 metres for an easy score, which Ford converted.
Ford then missed a 30th-minute penalty before Williams slotted his third penalty to put his side 14-7 in front, which is how the scores remained going into the break.
Leicester made it 21-7 seven minutes after the interval when captain Youngs scored from a catch-and-drive, with Williams adding the conversion.
Ford missed another penalty in the 52nd minute, hitting a post from virtually in front. Williams missed one from 41 metres five minutes later, but made amends with two from close range.
Replacement Dunn then scored Bath's second try from a planned move at a lineout, converted by Ford to cause some tension in the home fans, but there was to be no comeback for the visitors. With two minutes left Ed Slater scored Leicester's third try and Burns added the extras to round off the victory.
