Shillcock sinks Bath in monsoon
JAMIE SHILLCOCK kept his nerve at the end of a blood-and-thunder battle in monsoon conditions to be the Tigers’ hero.
With the last kick of the game, the Leicester fly-half nailed his sixth penalty of the afternoon to give boss Dan McKellar his first win since taking the reins.
McKellar had endured two miserable defeats in the opening games of the Premiership season but Shillcock’s boot proved decisive in a frantic last 10 minutes.
Finn Russell had kicked Bath in front in the final minute but Jaco Coetzee dropped the restart and Tigers won a scrum penalty that Shillcock landed.
The dramatic finish took Leicester off bottom spot and inflicted a first defeat on Bath. McKellar said: ‘We needed to be hungry and desperate in these horrible conditions. It was a day when you didn’t want the ball, to be honest. It was a day to defend. Our discipline hurt us at times but we were good enough at the end.’
Shillcock, who amassed 20 points in total, said: ‘The conditions were very tough and points were always going to be a must when you had the chance. Kickers have to kick their kicks. I missed one but got the others.’
Russell provided the magic for Bath and the first try of the game after an early Shillcock penalty had edged Tigers ahead.
The Scot’s perfectly struck crossfield kick floated invitingly into the path of Will Muir, and the wing caught it cleanly before strolling over the line.
Bath seemed on course to secure the win when, after Leicester lock Harry Wells was sin-binned for foul play near his own try line that stopped a potential try, the home side’s prop Thomas du Toit barrelled his way over for a score.
But this merely stirred Tigers into a swift response and hooker Charlie Clare claimed the try after a fierce driving maul sent Bath’s defence back-peddling over their own line.
Bath boss Johann van Graan said: ‘We had it in the bag but dropped the ball from the kick off at the end.
‘It’s very disappointing. It was a ding-dong battle. Both teams were hungry to win but they got that last-minute penalty.’