Match action
SIONE Kalamafoni has already proved himself one of the best buys of the season, and he emphasised that at Twickenham with two tries against Bath to thrust Leicester into play-off territory.
The Tongan No.8 made the difference as “The Clash” – watched by 60,000 – was transformed into “The Bash”, with Bath, who trailed just 20-19 with 15 minutes remaining, on the receiving end as Tigers scored late tries by Sam Harrison and Telusa Veainu.
With the Tigers racking up five tries to one, they showed impeccable timing to secure the bonus point that carried them to third in the table above Wasps with three games of the regular season remaining.
As for Bath, despite positive spin from rugby director Todd Blackadder, they remain serial underachievers.
There was no capitulation, because they defended doggedly for most of the match, but there was a sense of resignation in their ranks when Leicester’s glut of possession – 68 per cent to 32 – ground them down in the final quarter.
Leicester also had a crucial advantage, because the Bath scrum was barely fit for purpose due to injuries. The first Leicester pressure point came in the first half with Bath leading 6-3 after Rhys Priestland kicked two penalties to George Ford’s one.
It started with a Tigers lineout drive, and with Matt Toomua’s pass setting up a Jonny May incursion the Bath line only remained intact because of Beno Obano’s piledriving tackles on Graham Kitchener.
However, with Kahn Fotuali’i yellow-carded for killing the ball at the next ruck Leicester opted for a scrum because they knew Bath’s vulnerability.
With the Bath front row ducking and diving through three penalties despite a warning from Wayne Barnes, it was no surprise when he sin-binned tighthead Shaun Knight, leaving the West Country outfit with 13 men.
With Knight’s replacement, Frenchman Victor Delmas, also struggling, Leicester’s scrum superiority told when Kalamafoni broke from the base, and quick hands from Ford and Mat Tait put Adam Thompstone in for the opening try.
Ford’s conversion gave Leicester a 10-6 lead, but Bath battled back with 14 men to go 13-10 ahead after hooker Tom Dunn battered over from close range, Priestland converting.
On the stroke of half-time they almost took a bigger lead when Matt Banahan came within a whisker of a touchdown after a clever chip by Jonathan Joseph – but 10 minutes into the second half it was Kalamafoni who put Leicester back on the front foot, driving through a ruck to ground the ball on the line.
However, with Ford missing a straightforward conversion the Tigers 15-13 lead was overhauled again with a Priestland penalty just before the hour. But no sooner had the Bath 10 dispensed with the kicking tee, Kalamafoni swung the game Leicester’s way.
Taking a pass a few metres inside the Bath 22, Kalamafoni’s in-out footwork left Taulupe Faletau stranded, and as he raced clear he sold a dummy before powering through James Wilson’s tackle to give Leicester a 20-16 lead.
Another Priestland penalty – when Thompstone was sin-binned for upending Wilson – brought Bath to within a point, the constant tackling had taken its toll. Harrison nipped over after a Ford dart, and with Veainu finding a gap at the death it was Leicester who marched on with everything to play for.