Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
Do Leicester actually think they are going to win this game by setting up slow rucks and box kicking? It’s a little bit like watching England about three or four years ago.
They are never going to win the game.
Dan Cole gets his curtain call from Tigers chief Michael Cheika, sent on with 17 minutes or so to play.
Ben Youngs and Cole, on the Twickenham grass for one final time.
Enjoy it.
Martin Haag
Ex-Bath forward on BBC Radio Bristol
I actually do think from the second angle that we saw on the big screen that it just rolls forward and because it rolls forward he doesn’t have it under control which is why they’ve given it as a knock-on.
Leicester look very tired.
Guy Pepper, does not look tired. He looks strong, after some fine work under a kick from Will Muir, Pepper picks up the ball on the left flank and stiff arms his man before holding off another challenge and diving to the line to touch down.
The TMO wants another look though, was there a knock-on from Muir? There was, they say.
Boos from the Bath fans. One of the most determined finishes in this stadium’s long history has been chalked off.
Leicester are somehow still in this, just, barely.
Tom Varndell
Former England and Leicester wing on BBC Radio Leicester
Leicester have the ball in hand and other than the try they’ve started this second half a lot better than they finished the first half.
But if they are to break down this Bath defence then there needs to be more pace and speed at these breakdowns. The clear-out has been very ordinary so far.
They are giving Bath opportunities to slow down their ball.
Bath are playing with a little more vim and vigour when they get the ball, Finn Russell launching a teasing kick forward into space and then Freddie Steward’s clearance kick on the line being charged down by Ted Hill, only for the ball to roll dead.
Tigers look the more tired, it must be said.
Leicester have shown some of the best handling of the game in the past few moments, they know they’ll need two tries, at least, to stand a chance of winning, and the best way to do that is to get the ball into the hands of their play-makers.
Bath are 25 minutes away from their first title in 29 years…
Ben Youngs gets a huge reception from all four sides of the ground as he comes off the bench for Tigers. His final appearance, and it comes at HQ. Jack van Poortvliet is the one to take a seat.
That pass to Ojomoh was a country mile forward, at least Karl Dickson is being rubbish for both teams.
Gary
Why on earth did Russell make that pass, rather than just scoring the try himself?
Ian, West London
I’m neutral, but that Russell pass to Ojomoh looked slightly forward to me. Remiss of them not to even check it.
Nick, London
Martin Haag
Ex-Bath forward on BBC Radio Bristol
Finn Russell was eyeing that up, he knew Handre Pollard didn’t have much around him, he was probably going to go out the back.
He gambled and what a brilliant gamble it was. He never had the pace unfortunately to get there but Max Ojomoh was there following up which was actually a great bit of play.
That’s a massive score because Leicester were on the front foot, they were attacking in Bath’s half.
That’s a crucial try.
Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
That is Finn Russell right there.
Taking a gamble on the read but a Finn Russell gamble is not like any other normal gamble.
He was sliding over at best but then to open his left shoulder and hook a spin pass to Max Ojomoh to get under the sticks.
I mean, come on. That’s what 80,000 have come to see.
Rex Features
Joe Cokanasiga gets his hands right when it mattered to corral a high diagonal from Handre Pollard five metres from his own line.
It’s the Tigers on the front foot in the second half but …. BATH BREAK AWAY TO SCORE…
Finn Russell intercepts a Pollard pass and blazes away into clear space, he decides to launch the ball across to Max Ojomoh to cross under the posts, which might have given his DoR kittens as it risked a forward pass or a knock-on, but Ojomoh catches cleanly and gives Russell an easier conversion.
Daylight for Bath.
Rather bitty stuff after the resumption as this time Bath win a penalty at the breakdown and then a lineout near the Tigers 22.
Another whistle from Karl Dickson brings the play back after Joe Cokanasiga fails to control a Miles Reid pass cleanly, not for the first time today.
Brian O’Driscoll
Former Ireland captain on TNT Sport
The big thing here is that Tigers have defended pretty much
the last 15 minutes, there are going to be tired bodies.
We always talk about benches and how important that is, but
Bath are just beginning to get into it and you feel like they are not far away
from their groove.
We saw last week that they struggled in the first half against
Bristol, and it was a completely different performance in the second half.
PA Media
Similar start to the second half as we saw in the first, Jack van Poortvliet launching a fine kick, the Tigers showing some positivity and forcing an infringement.
Handre Pollard has the chance to halve the deficit with a kick from 10 metres inside the Bath half, but hooks it narrowly wide of the left post.
Big opportunity goes begging. They haven’t looked like adding to their opening try so kicking points would have been helpful.
Martin Haag
Ex-Bath forward on BBC Radio Bristol
If Bath come out of the blocks like they did against Bristol last week in the second half and get another score then I think the game is beyond Leicester.
So the first five or 10 minutes of this could determine the rest of this game.
Leicester are hanging in there but they are looking a little jaded. They’re having to do a lot of tackles and a lot of defending.
Sophie Hurcom
BBC Sport at Allianz Stadium Twickenham
There isn’t much in the scoreline but Bath have gone in at half-time plenty of times this season with just a few points between them and turned the screw in the second half and steamrolled their opposition.
They have scored more points and conceded the fewest of any Premiership team during the final 20 minutes of the 18 regular season games this campaign as their bench players start to rotate in.
Just a month ago at the Rec when these two sides met, there was just four points in it at the break but Bath went on to score four unopposed tries in the second 40 minutes as Tigers had nothing in reply.
Leicester are still very much in this final but they are going to be well aware of the challenge that might be coming in the later stages of this match.
Finn Russell had the final touch of the first half and he has the first of the second, kicking to the Tigers backline to get us under way.
We’re 40 minutes away from knowing who will be the 2024-25 Premiership Champions.
Don’t go anywhere…
Say what you like about rugby union, many do, but you have to love the way the game embraces the next generation… we have youth players from a host of clubs walking around the perimeter of the pitch in their club colours and waving flags as the crowd cheer them on.
How many of the 46 players in action today might have carried out that same thrilling task at a showpiece final in years gone by?
How many of today’s parade will be back here in boots in years to come?
Tom Varndell
Former England and Leicester wing on BBC Radio Leicester
It was a really interesting first half. It’s been all about the kicking game and putting that pressure on the opposition.
It’s been very, very stop start and I think that’s played into Tigers’ hands a little bit. You don’t want Bath to have that free-flowing game and have loads of opportunities. They’ve looked dangerous with ball in hand but the Tigers defence has been strong.
They are still in this game and they haven’t done a lot of attacking rugby at the moment. It’s still anybody’s game and six points is nothing.
Matt Dawson
Former England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live
Getty Images
Whatever pattern that Bath were trying to implement in the game, Leicester were defending it really well and Bath weren’t getting too much change.
There was one occasion where they went through loads of phases and Bath went pretty much to the half way line but still had the ball. Leicester were all over of them
And then all of a sudden, Bath realised that if they just got a little bit wider and made any kind of inroad, the place to go was over that ruck. That pick and go or that snipe round the edges. You might not get through to score a big try but you are going to make a dent.
That’s where Bath all season have been ruthless, when they get loads of momentum and that’s where they’ve found their momentum in the game.
