Bath opened the season by turning on the style to defeat Northampton Saints. They backed up that statement performance over the Gallagher Premiership champions with its ugly sister, digging out a first victory over Leicester Tigers at Welford Road since August 2020. Sometimes in this league you just have to find a way to get the job done, especially for a team with title aspirations.
Bath were far from their clinical best. Finn Russell’s kicking game, both from hand and from the tee, was inaccurate; they were held up twice over the line and failed to convert a couple of line-breaks. But they still fashioned three tries, scored by Will Muir, Tom de Glanville and Guy Pepper, the flanker who was excellent on his full.