Michael Cheika received a stark reminder of the challenges ahead as his Leicester team paid dearly for their errors in his first home match as coach, losing to Bath. Guy Pepper's try in the second half proved crucial for the visitors, who are living up to preseason expectations with a hard-fought victory. Had Ollie Hassell-Collins not made a crucial mistake by dropping the ball as he was about to score, the outcome might have been different. However, he was not the only one to blame on a disappointing afternoon for the Tigers. Despite showing spirit and effort, and having a strong set-piece, the skill level was lacking, much like last season. The number of empty seats at the stadium was also concerning, especially with Leicester's Women's Super League match against Arsenal taking place at the nearby King Power Stadium. Premiership officials view women's football as a significant competitor for audience attention, and based on this evidence, the Tigers have work to do to regain their fans.
Bath, on the other hand, were far from perfect but with tries from Will Muir and Tom de Glanville, they were deserving winners. Bath started stronger and twice came close to scoring, but Leicester held them off. A precise 50:22 kick from fly-half Jamie Shillcock relieved the pressure and gave Leicester a chance to attack Bath's line. The visitors managed to resist, and when Joe Cokanasiga cleared the ball, he was caught late and high by Izaia Perese, resulting in Cokanasiga leaving the field for a Head Injury Assessment and Perese receiving a yellow card. Despite being a man down, Leicester should have scored first when Hanro Liebenberg sent Hassell-Collins away down the left, but the wing dropped the ball as he was about to score.
Leicester eventually scored with a Shillock penalty, but Bath took the lead with a try from Will Butt, who had an impressive start to the season. Leicester responded before halftime with a try from Jack van Poortvliet, who exploited space created by Finn Russell's errant kick. The second half saw more of the same, with Bath losing Muir to injury but leveling the score with a well-executed move from a scrum. De Glanville scored after some slick passing, and Pepper's close-range try put Bath ahead. Russell missed a penalty kick, but Spencer's successful kick gave Bath some breathing room. Dan Cole's late try set up a thrilling finish, but Leicester could not complete the comeback after Hatherell's knock-on from the restart.
