 Bath's Stephenson is wrapped up by Varndell (left) and Gibson |
Bath 43 (17)
Tries: Borthwick, Feau'nati, Abendanon, Maddock
Cons: Barkley
Pens: Barkley 6, Malone
Leicester 25 (22)
Tries: Bemand
Cons: Goode
Pens: Goode 5
Drop goals: Vesty
Bath scored two tries in the last five minutes in a topsy turvy match which saw the lead change hands 10 times.
Both sides scored a try apiece in the first half, through Steve Borthwick and Scott Bemand, as Leicester led 22-17.
Bath hit back through Zak Feau'nati's converted try after 49 minutes, only for Andy Goode's fifth penalty to put Leicester back in front.
But Olly Barkley, who kicked 20 points, regained Bath's lead and Nick Abendanon and Joe Maddock crossed late on.
Barkley and Goode landed a penalty apiece before Borthwick went over for the first try of the match after seven minutes.
However, Leicester hit back through Bemand, with Goode converting, to lead 10-8, before Barkley's second penalty edged the hosts back in front after quarter of an hour.
The England man kicked two more penalties for Bath but they trailed by five points at the break as Goode landed three penalties and Sam Vesty slotted a drop goal.
Bath regained the lead when Barkley converted Feau'nati's try after 49 minutes, but Leicester were back in front within five minutes as Goode landed his fifth penalty.
However, that was as good as it got for Leicester as Bath re-took the lead for the final time through a Barkley penalty just after the hour mark.
Two more penalties - one from Barkley and one from Chris Malone - edged them clear and late tries from Abendanon and Maddock gave them a flattering winning margin.
Borthwick left the field with a knee injury during the second half, and will see a surgeon on Monday to assess the injury.
Acting Bath head coach Steve Meehan:
"We knew we had to improve our discipline and from half-time that made the difference. We had to stop giving away penalties. "It seems to me there all 11 teams in this competition who don't find it difficult getting up for games against Leicester but our performance today shows us what we are capable of.
"To come back from the defeat last week and play like this was marvellous."
Leicester boss Pat Howard:
"You've got to deal with the breakdown and we've got to deal with that. "There were some turning points - a dropped pass and not scoring from a five-metre scrum on the Bath line, but we've got to keep things in proportion and that means victories as well as defeats.
"We can't get too carried away and there were good things to come out of this game."
Bath: Abendanon; Stephenson, Berne, Barkley, Maddock; Malone, Walshe; Barnes, Mears, Bell; Borthwick, Grewcock; Short, Delve, Feau'nati.
Replacements: Hawkins, Goodman, Fidler, Williams, Davis, Higgins, Ovens.
Leicester: Vesty; Rabeni, Gibson, Cornwell, Varndell; Goode, Bemand; Moreno, Chuter, White; Hamilton, Kay; L Deacon, Abraham, Corry.
Replacements: Buckland, Castrogiovanni, H Tuilagi, B Deacon, F Murphy, Hipkiss, M Smith.
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