The conditions underfoot were excellent and both sets of players put on an outstanding show of rugby that belied their young age. After four minutes Leicester were awarded a penalty when the Bath backs were caught offside at a ruck and this was converted.
Bath re-gathered the restart and kept control of the play for the next five minutes with a series of driving plays led by the outstanding front row of Bill Moss at loosehead prop, hooker Mark Lilley, and Nathan Catt at tighthead. After a clean take at the lineout by Matt Bye, the Bath forwards drove some 20 metres and when the ball was released to the backs, fly-half Scott Simmons put outside centre Jack Cuthbert into space and he used his power and pace to score near the posts. This was converted by Simmons. So Bath took a 3-7 lead after eight minutes.
The remainder of the first half was dominated by two strong defences and there was no further score until injury time. Following a break by scrum Half Stephen Depledge the forwards came up in support and blindside flanker Adam Clayton crashed over wide out, to make the half-time score 3-12.
Bath played with the wind behind in the second half and kept the Tigers penned in their own 22-metre area for long periods. After nine minutes of the half, Leicester were caught offside at a ruck and Simmons coolly slotted a penalty. Leicester ran the ball back at Bath at every opportunity but some sound defence and excellent touch kicking by Cuthbert kept the home side at bay. Following a lineout on half way, hooker Lilley broke away and this was carried on by tighthead Catt. When he was pulled down, back rower Clayton was up in support and fed second row Bye, who scored. Simmons kicked a difficult conversion.
Leicester came straight back and after a series of quickly taken penalties they scored wide out, a try well converted by their fly-half.
With only two minutes of normal time remaining, the Bath forwards kept control of the ball and did not allow Leicester to make any further inroads into their lead.
That left the final score 10-22, and both sides deserver a great deal of credit for the quality of the rugby played, which was helped by some very good refereeing. This was the third year in a row that Bath have won away against their main rivals at U19 level.
Coaches Aaron James and Chris Lilley gave the Man of the match award jointly to second row Matt Bye and scrum-half Stephen Depledge.
BATH U19s: 15. Charlie Perry 14. Lee Audis (Sean Lilley, 65) 13. Jack Cuthbert 12. Jamie Doubleday (Louis Messer, 55) 11. Tom Jones (Alex Carlton-Porter, 55) 10. Scott Simmons (Freddie Burns, 65) 9. Steven Depledge 1. Billy Moss (Dave Vivian, 60) 2. Mark Lilley (Olly Hayes, 60) 3. Nathan Catt (Alex Penny, 60) 4. Matt Bye (Alex Concannon, 65) 5. Jake Dixon 6. Adam Clayton 7. Dan Cervino (Ethan Matthews, 65) 8. Ian Thomas
Final score: 10-22
Tries: Cuthbert, Clayton, Bye
Con: Simmons 2
Pen: Simmons 1
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