Jimmy Gopperth's penalty late on helped Wasps overcome the Tigers at the Coventry Building Society Arena to end the visitors' impressive start to campaign; Bath beat Worcester for their first win of season which also saw Rory Sutherland sent off for the Warriors
Sunday 9 January 2022 17:54, UK
We round up the action from Sunday’s two Gallagher Premiership matches, which saw Wasps end Leicester Tigers’ unbeaten start to the season and Bath overcome Worcester Warriors for their first win of the season…
Jimmy Gopperth kicked three second-half penalties to bring to an end Leicester's remarkable winning run and provide one of the shocks of the season as Wasps beat the Premiership leaders.
The home side, without 17 of their players through injury and illness, had won only one of their last eight games and lost two further players in prop Tom West and lock Vaea Fifita prior to kick-off due to illness.
However, a committed performance deprived Leicester of the opportunity to break a number of records as had they won, Steve Borthwick's team would have equalled their club record of season-opening winning streaks (16 wins in the 1983/84 season).
The Tigers would have also drawn level with the club record for consecutive away wins (10, February to November 1995) and matched the Premiership record for a best start to the season (12 wins by Newcastle in 1997/98).
In addition to Gopperth's penalties, Wasps were awarded a penalty try while Leicester responded with a try from Julian Montoya, with George Ford adding two penalties and a conversion.
Bath celebrated a first win of the season at the 13th attempt in all competitions after battling past Worcester in Sunday's clash at the Recreation Ground.
However, Scotland prop Rory Sutherland could be a doubt for the Six Nations opener against England after the Warriors man was sent off in the second minute, dismissed by referee Craig Maxwell-Keys for a head-on-head challenge which forced Bath front row Will Stuart off the pitch.
But the Premiership's bottom side, despite playing against 14 men for virtually the whole match, were made to work hard for a victory which is their first since June and should at least lift spirits ahead of tough Heineken Champions Cup games against La Rochelle and Leinster.
Fly-half Orlando Bailey's penalty 10 minutes from time broke their duck this term, while he also added two conversions as Bath posted tries by wing Semesa Rokoduguni, centre Max Ojomoh and full-back Tom de Glanville.
Worcester, without a win from 17 previous visits to the Recreation Ground, matched them try for try as full-back Jamie Shillcock, lock Joe Batley and scrum-half Gareth Simpson touched down, with fly-half Fin Smith kicking two conversions.
