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Bath move up into second after 26-12 win over Leicester

Bath moved into second place on Tuesday in the English Premiership table with an emphatic 26-12 win over reigning champions Leicester at the Recreation Ground.

In the day’s other top-flight match Wasps continued their march toward the title-deciding play-offs at the end of the season by beating Sale 29-19 — their seventh consecutive league victory.

But their joy threatened to be overshadowed by a potentially serious knee injury sustained by England captain Phil Vickery after he was twisted awkwardly in a ruck.

If the prop forward has sustained ligament damage, Vickery could not only miss Wasps’ push for the title but also England’s tour of New Zealand in June.

Leicester have now slipped to sixth in the table and, with just three games of the season left, the Tigers could now not make it through to the play-offs.

And having been soundly beaten in the Anglo-Welsh Cup final by the Ospreys at Twickenham last weekend, Leicester, in their first season under former Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda, now face the prospect of a trophyless campaign — something that will not go down well at one of England’s major clubs. Bath had this match won at half-time, with the hosts a commanding 23-0 ahead.

Tries from prop Matt Stevens, hooker Lee Mears and wing Matt Banahan kept the Tigers at bay, while fit-again South Africa World Cup star Butch James kicked three penalties and a conversion.

For most of the second half it seemed Leicester’s only points would come from an Ian Humphreys penalty, before replacement scrum-half Frank Murphy added a try late on.

England outside-half Danny Cipriani added to his growing reputation by kicking 19 points for Wasps, whose other scores against Sale came as a result of tries from England wings Paul Sackey and Tom Voyce.
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