Brown states case for new deal as Leicester make Bath pay for resting stars

31 December 2023 , 19:14

1114 0

Mike Brown left Leicester wanting more with a match-winning display on his final appearance before his contract runs out.

The former England star scored a try and was voted player of the game by a sell-out crowd as Tigers trounced a Bath side paying for resting its stars.

The 38-year old then heard club boss Dan McKellar say he would move heaven and earth to get him a new deal at Welford Road

“Browny is the ultimate competitor, a great team man and I can’t speak highly enough of him,” said McKellar. “His arrival here last year changed the momentum within our season.

“He’s someone you want to keep and I’m doing all I can to do that. He's keen to stay so we’ll see where we get to over the next couple of days. We’re not farewelling him or anything like that.”

Chelsea complete record-breaking Enzo Fernandez transfer after deadline day rush

Bath blew the chance to finish the year on top of the Premiership and were forced to defend resting their main men and disappointing a 25,849 crowd.

Max Ojomoh is unable to prevent Brown reaching the try line (Getty Images)

Welford Road turned out in force to see rugby’s great entertainer Finn Russell and Premiership player of the year Ollie Lawrence.

Instead the visitors left out all but two of the team which beat Harlequins to go top a week ago and the match was over by half-time.

McKellar admitted to being “surprised” by Bath’s line-up, adding: “A lot of people would love to have seen Finn Russell here tonight.”

George Martin celebrates his new Leicester contract with a try (Getty Images)

But Bath counterpart Johann van Graan insisted he had “absolutely no regrets” despite shipping four tries inside 35 minutes and his side failing to salvage even a losing bonus point.

“We came here to win but we weren’t good enough,” said the South African. “We created enough but weren’t clinical enough.

“I have got absolutely no regrets, I back our group. We win together and we lose together.”

Bath try scorer Louis Schreuder (Getty Images)

Premiership Rugby rightly made much of 152,000 fans passing through the turnstiles this weekend for an average across five matches which broke the league’s all-time record.

But those fans need to be lured back by what they see rather than left let down by who they don’t.

Bath did actually take the lead when a Handre Pollard pass was intercepted and run back 60 metres by scrum-half Louis Schreuder.

Everton chiefs face transfer backlash from fans after deadline day disaster

Schreuder, the Bath scrum-half, touches down his 60-metre interception try (PA)

But their joy was short-lived as Matt Rogerson went over from close range to level the scores then Brown evaded Max Ojomoh to score on the left.

Then came the first of two Bath yellow cards, with flanker GJ van Velze’s departure paving the way for tries by James Cronin and England lock George Martin.

The West Countrymen were into damage limitation mode and they had not even got to halftime. Their problems deepened soon after as ref Karl Dickson awarded Tigers a penalty try and reduced the visitors to 14 men for a second time.