Bath Rugby held off a spirited Leicester Tigers comeback to break their 29-year duck and become Gallagher Premiership Rugby champions.
Losing 23-14 and down to 14 men following a Dan Cole yellow card, Leicester appeared beaten but Emeke Ilione scored a 77th-minute try to set-up a grandstand finish.
However, Bath held on and the celebrations at full-time were euphoria mixed with relief.
Earlier, Finn Russell sprinted 80 metres to set-up the decisive Bath try as he intercepted a Handre Pollard pass on the edge of his 22 and sprinted clear of the Tigers defence before looping a pass to centre Max Ojomoh to score.
It was the crucial moment of an absorbing game that also saw Thomas du Toit cross in the first half and Russell kick three penalties at Allianz Stadium Twickenham.
Leicester struggled for much of the contest but scored first through Jack van Poortvliet and set-up a thrilling end when Solomone Kata and Ilione dotted down.
Bath may have started as the pre-match favourites but Leicester made the faster start and scored the opening try inside six minutes.
It was an old-school Tigers try, with an excellent Pollard kick to the corner setting up a line-out. From there, the forwards got to work, driving the Bath pack over their own line, and Van Poortvliet was there to dive across for the try.
Bath struggled in the first quarter, with a series of handling errors causing frustration, but Russell’s first penalty reduced the gap.
Under the baking sun, both sets of players lacked their usual crispness but Bath eventually broke through, as Du Toit smashed his way across from a metre out after a brilliant carry from his fellow prop Beno Obano.
Tigers then lost captain Julian Montoya to the sin-bin after he made contact with Ted Hill’s head while making a tackle.
Bath then thought they scored again after Russell and Ben Spencer combined to splinter the Tigers defence, but a Quinn Roux knock-on under the posts cost them the points.
Russell added a second penalty on the stroke of half-time to make it 13-7, a massive whack from near the half-way line that was met with a huge roar from those in blue, black and white.
Leicester had a chance to get those points back right away after the re-start but Pollard hooked his effort wide.
Bath then took control, as Russell read a Pollard pass and picked it off. He sprinted upfield and unselfishly passed to Ojomoh to score.
Leicester weren’t done, however. Kata dotted down from a metre out and, while Cole was sin-binned in his final game for a late hit on Russell, they had hope.
Cole’s challenge gave Russell the chance to kick his third and final penalty before Ilione muscled his way over three minutes from time.
But Bath managed the final two minutes and Russell booted the ball into the stands to confirm victory.
