Defending champions Leicester put their stuttering Zurich Premiership form
behind them to secure a valuable away Heineken Cup victory in perfect conditions
at Beziers.
Second-half tries from centre Ollie Smith and winger Leon Lloyd split the two
sides and put Leicester in the driving seat in the push for a place in the
quarter-finals.
With Pool One rivals Neath crashing at Amatori & Calvisano on Saturday, the
Tigers' progress to the next round seems assured.
They lead the pool with five points after two wins and a draw, with Beziers
now relegated to second with four points. The French side need to win next
weekend's return match at Welford Road to stay in touch.
Irish referee Alan Lewis made an early impact on today's match, sending rugged
Leicester winger Freddie Tuilagi to the sin-bin in the 16th minute for a high
tackle on diminutive Beziers captain Pierre Mignoni.
Seven minutes later, Lewis sent home prop Tariel Ratianadze to join Tuilagi
for foul play.
Beziers made much of the play in the opening spell, but promising moves fell
apart at the lineout, with the French side losing three consecutive throw-ins in
the Leicester 22.
Outside-half Jean-Frederic Dubois kicked two penalty goals to give Beziers a
6-3 lead at the break, with Tigers full-back Geordan Murphy - given the kicking
duties when England international Tim Stimpson injured a calf on Saturday -
scoring the visitors' points.
Murphy's third penalty goal levelled the scores at 9-9 on the hour mark after
Beziers' New Zealand flanker Angus Gardiner was sin-binned for killing the
ball.
The one-man advantage proved vital when Ireland international Murphy broke the
deadline by making a break down the left touchline. A clever inside pass gave
20-year-old Smith a simple run to the line.
Replacement goal-kicker Gonzalo Quesada narrowed the margin to two points with
a penalty goal, but a try in the corner to Lloyd in the 76th minute - converted
by Murphy - put the issue beyond doubt.
Lloyd enjoys playing in France - the youngster scored two tries in Leicester's
Cup final win over Stade Francais in 2000-01 - and a cheeky 84th-minute dropped
goal from centre Rod Kafer was the icing on the cake for the Tigers.
Teams
Beziers: Bonetti, Escalles, Aue, Grandclaude, Desjardin,
J. Dubois, Mignoni, Ratianidze, Bruno, Bonorino, Ghezal,
Privat, Dieude, Gardiner, Gommard.
Replacements: Quesada, Shvelivdze, Selua, Nadiradze, Martinez,
Durand, Laharague.
Pens: J. Dubois 3, Quesada.
Leicester: Murphy, Lloyd, Smith, Kafer, Tuilagi, Healey,
Tierney, Freshwater, West, Tournaire, M. Johnson, Deacon,
Corry, Kronfeld, W. Johnson.
Replacements: Ellis, Rowntree, Garforth, Kay, Shuter.
Tries: Lloyd, Smith.
Cons: Murphy.
Pens: Murphy 3.
Drop Goals: Kafer.
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