Injury-hit Leicester laboured to a narrow Zurich Premiership victory over
Leeds at Welford Road to improve their prospects of guaranteeing
Heineken Cup rugby for next season.
The Tigers were missing a clutch of first team regulars - including their
international back row of Josh Kronfeld, Lewis Moody and Neil Back - but they
still proved too strong for a dogged Leeds outfit.
Winger Steve Booth laid the foundations for their win after kicking five
first-half penalties before being stretchered off moments before the interval.
Fly-half Craig McMullen recorded Leicester's only points after the interval,
which Dean Richards' men entered 15-14 up, with a simple penalty as the English
champions struggled to unlock Leeds' watertight defence.
The most dangerous player on show was the Tykes' Samoan winger George Harder
who delivered another fine performance, putting in some big hits and troubling
the Tigers with his powerful running.
He touched down in the 26th minute for the only try of a dour encounter which
both sides will want to forget, while Braam van Straaten was on form with the
boot, finishing with 12 points.
The former Springbok centre was in action early on, landing an early penalty
following a punch on Tykes' flanker Dan Hyde, who was sent to the blood bin, but
Booth levelled shortly after with an easy three points.
Leicester continued to attack with Geordan Murphy prominent, forcing two
penalties in quick succession which Booth, handed the kicking duties in the
absence of Tim Stimpson, gratefully accepted.
Poor handling and sloppy discipline were taking their toll on the opening 20
minutes as both sides struggled to build any momentum with van Straaten and
Booth swapping penalties once again.
The Tigers threatened in the 25th minute when Murphy broke from his own half
and fed Booth out wide on the right but despite having time and space to gather
the pass, the former rugby league stand-off knocked on.
Leeds pounced on the loose ball and quickly recycled to scrum-half Derek
Hegarty who chipped ahead from the 10metre line and Harder won the ensuing foot
race to touch down in the corner.
Van Straaten missed the conversion and moments later Booth - employing a
kicking style reminiscent of rugby league great Mal Meninga - booted a
long-range penalty to give Leicester a 15-11 lead.
Booth, teeing up the ball with a hefty pile of sand, tried his luck from a
similar position in the 37th minute but his effort just dipped under the
crossbar.
Unfortunately for the slippery winger that was virtually his final
contribution to the match - he was stretchered off shortly after following a
collision with Tykes' Argentinean back Diego Albanese.
Van Straaten opened the second-half scoring with a mammoth penalty from five
metres inside Leeds' territory, but McMullen - taking over from Booth - replied
from in front of the posts following a high tackle on Glenn Gelderbloom.
Leicester were reduced to 14 men in the 52nd minute when flanker Martin Corry
was sin-binned for fighting, with referee Ashley Rowden declining to penalise
those Leeds players who were involved.
The Tykes almost crossed when Harder launched a powerful run down the right
wing but he was halted just short of the line and his final pass was intercepted
by Leon Lloyd.
Van Straaten was successful with a 34th-minute penalty to take his side within
a point of Leicester but the Tigers then took control, counting down the clock
in Leeds' half until Rowden thankfully blew the final whistle.
Teams:
Leicester: Murphy, Raynor, Lloyd, Tuilagi, Booth, McMullen,
Ellis, Freshwater, Chuter, Garforth, M. Johnson, Deacon, Corry,
Skinner, Balding.
Replacments: Abraham, Cook, Kay, Nebbett, J. Hamilton, Kafer,
Gelderbloom.
Pens: Booth 5, McMullen.
Leeds: Albanese, Harder, Davies, van Straaten, Stanley, Ross,
Hegarty, Wring, Regan, Holt, C. Murphy, Palmer, Mather, Hyde,
Popham.
Replacements: Kerr, Rawlinson, Fea'unati, P. Murphy, Dickens,
Emmerson, Hall.
Tries: Harder.
Pens: van Straaten 4.
Att: 16,815
Ref: Ashley Rowden (RFU).
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