A try in each half from wing Bruce Reihana ensured that Northampton Saints
earned bragging rights in the east midlands as they out-shone Leicester Tigers
at Welford Road in this Zurich Premiership clash.
A 19-point personal haul for Australian fly-half Shane Drahm put the polish on
a business-like but unspectacular performance against a Leicester team now
beaten four weeks in succession after an initially promising start to the
season.
It was the hosts who nearly opened the scoring as early as the second minute,
but Steve Booth's long penalty hammered the left upright and bounced out.
It was not long after though that Booth succeeded where he had earlier failed,
dusting himself down after a high tackle from Saints number eight Andrew Blowers
and nailing the resulting penalty from the 22.
Austin Healey probed with some useful punts from fly-half, and Tigers doubled
their lead on nine minutes when Booth hit a second penalty.
Northampton number 10 Drahm turned down a shot at the posts from halfway, but
his side were soon in front after Kiwi wing Reihana crossed the line following a
set move from a short-range scrum, taking an inside ball after the defence had
been drawn to the right. Drahm converted for a one-point lead.
Booth showed some trickery by dummying a kick, foxing the defence and sending
Daryl Gibson down the right wing.
The crowd then cheered the comeback of Samoan wing Freddie Tuilagi from the
bench after Leon Lloyd had limped off with a leg problem.
Two penalties for Drahm extended Saints' lead, although a third penalty for
Booth rewarded Leicester's pressure as half-time approached.
Tigers lost hooker George Chuter to the sin-bin, while Northampton had prop
Chris Budgen yellow-carded only seconds before the whistle went for half-time,
with Saints leading 13-9.
Wind and rain greeted the players for the second half which was only two
minutes old when Drahm cracked a massive penalty from fully 60 metres with the
breeze at his back for another three points.
Booth then did the same for the hosts from close in, having missed an earlier
effort.
A see-saw passage of play eventually saw Drahm kick a third penalty after
being hauled down on the counter-attack - Leicester captain Josh Kronfeld having
made a 30-yard break down the blindside earlier.
Northampton full-back Nick Beal used the elements to his advantage with a huge
drop-goal from his own 10 metre line to nudge his side further ahead after a
Leicester clearance failed to find touch, but the hosts kept their effort up as
Ollie Smith broke into the 22 before being hauled out next to the corner flag.
Tuilagi was then stopped just short in the other corner, and with Tigers
pressing Booth kicked his fifth penalty to get within seven points.
But with both of their hookers - Chuter and Jim Richards - leaving the field
with nose injuries, prop Ricky Nebbett had to come on and deputise at number
two.
Drahm added another penalty to increase his side's lead, before the match was
emphatically wrapped up deep into injury time when Reihana broke down the left
wing and danced inside the last man for his second try, Drahm converting
immediately before the final whistle.
Teams:
Leicester: Booth, Smith, Lloyd, Gibson, Holford, Healey, Ellis,
Rowntree, Chuter, Morris, B. Deacon, L. Deacon, W. Skinner,
Kronfeld, W. Johnson.
Replacements: F. Tuilagi for Lloyd (20),
Richards for Chuter (45), Balding for W. Skinner (66),
H. Tuilagi for W. Johnson (66).
Not Used: Nebbett, Ryder, Vesty.
Sin Bin: Chuter (38).
Pens: Booth 5.
Northampton: Beal, Sleightholme, Tucker, Leslie, Reihana,
Drahm, Robinson, Sturgess, Richmond, Budgen, Lord, Hunter,
Connors, Fox, Blowers.
Replacements: Brooks for Sleightholme (64), Hyndman for Leslie (34), Miles for Richmond (74),
Seely for Lord (64), Soden for Connors (74).
Not Used: Golding, Howard.
Sin Bin: Budgen (30).
Tries: Reihana 2.
Cons: Drahm 2.
Pens: Drahm 5.
Drop Goals: Beal.
Att: 16,815
Ref: Roy Maybank (RFU).
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