Leicester secured their first bonus point win of the Zurich Premiership season
as they overcame Leeds at Welford Road on Saturday.
Fly-half Andy Goode ran the line with great authority on his first start for
the Tigers since rejoining the club from Saracens.
Goode landed 14 points whilst Austin Healey, Graham Rowntree, Freddie Tuilagi,
Neil Back and Neil Baxter all touched down in a dominant Tigers display.
Yet it was Leeds who almost opened the scoring in the first minute when only a
last- ditch tackle from South African full-back Jaco van der Westhuyzen kept out
countryman Andre Snyman.
The Tykes did manage to get on the scoreboard with a Gordon Ross penalty, but
it was to be one-way traffic after that as Leicester assumed control.
A brace of penalties for Goode saw the hosts take the lead before Tigers were
reduced to 14 men when centre Leon Lloyd was sin-binned for a high tackle.
Ross converted the resulting penalty, but the Yokshiremen failed to capitalise
on their numerical advantage as Leicester piled on the pressure with a string of
punishing rolling mauls.
And they were rewarded for their gains when scrum-half Healey poached a
short-range try following good work by Henry Tuilagi and Goode converted.
The forwards then got in on the scoring act when loose head prop Rowntree
touched down his first try of the season from a powerful rolling maul.
Samoan wing Freddie Tuilagi added a third in first-half injury time when Van
der Westhuyzen and centre Ollie Smith combined to send him in down the left
touchline into the corner. Goode converted brilliantly to give his side a 25-6
interval lead.
The Tigers carried the momentum into the second half and Henry Tuilagi had a
try chalked off by referee Dave Pearson for a forward pass by Van der
Westhuyzen.
The bonus point was not long in coming, however, as Back characteristically
steered home another rolling maul for the fourth try, again converted by Goode
from out wide on the left.
Diego Albanese went close from a rare Leeds attack, before new Leicester
signing, Welsh number eight Andrew Powell, came on for his debut just hours
after his arrival at the club was announced.
The Tykes finally managed a try when former Wales full-back Matt Cardey got
over in the left corner and the score gave Leeds a bit of spark, with wing Phil
Christophers making a string of breaks.
But the 70th-minute arrival of England captain Martin Johnson gave Leicester a
lift and Van der Westhuyzen attempted a 55-metre drop goal which had the
distance but flew just wide.
The hosts again found their fire to grab a fifth and final try, when forward
pressure eventually made space for Goode to break and put in right wing Baxter.
Goode's conversion wrapped up a potentially valuable win as the Tigers aim to
haul themselves out of the Zurich Premiership's lower reaches.
Teams
Leicester: van der Westhuyzen, Baxter, Lloyd, Smith,
F. Tuilagi, Goode, Healey, Rowntree, Richards, Morris,
L. Deacon, Kay, W. Johnson, Back, H. Tuilagi.
Replacements: Vesty for Smith (47), Myring for Healey (67),
Chuter for Richards (73), Nebbett for Morris (73),
M. Johnson for L. Deacon (70), W. Skinner for Back (70),
Powell for H. Tuilagi (50).
Tries: Healey, Rowntree, F. Tuilagi, Back, Baxter.
Cons: Goode 4.
Pens: Goode 2.
Sin Bin: Lloyd (19).
Leeds: Cardey, Albanese, Snyman, Davies, Christophers, Ross,
Stuart-Smith, Shelley, Holt, Powell, Hooper, Murphy, Salter,
Persico, Rigney.
Replacements: Cusack for Holt (49), Palmer for Murphy (49),
Hyde for Persico (49).
Not Used: Kyriacou, Walker, Walsh, Botham.
Tries: Cardey.
Pens: Ross 2.
Att: 16,815
Ref: D Pearson (RFU).
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