Leicester Tigers recorded a Zurich Premiership double over Harlequins at The
Stoop with a narrow 23-20 win.
The former league champions are still treading water in the Premiership
mid-table but after last week's 30-21 win on home turf and this weekend's result
Leicester could be poised for a rejuvenated end of season run-in.
However, defeat for Harlequins, who led the game on several occasions, will
come as a massive disappointment.
The Londoners could have leapt up to fifth in the table but instead they had
to settle for just one point and seventh place.
Quins' fly-half Andy Dunne drew first blood with an early penalty but England
Under-21's star Ugo Monye soon stole the show by setting up Ben Willis for a
wonder try after just 10 minutes.
A 22-metre Harlequins scrum saw the ball pass out wide to Monye who galloped
up and across field, fending off every Tiger in his path.
Finally the pacy winger was pulled down just short of the tryline but
scrum-half Willis was in support and picked up where Monye left off to score and
Dunne converted.
Leicester remained in contention through the boot of Andy Goode, who kicked
two penalties before Louis Deacon mauled his way over Quins' tryline on the
half-hour.
Dunne replied by adding his third penalty but the former Premiership big-guns
made sure they stayed in the lead before the break after Deacon burst through
allowing midfield number eight Henry Tuilagi to score. Full-back Goode converted
to create a five-point cushion at half-time.
But Harlequins bounced back into the lead soon after the interval when centre
Mel Deane pounced on a Dunne pass from an earlier scrum and exploded through
Leicester's defence.
Last man Austin Healey could not bring Deane down and with Dunne adding the
conversion the home side moved 20-18 up.
But again the tables turned in the last quarter of the match. Leicester
stalwart Healey was the man to reassert Tigers' authority when the continued
barrage on Harlequins' defence saw scrum-half Harry Ellis set Healey up to
canter over the tryline and score.
Goode again missed the conversion and despite Harlequins throwing everything
that they had at Leicester in the dying minutes of the game the visitors held
their position to take four important points home with them.
Teams
Harlequins: Duffy, Monye, J. Taumalolo, Deane, Keogh, Dunne,
Willis, Worsley, Fuga, Gomez, Rudzki, Evans, Tiatia, Vos,
Diprose.
Replacements: Dawson for Worsley (45), Jones for Gomez (45),
Davison for Rudzki (45).
Not Used: Miall, Sheriff, Bemand, Jewell.
Tries: Willis, Deane.
Cons: Dunne 2.
Pens: Dunne 2.
Leicester: Goode, Holtby, Lloyd, Gibson, Healey,
van der Westhuyzen, Ellis, Rowntree, West, Morris, M. Johnson,
L. Deacon, W. Johnson, Back, H. Tuilagi.
Replacements: F. Tuilagi for Holtby (62),
Gelderbloom for Lloyd (40), Abraham for H. Tuilagi (69).
Not Used: Chuter, Nebbett, Hamilton, Hipkiss.
Sin Bin: L. Deacon (45).
Tries: L. Deacon, H. Tuilagi, Healey.
Cons: Goode.
Pens: Goode 2.
Att: 7,800
Ref: Tony Spreadbury (RFU).
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