Leicester Tigers smashed their Zurich Premiership club record score, and did
their play-off wild card qualification hopes no harm at all by running in 11
tries on their way to a demolition of relegated Rotherham at Welford Road.
It took only 21 minutes for Tigers to rack up the bonus point as they flew out
of the blocks, with Rotherham's defence made to look weary as they chased around
in vain.
Hooker George Chuter opened the scoring after only two minutes when centre
Leon Lloyd broke decisively down the left wing, surviving a crunching tackle to
offload to the waiting Chuter from close range, Andy Goode converting.
Four minutes later Goode himself crossed the whitewash after a cross-field
kick fielded by Austin Healey found its way into the fullback's hands, with
Goode scurrying five metres down the blindside to dot the ball down.
Rotherham fly half Phil Jones stroked over a penalty, but the Yorkshiremen
could not stem the tide of green and red shirts as Neil Back scored after a
marvellous piece of link play from Lloyd, who delayed the pass to perfection,
Goode converting.
Rotherham, without a win all season, lacked any pattern in defence and were
stretched in all directions by the running of Geordan Murphy, and fly half Jaco
van der Westhuyzen.
Goode was next over as the bonus point was secured, after another 40-metre run
down the left from Murphy, before converting his own touch down.
Rotherham bucked the trend when centre Jon Pritchard benefited from a quick
tap penalty to score, but it was not enough to swing the momentum as Leicester
piled on the pressure.
Chuter went over for his second after Murphy and Van der Westhuyzen again
showed their prowess in broken play, while Van der Westhuyzen then followed suit
as Murphy put him in for another score.
The pair combined again down the right wing, with Murphy this time the scorer
after Van der Westhuyzen floated a delightful long pass over the head of Jason
Keyter, while Chuter's hat-trick try just before the interval ensured that the
54-8 half-time score was the biggest in all Premiership history.
Martin Johnson, Van der Westhuyzen and Harry Ellis were all withdrawn at
half-time, while Rotherham had wing Giscard Pieters sin-binned early on.
Flanker Martin Corry bashed a midfield hole to claim the ninth try after
Goode's flat pass, while the visitors received a second yellow card midway
through the half - this time for centre Mike Umaga.
It was the hole vacated by Umaga which Leicester centre Daryl Gibson
immediately ran through which saw the next try, as the former All Black touched
down under the posts to break the club's previous Premiership record, a 66-5
victory over Newcastle.
Replacement wing John Holtby ran in the next try as he swerved and weaved
through some unconvincing tackles, while the whistle from referee Sean Davey
Teams:
Leicester: Goode, Murphy, Lloyd, Gibson, Healey,
van der Westhuyzen, Ellis, Morris, Chuter, White, M. Johnson,
L. Deacon, Corry, Back, W. Johnson.
Replacements: Smith for Lloyd (16),
F. Tuilagi for van der Westhuyzen (41), Holtby for Ellis (41),
Kay for M. Johnson (41), Balding for Back (67).
Not Used: Richards, Holford.
Tries: Chuter 3, Goode 2, Back, van der Westhuyzen,
Murphy, Corry, Gibson, Holtby.
Cons: Goode 10.
Rotherham: Stortoni, Keyter, Pritchard, Umaga, Pieters, Jones,
Easterby, Rawson, Long, Noon, Kenworthy, Gross, Tuiavii,
Spence, McLeod-Henderson.
Replacements: Benson for Jones (65),
Harrison for Easterby (44), Johnson for Long (75).
Not Used: Bunting., B. Volschenk, Lewis, Raulini.
Sin Bin: Pieters (44), Umaga (58).
Tries: Pritchard, Keyter.
Pens: Jones.
Att: 16,815
Ref: Sean Davey (RFU).
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