Leicester 34-8 Wasps: Tigers go top
Leicester wing Lote Tuquri scored two of his side's four tries
Saturday, 09, Jan 2010 06:16
By Andy Fyers.
A combination of the snow and a dominant forward performance allowed the Leicester Tigers to go top of the Guinness Premiership on Saturday afternoon.
With all other matches in the round postponed due to the inclement weather Leicester needed to beat Wasps, and secure a four-try bonus point at Welford Rd, to unseat Saracens at the top of the table.
They did just that, courtesy of a devastating four-try burst in a 24-minute period either side of half-time.
The first came on the stroke of half-time when a slick backline move created an overlap for Johne Murphy who went across in the corner.
Fly-half Toby Flood nailed the sideline conversion to give the Tigers a 10-8 lead heading into the half-time break.
Although the half-time score was close, the signs were ominous for Wasps who were struggling badly against a rampaging Leicester pack at scrum-time.
They started the second-half with 14 men after prop Tim Payne was sin-binned in the 38th minute for persistent infringing in the scrum.
The difference in numbers and Leicester's superiority up front quickly told after the break.
Former Australian wing Lote Tuquri extended the home side's lead in the 44th minute after some good lead-up work allowed him to take advantage of a mismatch in defence against lock Simon Shaw and cross for the first of his two tries.
Flood again added the extras and the lead was out to nine points.
By now the rampant Leicester pack could smell blood and when they were awarded a five-metre scrum in the 53rd minute there was only ever going to be one result.
The scrum was collapsed by Wasps as it made rapid ground towards the Wasps' try-line and referee Romain Poite had little hesitation in awarding a penalty try.
The fourth and final knock-out blow came in the 63rd minute when scrum-half Ben Youngs doubled round and burrowed through a gap in the Wasps defence, before releasing Tuquri who crossed in the corner.
Flood converted from the sideline once again to make it 34-8 and that's how it stayed.
Wasps rung the changes and managed to produce a couple of promising raids on the Leicester line, the best of which should have produced a try for Tim Payne, however he fumbled with the line beckoning to cap a miserable day in which he was outplayed by opposite number and man of the match Dan Cole.
Earlier Wasps had started the brighter of the two teams and fullback Mark van Gisbergen scored the game's opening try in just the second minute, after a well-worked backline move.
However, despite plenty of endeavour from their backline in broken play, Wasps couldn't cut it up front and once the Leicester pack got into their stride Wasps had no answer.