Tiger maul Warriors; Falcons stay alive
Leicester Tigers ran in seven tries as they recorded a 43-13 bonus-point victory over Worcester Warriors at Welford Road on Friday.
The result saw the Tigers move past defending champions Saracens into second place on the standings ... at least for 24 hours.
In the other Friday match a Jimmy Gopperth penalty four minutes from time was enough to secure Newcastle Falcons a memorable victory over Sale Sharks.
The result kept alive the Falcons' hopes of Premiership survival, as they closed to within four points of Wasps at the bottom of the table.
All Friday's scores and scorers:
Leicester Tigers 43-13 Worcester Warriors
Leicester Tigers ran in seven tries as they recorded a 43-13 bonus-point victory over Worcester Warriors at Welford Road on Friday.
Tigers scored three tries in the first-half of the Premiership clash through Scott Hamilton, George Chuter and Tom Croft. Richard Cockerill's men secured the try bonus point early in the second period through Martin Castrogiovanni.
Thomas Waldrom added his sixth try of the season and there were also scores for replacements Tom Youngs and George Ford.
Worcester, who scored a late consolation try through Ceri Jones, played the final 46 minutes with 14 men after former Tiger Andy Goode, who had earlier received a yellow card, was given a red card for using a shoulder on Croft.
The result moved Tigers up to second in the Premiership table with the rest of the weekend's fixtures still to come.
Tigers made eight changes to the team that won away to London Irish last week with Castrogiovanni, Croft, Graham Kitchener, Craig Newby and Ed Slater coming into the forwards and Anthony Allen, James Grindal and Alesana Tuilagi returning to the backs.
Warriors flyhalf Goode made his first return to Welford Road since leaving the club in 2008.
Worcester enjoyed early possession in the middle third of the field and when Tigers were pinged on the floor Goode kicked the visitors into a fourth-minute lead from close to halfway.
Tigers signalled their intent by going for touch with their first penalty. They were then awarded a penalty for offside and opted for the scrum five metres out. Waldrom went from the base but was tackled. Slater and Castrogiovanni tried their luck from close range before Tigers were pinged for holding on and Goode cleared.
Waldrom stole possession at the lineout and was brilliantly tackled by Matt Kvesic and Marcel Garvey inches short of the line. Goode was yellow carded at the ruck for coming in at the side as Tigers tried to secure quick ball.
Tigers made the man advantage count with the opening try in the 18th minute. The Worcester scrum was pushed off their own ball and Flood, who had spotted Hamilton racing up from deep, floated a chip into space for his wing to pick up and cross on the right.
Manu Tuilagi went close to a second try shortly after, when he combined with Allen but was stopped eight metres out before Tigers knocked on at the next ruck.
His brother Alesana went even closer in the 28th minute when Kitchener's tackle on Matt Perry overturned possession in midfield. Tigers broke through Murphy and Alesana, but the Samoa international, under pressure from Josh Drauniniu, put his foot in touch as he dived over.
Tigers had put the Warriors lineout under a lot of pressure in the opening stages and they disrupted it again at the restart. Chuter pounced on the loose ball and drove over from close range to put Tigers 10-0 ahead. It was the England hooker's 17th try for Tigers and his first in 64 games.
Worcester went down to 14 men in the 34th minute when Goode received a straight red card for using his shoulder in a tackle on Croft.
Moments later, Croft bounced off the tackles of Chris Pennell and Josh Drauniniu to finish off a flowing move at the left corner. Flood landed his first kick of the evening to extend the lead to 17-3 at half-time.
Danny Gray replaced Worcester No.8 Blair Cowan at the break and the replacement scored the first points of the second period with a penalty.
Tigers hit back and Croft almost jinked his way through on the right. Tigers switched the attack to the opposite flank where Chuter, tight to the touchline, popped a pass inside for Castrogiovanni to drive over. It was the Italy international's second try of the season and secured Tigers their try bonus.
Flood converted as Chuter was replaced by Tom Youngs.
Worcester pressured the Tigers line at the restart, heaving their way to within five metres before Slater pulled down the maul. The England Saxon received a yellow card from referee Wayne Barnes.
Tigers added their fifth try in the 55th minute when Waldrom pounced on Youngs' long throw to the back of a Tigers lineout and dived over from close range to score his sixth try of the season.
Former Worcester lock Kitchener then created a sixth try, robbing replacement scrum-half Jonny Arr of possession. There was a hint of a knock-on as he collected the loose ball before he set Youngs away on a run to the line. The try went unconverted as Tigers led 36-6.
Great work by Newby on the floor stole possession on the Worcester 10m line. Steve Mafi took up the charge and off-loaded for Ford to race behind the posts from 20 metres out. Ford converted his own try to put Tigers 43-6 ahead.
Tigers ended the game with 14 men when Alesana Tuilagi received a yellow card following an altercation involving Ed Shervington, Worcester's replacement hooker.
Worcester finished strongly, going through phase after phase to take play up to the Tigers line. Eventually, with the clock having run down, the pressure told and replacement prop Jones forced his way over from close range and Gray converted with the last kick of the game.
The scorers:
For Leicester Tigers:
Tries: Hamilton, Chuter, Croft, Castrogiovanni, Waldrom, T Youngs, Ford
Cons: Flood 3, Ford
For Worcester:
Try: Ceri Jones
Con: Gray
Pens: Gray, Goode
Yellow cards: Andy Goode (Worcester, 15), Ed Slater (Leicester, 51), Alesana Tuilagi (Leicester, 71)
Teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 Geordan Murphy (captain), 14 Scott Hamilton, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Alesana Tuilagi, 10 Toby Flood, 9 James Grindal, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Craig Newby, 6 Tom Croft, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Ed Slater, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 George Chuter, 1 Marcos Ayerza.
Replacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Logovi'i Mulipola, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Steve Mafi, 20 Julian Salvi, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Matt Smith, 23 George Ford.
Worcester Warriors: 15 Chris Pennell, 14 Marcel Garvey, 13 Alex Grove, 12 Dale Rasmussen, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Shaun Perry (captain), 8 Blair Cowan, 7 Matt Kvesic, 6 Sam Betty, 5 Chris Jones, 4 James Percival, 3 Tevita Taumoepeau, 2 Aleki Lutui, 1 Matt Mullan.
Replacements: 16 Ed Shervington, 17 Ceri Jones, 18 Bruce Douglas, 19 Craig Gillies, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Jonny Arr, 22 Danny Gray, 23 Ravai Fatiaki.
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Assistant referees: Paul Dix Nigel Carrick
TMO: David Matthews
Newcastle Falcons 22-19 Sale Sharks:
A Jimmy Gopperth penalty four minutes from time was enough to secure Newcastle Falcons a memorable victory over Sale Sharks at Kingston Park in a tense Premiership clash on Friday.
The Falcons gained the early initiative with a Jimmy Gopperth penalty after just three minutes before Sale Sharks struck back immediately with a try courtesy of Tom Brady.
A fine pass from Johnny Leota found Brady on the right wing, who dived early to squeeze in at the corner in front of the South Stand. Nick MacLeod failed with the conversion and the visitors held a slender 5-3 lead.
The Sharks extended their lead with a further score on 15 minutes when James Gaskell crossed the whitewash. MacLeod’s cross-kick found Sam Tuitupou who popped it up to Gaskell for the try. MacLeod was unable to add the extras and it remained 12-6 to Steve Diamond’s men.
James Fitzpatrick soon had the Kingston Park crowd in full voice with a rampaging run through the middle, shrugging off three would-be tacklers in the process. The ball was spun wide and from the breakdown referee David Rose awarded the Falcons a penalty in front of the sticks which Gopperth duly obliged with.
Gopperth had the chance to narrow the gap moments later with the boot, but his effort cannoned off the post. However, Gopperth would not be deterred and the Kiwi fly-half punished Sale for their indiscipline with a penalty from an acute angle.
At 12-9 the northeasterners were back in the game, but former Falcon Rob Miller had other ideas, scampering in under the posts following some excellent attack play in the backline. MacLeod added the extras to make it 19-9 on 32 minutes.
The TMO was called upon five minutes from the break when the Falcons pack looked to have driven the ball over the line. No try was the decision and the Falcons had a five metre scrum.
From the resulting scrum the Kingston Park outfit earned a penalty and Gopperth made sure the gap was just seven points at 19-12 going into the interval.
Newcastle came out for the second-half in positive mood with a period of sustained pressure in the Sale 22. Peter Stringer was orchestrating things from scrum-half with some quick-fire passing that has earned the Irishman the stellar reputation.
Fitzpatrick burst onto a Stringer pass palming a series of defenders away before he was hauled to the ground. At the ruck the Falcons were awarded a penalty and Gopperth showed ambition by kicking for touch 10 metres from the try line.
From the line-out replacement James Hudson claimed the ball and spurred on by the raucous North East crowd the ball found its way to Tim Swinson who burrowed in for the try. Gopperth’s touchline conversion shaved the near post on its way over and score was deadlocked at 19 apiece.
Four minutes from time Gopperth secured a crucial triumph for the Falcons with a sublime penalty 30 metres out.
Following the match director of rugby Gary Gold was full of praise for the passionate North East crowd, who spurred his side to a welcome triumph.
The scorers:
For Newcastle Falcons:
Try: Swinson
Con: Gopperth
Pens: Gopperth 5
For Sale Sharks:
Tries: Brady, Gaskell, Miller
Cons: Macleod 2
The teams:
Newcastle: 15 Jeremy Manning, 14 Corne Uys, 13 Jamie Helleur, 12 James Fitzpatrick, 11 Tom Bedford, 10 Jimmy Gopperth (captain), 9 Peter Stringer, 8 Ally Hogg, 7 Will Welch, 6 Taiasina Tu'ifua, 5 James Goode, 4 Tim Swinson, 3 Euan Murray, 2 Rob Vickers, 1 Jonny Golding.
Replacements: 16 Matt Thompson, 17 Grant Shiells, 18 James Hall, 19 James Hudson, 20 Adam Balding, 21 Mark Wilson, 22 Will Chudley, 23 Greg Goosen.
Sale Sharks: 15 Rob Miller, 14 Tom Brady, 13 Johnny Leota, 12 Sam Tuitupou (captain), 11 Mark Cueto, 10 Nick Macleod, 9 Dwayne Peel, 8 Andy Powell, 7 David Seymour, 6 Richie Vernon, 5 James Gaskell, 4 Kearnan Myall, 3 Tony Buckley, 2 Marc Jones, 1 Andrew Sheridan.
Replacements: 16 Joe Ward, 17 Alasdair Dickinson, 18 Vadim Cobilas, 19 Tom Holmes, 20 Mark Easter, 21 Cillian Willis, 22 Luther Burrell, 23 Will Addison.
Referee: David Rose
Assistant referees: Don Helme Alan Hughes
TMO: David Hudson