WELFORD ROAD WIN: Leicester Tigers 16 - 23 Harlequins

Victories over Leicester Tigers are not so rare as once they were. Nevertheless they are to be savoured and cherished and never more so than when they take place at Welford Road. For the second successive year Harlequins returned home victorious over Tigers by 16 points to 23.  They did so after a performance of determination, courage, excellent attack and superb defence.

The wind was blowing a half gale round the pitch and through the gaps in the stands.  Both sides were missing substantial numbers of senior players due to injury and international calls. For Harlequins, in particular, resources were stretched thin so that Nick Evans started at full back and Nick Easter in the second row with Botica at fly half.  Tim Molenaar, signed only at the start of the week, made his debut in the centre and was rightly man of the match.

That Quins were intending to play their fast running, off loading game was obvious from the start. Inevitably, unforced errors brought attacks to an end in promising positions, but Quins had the bulk of the possession and territory despite playing into the teeth of the gale.  The first time Leicester crossed into Harlequins’ half, a penalty at a ruck allowed fly half Owen Williams to open the scoring with a kick from over forty metres.

Harlequins continued to attack, moving the ball rapidly through the hands, recycling if tackled and penetrating deep into the Leicester twenty-two only to be frustrated by a knock on, a forward pass, a penalty at the scrum or an inaccurate lineout. A second kick from just inside the Harlequins’ half allowed Williams to increase the Tigers’ score to 6 – 0 as the first quarter drew to a close, but he failed with a third similar kick.

Harlequins were now playing with greater accuracy and looked threatening.  Desperate Tigers’ defence brought Quins a penalty in front of the posts and a yellow card for Tigers’ Salvi with four minutes remaining.  Harlequins were immediately on the attack from the restart and only a try-saving tackle on Nick Evans inches from the try-line stopped a certain score as the half neared its end.

Quins won back the ball following the lineout and were almost camped on the Leicester line.  They picked and drive and probed and finally, inevitably Nick Easter crashed over by the posts for a vital try that changed the dynamic of the game. The conversion was the final kick of the half giving Quins a 6 – 10 lead at the interval.

Harlequins started the second half with the winds at their backs and still with a man advantage.  An early penalty, just inside the Tigers’ half, gave Botica a speculative but unsuccessful kick at goal.  Quins resumed attack and a break by Lambert took them into Tigers’ territory and when the ball was recycled to and from Botica to Wallace to Hopper on the left, the latter chose a clever angle beating four Leicester defenders in a fine run for an excellent try.  With the simple conversion Harlequins had added 17 points while Leicester had Salvi in the sin-bin.

Williams was successful with a third penalty kick, but though Leicester pressed in dangerous attacks, Harlequins mounted strong and determined defence and Leicester could not break

through.  Two short forays into the Leicester half brought two further penalty kicks from Evans to make the score 9 – 23.

Tigers now went in search of at least a losing bonus point and it was their gradual dominance in the scrum that eventually brought success with a penalty try converted with the final kick of the match.

Leicester Tigers: Morris; Hamilton, Hepetema, Bowden, Thompstone; Williams, Mele; Ayerza, Briggs, Mulipola; Deacon, Kitchener; Slater, Salvi, Crane.

Replacements: Harrison for Hamilton (76), Smith for Hepetema (40), Stankovich for Ayerza (74), Chuter for Briggs (65), Mafi for Deacon (65), Balmain for Smith (79). Not Used: Waldrom, Scully.

Harlequins: Evans; Walker, Hopper, Molenaar, Monye; Botica, Care; Lambert, Ward, Collier; Easter, Robson; Trayfoot, Wallace, Guest.

Replacements: Smith for Botica (62), Marfo for Lambert (76), Matthews for Robson (71), Clifford for Guest (79). Not Used: Allen, Mayhew, Dickson, Casson.

Referee: Tim Wigglesworth (RFU).