Adam Thompstone's second try in as many games helped settle the first East Midlands derby of the season as Leicester Tigers battled to a 19-11 Aviva Premiership victory over Northampton Saints.
Thompstone finished off Freddie Burns’s superb piece of awareness for his fifth try of the season. Fly-half Burns converted the try and kicked three other penalties in front of another huge crowd at Welford Road on Saturday evening.
Saints scored a try of their own through Mikey Haywood and Stephen Myler landed two penalties to keep Saints in touch for much of the match.
But Burns’s third penalty with nine minutes remaining and a last-minute kick from Owen Williams sealed the win, Tigers’ fifth in a row, and ensured Northampton returned home empty-handed.
Logovi'i Mulipola and JP Pietersen returned from international duty to take their place in the Tigers line-up. Tigers were forced into a late change in the front row after Tom Youngs was withdrawn to a back spasm. Harry Thacker started at hooker with George McGuigan coming on to the bench. Ed Slater took over as captain.
Jono Kitto started at scrum-half in the only change to the backline from last weekend’s win at Bristol. George Worth made his first start at home in the Aviva Premiership while Manu Tuilagi was named on the bench for his first appearance in a home match squad this season.
Northampton included former Tiger Jamie Gibson in their back row. Ex Tigers Academy front rower Charlie Clare was named on the bench.
It was a typical highly-charged atmosphere for derby day and Northampton went down to 14 men within two minutes of kick-off. Luther Burrell, their England centre, was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on George Worth.
Worth brushed himself down and at the next attack turned the Saints defence with a grubber into their 22, and Myler skewed his return kick into touch.
Slater was played in the lineout and Burns landed the penalty to give Tigers a 3-0 lead after seven minutes.
And they made their extra man count with a try right at the end of the sin-bin period, and it owed much to the vision of Burns. He spotted Saints were short-handed on the Tigers right and doubled-back across the ruck, took the pass from Kitto and found Thompstone in acres of space to score on the right. Burns converted to give Tigers a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.
Thompstone’s next involvement saw him sent to the bin for a dangerour tackle on George North. Thompstone was deceived by the bounce of the ball and collided with North as he jumped for the ball. Thompstone was yellow-carded and North went off for a HIA.
Saints had Tigers under pressure for the firsty time at the penalty lineout. Tigers appeared to have halted the drive just short but Mikey Haywood reached out from a pile of bodies to score. Myler missed the conversion as Tigers led 10-5 midway through the half.
Myler was more accurate out of hand, though, and his penalty kick took the visitors abck to within 5m of the Leicester line. But Tigers sacked the drive and won the turnover as the ball failed to appear.
Kitchener was then ruled to have knocked the ball out of Tom Kessell’s hands at a ruck and Myler landed the penalty from distance to cut Leicester’s lead to two points.
Ed Slater charged down Kessell’s clearance at the restart, gathered the loose ball and sensing Mike Fitzferald on his outside passed the ball through his legs but just out of reach of his run.
However, JJ Hanrahan’s high tackle on Owen Williams allowed Burns to restore Tigers’ five-point lead with a penalty before Thompstone returned.
Tigers ended the half on the defensive as Myler pumped a penalty up to their 10m line. James Craig latched onto Kessell’s break and then kicked ahead but Kitto had back-tracked and mopped up the loose ball.
Saints won a scrum penalty in front of the posts for Myler to cut Leicester’s lead to 13-11 with the last kick of the first half.
Tigers looked to start the second half positively, Thacker and Betham kicking Saints back into their own 22 and forcing them to attack from deep.
But they were unable to get a firm footing and a series of penalties eased the pressure on the Saints allowed them to find field position.
At one penalty, turned down a kick at posts to tap and go to take Saints into the Leicester 22. But Tigers defended well, Hamilton and O’Connor combined to steel possession and Kitto found touch.
Thacker then made a brilliant turnover to steal the ball from North as he presented for his arriving scrum-half.
Tigers freshened the team up with the introduction of George McGuigan, Ellis Genge, Sam Harrison and Manu Tuilagi for Thacker, Mulipola, Kitto and Betham.
Tigers turned up the tempo at the breakdown and attacked the fringes, with Genge and McGuigan immediately to the fore. The tactic had Saints under huge pressure and took Tigers over the line but Fitzgerald was held up.
Saints were under huge pressure at the 5m scrum, but conceded a penalty as the set-piece crumbled. But Tigers were pinged at the reset and Myler cleared.
Back Tigers came. Burns’s angled a clever chip for Brady to chase into the left corner where Jamie Elliott was forced to concede the lineout. But again Tigers were unable to control the ball and Gibson overturned possession for Myler to clear.
It was all Tigers now but they unable to make the pressure count. Burns went through a gap on the 22 and found Harrison, who was stopped by last-man Foden.
A 5m scrum gave Tigers another attacking platform. Again they kept it close, but again they were unable to find a way through before Kitchener was help up over the line.
Tigers won a penalty at the resulting scrum and Burns ensured they took some points from their prolonged stay in the Saints 22 by landing the kick with the aid of an upright. The first points of the second half, it gave Tigers a 16-11 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
It was Burns’s last contribution before he was replaced by JP Pietersen. Pietersen slotted in at centre with Williams moving to fly-half.
Tigers had to dig deep to preserve their advantage with three minutes remaining. Lock Michael Paterson took the Saints to within sight of the Leicester line and replacement Api Ratuniyarawa thought he had foubnd a way through. However, Hamilton made the tackle and Slater latched on to win the penalty.
It was a telling intervention by the Leicester forwards. Kitchener was pulled down at a lineout with less than a minute remaining and Williams banged over the penalty to seal the victory and ensure Northampton returned home without a match point.
Thompstone finished off Freddie Burns’s superb piece of awareness for his fifth try of the season. Fly-half Burns converted the try and kicked three other penalties in front of another huge crowd at Welford Road on Saturday evening.
Saints scored a try of their own through Mikey Haywood and Stephen Myler landed two penalties to keep Saints in touch for much of the match.
But Burns’s third penalty with nine minutes remaining and a last-minute kick from Owen Williams sealed the win, Tigers’ fifth in a row, and ensured Northampton returned home empty-handed.
Logovi'i Mulipola and JP Pietersen returned from international duty to take their place in the Tigers line-up. Tigers were forced into a late change in the front row after Tom Youngs was withdrawn to a back spasm. Harry Thacker started at hooker with George McGuigan coming on to the bench. Ed Slater took over as captain.
Jono Kitto started at scrum-half in the only change to the backline from last weekend’s win at Bristol. George Worth made his first start at home in the Aviva Premiership while Manu Tuilagi was named on the bench for his first appearance in a home match squad this season.
Northampton included former Tiger Jamie Gibson in their back row. Ex Tigers Academy front rower Charlie Clare was named on the bench.
It was a typical highly-charged atmosphere for derby day and Northampton went down to 14 men within two minutes of kick-off. Luther Burrell, their England centre, was shown a yellow card for a high tackle on George Worth.
Worth brushed himself down and at the next attack turned the Saints defence with a grubber into their 22, and Myler skewed his return kick into touch.
Slater was played in the lineout and Burns landed the penalty to give Tigers a 3-0 lead after seven minutes.
And they made their extra man count with a try right at the end of the sin-bin period, and it owed much to the vision of Burns. He spotted Saints were short-handed on the Tigers right and doubled-back across the ruck, took the pass from Kitto and found Thompstone in acres of space to score on the right. Burns converted to give Tigers a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.
Thompstone’s next involvement saw him sent to the bin for a dangerour tackle on George North. Thompstone was deceived by the bounce of the ball and collided with North as he jumped for the ball. Thompstone was yellow-carded and North went off for a HIA.
Saints had Tigers under pressure for the firsty time at the penalty lineout. Tigers appeared to have halted the drive just short but Mikey Haywood reached out from a pile of bodies to score. Myler missed the conversion as Tigers led 10-5 midway through the half.
Myler was more accurate out of hand, though, and his penalty kick took the visitors abck to within 5m of the Leicester line. But Tigers sacked the drive and won the turnover as the ball failed to appear.
Kitchener was then ruled to have knocked the ball out of Tom Kessell’s hands at a ruck and Myler landed the penalty from distance to cut Leicester’s lead to two points.
Ed Slater charged down Kessell’s clearance at the restart, gathered the loose ball and sensing Mike Fitzferald on his outside passed the ball through his legs but just out of reach of his run.
However, JJ Hanrahan’s high tackle on Owen Williams allowed Burns to restore Tigers’ five-point lead with a penalty before Thompstone returned.
Tigers ended the half on the defensive as Myler pumped a penalty up to their 10m line. James Craig latched onto Kessell’s break and then kicked ahead but Kitto had back-tracked and mopped up the loose ball.
Saints won a scrum penalty in front of the posts for Myler to cut Leicester’s lead to 13-11 with the last kick of the first half.
Tigers looked to start the second half positively, Thacker and Betham kicking Saints back into their own 22 and forcing them to attack from deep.
But they were unable to get a firm footing and a series of penalties eased the pressure on the Saints allowed them to find field position.
At one penalty, turned down a kick at posts to tap and go to take Saints into the Leicester 22. But Tigers defended well, Hamilton and O’Connor combined to steel possession and Kitto found touch.
Thacker then made a brilliant turnover to steal the ball from North as he presented for his arriving scrum-half.
Tigers freshened the team up with the introduction of George McGuigan, Ellis Genge, Sam Harrison and Manu Tuilagi for Thacker, Mulipola, Kitto and Betham.
Tigers turned up the tempo at the breakdown and attacked the fringes, with Genge and McGuigan immediately to the fore. The tactic had Saints under huge pressure and took Tigers over the line but Fitzgerald was held up.
Saints were under huge pressure at the 5m scrum, but conceded a penalty as the set-piece crumbled. But Tigers were pinged at the reset and Myler cleared.
Back Tigers came. Burns’s angled a clever chip for Brady to chase into the left corner where Jamie Elliott was forced to concede the lineout. But again Tigers were unable to control the ball and Gibson overturned possession for Myler to clear.
It was all Tigers now but they unable to make the pressure count. Burns went through a gap on the 22 and found Harrison, who was stopped by last-man Foden.
A 5m scrum gave Tigers another attacking platform. Again they kept it close, but again they were unable to find a way through before Kitchener was help up over the line.
Tigers won a penalty at the resulting scrum and Burns ensured they took some points from their prolonged stay in the Saints 22 by landing the kick with the aid of an upright. The first points of the second half, it gave Tigers a 16-11 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
It was Burns’s last contribution before he was replaced by JP Pietersen. Pietersen slotted in at centre with Williams moving to fly-half.
Tigers had to dig deep to preserve their advantage with three minutes remaining. Lock Michael Paterson took the Saints to within sight of the Leicester line and replacement Api Ratuniyarawa thought he had foubnd a way through. However, Hamilton made the tackle and Slater latched on to win the penalty.
It was a telling intervention by the Leicester forwards. Kitchener was pulled down at a lineout with less than a minute remaining and Williams banged over the penalty to seal the victory and ensure Northampton returned home without a match point.
