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Report | Fight on show in memorable Paris win

Figure image

Leicester Tigers made it two from two in the Investec Champions Cup with a hard-fought, three-point (24-27) victory over Stade Francais in Paris at Stade Jean Bouin.

Archie Vanes, in his first Champions Cup start, crossed for a hat-trick in less than an hour to continue the 22-year-old’s impressive scoring rate in senior rugby, while Jamie Shillcock was on target from the tee to contribute 12 points.

In an entertaining encounter, which included the lead changing hands on five occasions, a Tigers side that included more than a dozen changes from Round 1 held on under huge pressure from the home side in the dying stages to record the away victory.

After a physical opening period in Paris, Tigers were the first to strike when Vanes got across the chalk for his first at the back of a dominant driving maul from the Leicester pack.

Jamie Shillcock converted to make it 0-7 after nine minutes.

Both teams traded blows approaching the end of the first quarter in Paris before pressure paid off for the home side when they got over through Mathieu Hirigoyen.

The Tigers, who were penalised on three successive occasions at scrum-time on their own line, were on the backfoot when the Stade back-rower dived over and Joris Segonds converts to level it at 7-7.

Only minutes later and, again, discipline hurt the visitors when Charlie Atkinson was shown a yellow card when the TMO intervened on an attempted charge down from the full-back and it was deemed as reckless.

Despite holding on during the period with 14 men, Leicester gave Stade a chance to take the lead approaching the break and Segonds took the opportunity from the tee to see his side lead 10-7.

However, six minutes into extra-time before the break, Tigers opted to kick for the corner following a Stade infringement and Vanes had his second from the back of the pack again.

Shillcock’s second conversion meant the visitors took a four-point, 10-14, lead into the changing rooms.

The home side flew out of the block in the second half when they crossed just 90 seconds after arriving back on to the pitch.

It was Charles Laloi who got across, down the right hand touchline, after a break from the back of the set piece gave the hosts numbers in attack and had Leicester’s defenders backtracking.

Segonds was on target from the tee to take his side to a three-point, 17-14, lead.

The match began to open up in the French capital before, just shy of the hour mark, Vanes went over for his hat-trick on the back of several, patient phases from Tigers on their hosts line.

Shillcock was again on target from the tee to see Leicester back in the lead, 17-21, before the fly-half extend it to seven points just minutes later with a penalty-goal making it 17-24.

In control, Tigers began to play the territory game before – against the run of play – the home side went coast to coast to level it up in the 63rd minute.

The man of the moment was Stade full-back Leo Barre, who chipped, chased and regathered from inside his own half before putting on the afterburners to slice through the Leicester defence.

Segonds converted successfully to level it up before, approaching the 70th minute, Shillcock landed another from the tee to take Tigers ahead by three, 24-27, where it would remain despite the visitor's going down to 14 men in the dying stages when Mike Brown was shown a yellow card. 

Thankfully, his teammates held on and - with the clock in the red - Harry Wells came up with a turnover for the ages to win back possession, a penalty and victory.

Leicester travel to Exeter in their return to Gallagher Premiership action next weekend before hosting Bath Rugby on New Year's Eve in the first of back-to-back games at Mattioli Woods Welford Road ahead of a January 6 Double Header against London when the men's side take on Saracens and women's squad host Harlequins. Get your Tickets HERE.

Match Details

HT ScoreHalf Time Score

STA 10-14 LEI

FT ScoreFull Time Score

STA 24-27 LEI

Attendance

Not available

Referee

Nika Amashukeli

Stade Francais
Stade Francais
24

Full Time

Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
27
Stade Francais
T
C
P
T
C
T
C
KOHTFT
Leicester Tigers
T
C
T
C
T
C
P
P

Match Stats

Stade Francais
Leicester Tigers
Possession
47%
53%
Territory
49%
51%
Penalties Conceded
11
10
Yellow Cards
0
2
Red Cards
0
0
Tackles Won
156/173 90%
121/155 78%
Scrums Won
6/6 100%
4/5 80%
Lineouts Won
14/15 93%
12/14 86%

Player Stats

Stade Francais
Leicester Tigers
Leicester Tigers
TCDP
15Charlie Atkinson
14Anthony Watson
13Dan Kelly
12Solomone Kata
11Mike Brown
10Jamie Shillcock3C2P
9Tom Whiteley
1James Cronin
2Archie Vanes3T
3Joe Heyes
4George Martin
5Sam Carter
6Hanro Liebenberg
7Matt Rogerson
8Kyle Hatherell
16Finn Theobald-Thomas
17James Whitcombe
18Will Hurd
19Harry Wells
20Emeka Ilione
21Joe Powell
22Kieran Wilkinson
23Phil Cokanasiga

Commentary

TIGERS HOLD ON IN PARIS

Leicester hold on in Paris to make it two from two in the Investec Champions Cup pool stages.

PEN | JAMIE SHILLCOCK

A long-range penalty attempt from Jamie Shillcock clears the crossbar and Leicester take back the lead, 24-27, with 13 minutes remaining.

CON | STADE FRANCAIS

Again, we are level in Paris thanks to another successful attempt from the tee for Joris Segonds to make it 24-24.

TRY | STADE FRANCAIS

Leo Barre goes all the way... 

A brilliant, individual effort from the Stade Francais full-back, coast to coast, including a chip, chase and regather, before speeding his way around the Leicester defence to score.

PEN | JAMIE SHILLCOCK

Jamie Shillcock extends Leicester's lead by three points, 17-24, with just shy of an hour gone in Paris.

CON | JAMIE SHILLCOCK

Jamie Shillcock converts to see Tigers to a four-point lead, 17-21, with 25 minutes remaining in Paris.

TRY | ARCHIE VANES

Patience proves positive for Leicester who, after several phases on the Stade Francais line, get across through Archie Vanes - to give the hooker a hat-trick in his European debut.

CON | STADE FRANCAIS

Stade Francais extend their lead to three points, 17-14, after a successful conversion attempt from Joris Segonds.

TRY | STADE FRANCAIS

The home side with a perfect start to the second half, scoring less than 90 seconds after kicking off, through Charles Laloi down the right wing.

CHAPTER 2: UNDERWAY

Stade Francais, trailing 10-14, get the second half underway in Paris!

LEICESTER LEAD AT THE BREAK

Tigers take a four-point, 10-14, lead into the half-time break in Paris after a double from Archie Vanes in the opening forty.

CON | JAMIE SHILLCOCK

Jamie Shillcock converts his second for the match to make it a four-point game, 10-14, heading into the break in Paris.

TRY | ARCHIE VANES

Archie Vanes has a double in his Investec Champions Cup debut, six minutes into extra time for the first half, again from the back of a well-executed driving maul from Tigers. 

PEN | STADE FRANCAIS

The home side take the lead, 10-7, thanks to a penalty-goal from Joris Segonds with 90 seconds remaining in the first half.

30

ATKINSON RETURNS

It's 15 on 15 again, with half an hour played in Paris, as Charlie Atkinson returns from his yellow card 10-minute spell.

YELLOW CARD | CHARLIE ATKINSON

Leicester are down to 14 men for the next 10 minutes after a yellow card is shown to Charlie Atkinson following TMO intervention on an attempted charge down.

CON | STADE FRANCAIS

It's level, 7-7, after a successful conversion from Joris Segonds in the 17th minute.

TRY | STADE FRANCAIS

On the back of three successive penalties deep inside the Leicester end, pressure pays off for Stade Francais as they go over for their first through Mathieu Hirigoyen.

CON | JAMIE SHILLCOCK

Jamie Shillcock coverts the Archie Vanes try, nine minutes in, to make it 0-7 in Paris. 

TRY | ARCHIE VANES

Archie Vanes, in his Investec Champions Cup debut, gets over for a try at the back of a well-worked driving maul from the Leicester pack ... plus a few helpful backs!

UNDERWAY IN PARIS!

Jamie Shillcock gets the final fixture in Round 2 of this season's Investec Champions Cup going in Paris!


Opposition Lineup

Starting XV

15
Leo Barre
14
Kylan Hamdaoui
13
Joe Marchant
12
Jeremy Ward
11
Charles Laloi
10
Joris Segonds
9
Hugo Zabalza
1
Clement Castets
2
Mickael Ivaldi
3
Paul Alo-Emile
4
Paul Gabrillagues
5
Baptiste Pesenti
6
Sekou Macalou
7
Ryan Chapuis
8
Mathieu Hirigoyen

Replacements

16
Lucas Peyresblanques
17
Moses Alo-Emile
18
Francisco Gomez Kodela
19
Pierre-Henri Azagoh
20
Stephane Ahmed
21
Jules Gimbert
22
Lester Etien
23
JJ van der Mescht

Team News | Tigers team to take on Stade

Leicester Tigers have named the side for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup clash against Stade Francais at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris, live on TNT Sports.

England international duo George Martin and Anthony Watson make their return to club action in a rotated side which includes Tigers Academy product Archie Vanes making his first appearance in Europe at hooker.

Hanro Liebenberg captains the team from blindside flanker, forming the backrow with Matt Rogerson and Kyle Hatherell who both start their first Champions Cup game for the club.

The backline also sees maiden Tigers European starts for Jamie Shillcock and Tom Whiteley, while Finn Theobold-Thomas is in line for a second Leicester appearance from the bench.

There’s also a place for Harry Simmons in the matchday squad for the first time since his try-scoring performance against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

Discussing the side, Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said: “It’s great for us to have both George and Anthony back in the team and I’m sure our supporters will be delighted to see them in a Tigers shirt again. Both have worked hard over the last couple of weeks to prepare themselves physically to play and to pick up the knowledge required to execute their role."

"We’re on the back-straight of 22 consecutive fixtures and it was important to give guys an opportunity to play this week while freshening others up but our mindset going to France will not change and we’ll be ready to go at 6:30pm on Sunday.”

STARTING XV

15 Mike Brown [15]

14 Anthony Watson [16]

13 Dan Kelly [67]

12 Solomone Kata [6]

11 Ollie Hassell-Collins [11]

10 Jamie Shillcock [12]

9 Tom Whiteley [16]

1 James Cronin [22]

2 Archie Vanes [10]

3 Joe Heyes [131]

4 George Martin [58]

5 Sam Carter [9]

6 Hanro Liebenberg (c) [96]

7 Matt Rogerson [11]

8 Kyle Hatherell [7]

REPLACEMENTS

16 Finn Theobold-Thomas [1]

17 James Whitcombe [43]

18 Will Hurd [33]

19 Harry Wells [184]

20 Emeka Ilione [16]

21 Joe Powell [7]

22 Charlie Atkinson [23]

23 Harry Simmons [35]

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4
Leicester Tigers
Leicester TigersLEI420284122-381016109
6
Stade Francais
Stade FrancaisSTA400456122-66817022
Form Guide
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Past Meeting
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