The 24-year-old fly-half was given the nod by head coach Pat Howard on Saturday with Andy Goode on England duty and Paul Burke carrying a knock following last Sunday's game at Saracens, and he did not disappoint as Tigers beat London Irish 26-18 to move into fourth place in the Guinness Premiership table.
Humphreys targeted a win for the team and a full game for himself in the build-up to the match and achieved both as he kicked four penalties and two conversions from six attempts at goal, as well as putting in a long-range kick which led to Tom Varndell's second score of the afternoon.
"The priority was to win the game," said Humphreys. "And I just wanted to try to stay on the pitch for 80 minutes, which I did not manage in the first team last year.
"It was a close game, but I thought they did not look like getting through our defence, our first-up tackling was very good on most occasions. They got a few penalties and that kept them in touch.
"We scored one very good try - and the other one was inches away from being an horrific kick but Tom Varndell chased it and very happily we got seven points out of it! The kick could have gone dead but we went from a scrum on our own 22 to a seven-point score, which was obviously very nice and got us on the front foot."
Humphreys collected the Bradstone Man of the Match award from club chairman Peter Tom after the final whistle, but was quick to spread the credit for the victory.
"I don't know about being man of the match, I thought the forwards did very well and that makes it easier for you playing behind them when you are getting good ball," he said. "Also, Daryl Gibson and Leon Lloyd helped to talk me through it. I made mistakes but you just have to forget them, and that is where the experience of guys like Daryl and Leon comes in. They had a quick word and you get on with it."
