A bonus-point win over Bristol Bears is a reflection of the hard work being put in at Oval Park – but it’s just the start, according to Leicester Tigers wing Jonny May.

The 29-year-old added two more notches to his season’s try tally in Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match, including the crucial bonus-point score in the final stages of the game.

And, following a hard-fought match against Exeter Chiefs and a come-from-behind draw away to Harlequins in the previous two rounds, May described the reaction to opening 2020 with a league win.

“The thought of finishing this block without anything to show for it would be awful, because we’ve all worked so, so hard,” he said.

“We’re not in a position where we expect wins at the moment – we’ve got to really, really work for them.

“This win has come as a reflection of all that hard work from everyone.”

May also picked out the Welford Road faithful as Tigers opened up a new decade on home turf.

“What a place Welford Road can be when we give [the crowd] something to cheer about,” he remarked.

“I’ve never felt it quite like it before – how desperate these guys are, just like we are, for this to be a great club.”

But the 52-cap England international revealed that there were similar feelings out on the pitch, too.

He continued: “Scoring that final try is as good a feeling as I have had at Leicester Tigers, because of how desperate we were to win.

“It’s never a good thing to be desperate on the pitch, but you can’t say you weren’t – I certainly was today.

“Hopefully, now, a little bit of belief and the realisation that we can be a great team, if we keep working on what we’re working on, will steady the ship out and we’ll keep making progress.

“This is a club that has all the ingredients to be a top side in Europe.”

Tigers return to action this Sunday (January 12, 3.15pm) as they host Cardiff Blues in the European Challenge Cup. Match tickets are available from the Tigers ticket office at Welford Road, on 0116 319 8888 (option 2) and online using the buttons below.