Matt O’Connor says Leicester Tigers took “a step in the right direction” with victory over Harlequins at the Twickenham Stoop on Saturday,
Tigers led at half-time but suddenly found themselves 10 points down after two quickfire scores for the hosts at the start of the second half. But tries from Jonny May and prop Greg Bateman, followed by a decisive penalty from George Ford, clinched a 31-28 victory.
“I thought we did a really good job in the first half, we played really well though we probably could have got more out of it,” said head coach O’Connor.
“Their two tries put us under a bit of pressure but the fightback was good and our leaders managed the game really well. Then the boys came back strongly and the composure was fantastic.
“I thought we did plenty of good things. It wasn’t a complete performance but to come here and get four points is really pleasing.
Tigers made it two wins in a row after beating Gloucester at Welford Road in Round 3 and also won for a second successive season at The Stoop.
“We were disappointed with the performance against Bath in Round 1 and it makes it hard when you lose at home,” O’Connor said.
“But the resilience we’ve shown in the last couple of weeks is a really good shot in the arm for the lads. It was a hard week with Richard Blaze leaving but the boys have been excellent. We’ve won the last two and that is a move in the right direction.”
Tigers host defending league champions Exeter Chiefs in Round 5 at Welford Road on Saturday (September 30). Kick-off is at 3.00pm and tickets are available now.
