Leicester Tigers produced a stunning second-half turnaround to beat rivals Northampton Saints in torrential rain at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, avenging last season’s Prem play-off semi-final defeat.
Leicester Tigers (Credits: BBC Sport)
After a scrappy, weather-hit first half, the Tigers scored 25 unanswered second-half points, running in four tries to leave the Saints shellshocked and extend the visitors’ wait for a league win at their near rivals to four years.
Leicester Tigers vs Northampton Saints: Rain Ruins First Half
The first half was played at the mercy of the weather, with neither side able to find any rhythm. Saints struck first when Fin Smith’s speculative kick ahead was spilled by Billy Searle, allowing James Pater to gather and score.
Freddie Steward gave the home fans something to shout about with a well-judged penalty from 50 metres out, but as the penalty count escalated amid the squall, neither team could keep the ball for long. The lineout was a particular struggle, with Tigers hooker Jamie Blamire suffering at the hands of the marauding Josh Kemeny.
Then, on the verge of half-time, everything changed. A major scuffle involving multiple players broke out on the touchline, eventually leading to Ollie Chessum pushing England team-mate Henry Pollock down the tunnel. Seemingly inspired by the tussle, the Tigers came out after the break with renewed purpose.
Second-Half Blitz: Blamire, Henderson, Carnduff and Steward Score
Within minutes of the restart, Blamire drove over from a rolling maul, with the backs adding their weight five metres out and the hooker emerging with the ball. Having gained dominance in the scrum, Leicester struck again as strong running from Solomone Kata set up Gabe Hamer-Webb and Cam Henderson down the wing, with the lock sliding over in the corner.
The Tigers were now in full ascendancy. Finn Carnduff drove over after a short-range pass from the imperious Joe Heyes as the Saints defence tired, and Steward then put the gloss on the victory, stepping Archie McParland to grab what had seemed an unlikely try bonus point.
Tries from Blamire, Henderson, Carnduff and Steward, plus conversions from Searle, completed the 25-point second-half blitz and turned a tense derby into a comfortable home win.
What the Derby Win Means for Leicester Tigers
The result leaves Leicester in second place behind Gloucester, while Northampton drop to fourth. More than the table, though, the manner of the win will please the Tigers: revenge for last season’s semi-final loss, delivered in the worst conditions, against their fiercest rivals, in front of a delighted Welford Road crowd.
For Saints, the search for a league win at Leicester goes on, now stretching to four years, and the second-half collapse will be a concern after they had matched the hosts for the first 40 minutes. The half-time scuffle may have lit the fuse, but it was Leicester who turned that spark into a storm after the break.
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Source: BBC Sport — read the full story there.
