TIGERS MATCHFILES

– MATCHFILE –

LEICESTER TIGERS 39-15 NEWCASTLE FALCONS

Saturday April 10 2021 / European Challenge Cup Quarter-Final Attendance: Closed doors / Referee: Mr Romain Poite (Fra)

LEICESTER TIGERS

15 Freddie Steward 14 Harry Potter 2T 13 Matías Moroni T 12 Matt Scott 11 Kini Murimurivalu 10 Johnny McPhillips P/C 9 Richard Wigglesworth (c) 1 Luan de Bruin 2 Charlie Clare 3 Joe Heyes 4 Harry Wells 5 Cameron Henderson 6 George Martin 7 Tommy Reffell 8 Hanro Liebenberg 16 Tom Youngs 17 Ellis Genge 18 Dan Cole 19 Tomás Lavanini 20 Jasper Wiese 21 Jack Van Poortvliet 22 George Ford P/C 23 Dan Kelly FALCONS: Penny, Wacokecoke, Orlando, Lucock, Stevenson, Connon, Young; Davison, McGuigan, Mulipola, Peterson, Robinson, Welsh, Wilson (c), Chick. Reps: Blamire, Cooper, Tempin, Farrar, Graham, Schreuder, Matavesi, Vuna

Tigers booked a place in the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup for a second successive year with a convincing victory over Newcastle Falcons, which featured two tries from Harry Potter and two penalty tries.

Potter provided the opening score when he read a kick in behind the Falcons defence from Johnny McPhillips and then the forwards added a penalty try from a maul which was pulled down as it reached the tryline.

Falcons lost skipper Mark Wilson to the sin-bin for his part in that incident but a score from George Wacokecoke brought the game back to 15-8 as halftime approached.

Matias Moroni then supplied a third try for Tigers, but Falcons replied to keep it tight entering the final quarter until a penalty from replacement fly-half George Ford finally provided a 10-point buffer.

A second penalty try from a maul followed, as did two more yellow cards including a second for prop Kyle Cooper who had just returned to the field to provide a full compliment of front-rowers. Potter then capitalised on space out wide to score his second as Tigers moved into the last four of the competition.

NOTEBOOK…

100th Tigers appearance for George Ford… Four yellow cards for Falcons including two to prop Kyle Cooper… Uncontested scrums in the closing stages after yellow cards to Cooper and Tampin… Kick-off followed a two-minute silence in respect of the Duke of Edinburgh who died the previous day… Dean Richards included four former Tigers in his starting line-up.

QUOTE... “They are a difficult team to beat. If we keep improving it should hold us in good stead.”

Mike Ford

– LAST TIME OUT –

BATH RUGBY 21-20 LEICESTER TIGERS

Sunday April 18 2021 / Gallagher Premiership Round 16 Attendance: Closed doors / Referee: Mr Luke Pearce

LEICESTER TIGERS

15 Freddie Steward 14 Harry Potter 13 Matías Moroni T 12 Dan Kelly 11 Kini Murimurivalu 10 George Ford 5P 9 Ben Youngs 1 Ellis Genge 2 Tom Youngs (c) 3 Dan Cole 4 Harry Wells 5 Calum Green 6 George Martin 7 Tommy Reffell 8 Jasper Wiese 16 Charlie Clare 17 Luan de Bruin 18 Dan Cole 19 Tomás Lavanini 20 Luke Wallace 21 Richard Wigglesworth 22 Johnny McPhillips 23 Matt Scott BATH: Watson, Cokanasiga, Joseph, Redpath, Muir, Matavesi, Spencer; Obano, Walker, Stuart, McNally, Ewels (c), Faletau, Underhill, Mercer. Reps: Du Toit, Schoeman, Thomas, Williams, Reid, Chudley, Bailey, Gray

A last-gasp converted try denied Tigers victory at The Recreation Ground.

Leading by 10 points entering the final quarter, Tigers then conceded a score from Miles Reid to set up a big finale and Bath finally claimed the match when Ben Spencer added a touchline conversion, following Will Muir’s second try of a bright and sunny afternoon in the West Country.

George Ford had kicked three penalties to put Tigers into a 9-7 half-time lead despite Muir’s opening score and Matias Moroni provided his second try in successive games to get the second half off to a good start.

Kini Murimurivalu, Dan Kelly and Jasper Wiese produced important tackles to close out dangerous attacks from Bath as Tigers led by 10, with another Ford penalty approaching the 60-minute mark.

But then Reid got over from close range and, finally, a penalty on halfway gave Bath position to go for the decisive score, keeping ball in the forwards to eventually find Muir on the left and give scrum-half Spencer the chance to kick the winning points.

NOTEBOOK…

Tigers had lost once in six games, and Bath two in nine, ahead of kick-off… Tom and Ben Youngs, Ellis Genge and George Ford all returned to the starting XV… Tigers without a win at The Rec since March 2011.

QUOTE... “We did a lot of good things, the effort and endeavour were magnificent, but there are a lot of things to learn from the game.”

Steve Borthwick