Tigers see off Sarries

Successful first game for new permanent head coach Cockerill

Last updated: 19th April 2009   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Tigers see off Sarries

Hamilton scores for Leicester

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Leicester remain top of the Premiership after grinding out a 16-13 victory at Saracens.

The Tigers trailed 10-8 at the interval following Francisco Lionelli's try and five points from the boot of Glen Jackson.

Scott Hamilton touched down in the first half, Sam Vesty added a penalty and Ayoola Erinle went over in the second for the visitors, before Jackson levelled matters with a penalty.

The hosts' fly-half hit the post with a late penalty before Vesty - with one success out of his previous four attempts - slotted the match-winning penalty with the last kick of the game.

It was the end of an era for the Men in Black.

Toulon-bound Kris Chesney was making his last home appearance for Saracens - his 338th in all - while Andy Farrell and Cobus Visagie both stepped off the bench for their final bow at Vicarage Road.

It was a cosmopolitan Italy-England-Argentina connection which brought Saracens' first score.

Fabio Ongaro's long throw overshot the lineout where Hugh Vyvyan swept up and, with the handling of a basketball player, eluded Vesty and deftly popped the ball to Lionelli to score unopposed under the posts. Jackson popped over the conversion.

The Tigers soon replied after 10 phases and 27 pairs of hands when wing Hamilton evaded Vyvyan's grasp around the fringes to score wide on the right.

Vesty pulled the conversion wide and Jackson then missed a straight-forward penalty attempt at the other end before slotting an even easier effort from inside the visitors' 22.

An indiscretion at a ruck offered Vesty three points which he gratefully accepted to cut the interval deficit to two.

Bursts

Tigers fly-half Vesty missed a close-range penalty before the visitors took the lead for the first time after two bursts through the middle.

Replacement scrum-half Ben Youngs scythed through a gap at a ruck on halfway and two phases later England centre Dan Hipkiss was stopped five metres short after an incisive break.

Leicester regrouped and spread the ball wide where centre Erinle touched down. Vesty's kicking woes continued as he missed the conversion.

Tom Croft, who is expected to be named among the British and Irish Lions touring party for South Africa on Tuesday, had few opportunities to impress from the second row.

The England flanker burst down the left wing but ran out of support before Saracens' lead was restored.

Jackson drilled over a penalty following an offside in the middle of the field before Chesney trudged off the Vicarage Road surface for the final time.

Jackson hit the upright with a late penalty attempt before Saracens were ruled to have strayed at a ruck and Vesty slotted the ball through the posts from 30 metres.

That concluded a successful afternoon for Richard Cockerill, who was taking charge of the Tigers for the first time since being confirmed as their new permanent head coach.