Tigers topple Dragons

Toby Flood returned from injury to help Leicester battle past the Dragons with a 29-20 success in their LV= Cup tie at Welford Road.

The Tigers were without 19 players through injury and international calls, but did have former Australia winger Lote Tuqiri making his first start for the club.

Flood also returned to action in the second half, for the first time since he ruptured an Achilles tendon in the Heineken Cup semi-final against Cardiff on May 3.

The home side had spells of domination but the Welsh side fought back and led by 11 points in the first half before the Tigers took charge with two tries.

Flood took over the kicking duties from Jeremy Staunton when he emerged off the bench, and he landed two important penalties which helped Leicester earn the win.

Penalties

Two penalties in three minutes from Staunton and a pushover try from number eight Jordan Crane, back on club duty after being dropped by England for his ponderous performance against Australia, gave Leicester an apparently commanding lead.

They looked set to build on it but twice surrendered possession in Dragons' territory and were punished for their lapses.

Former Northampton winger Will Harries broke free on the right and full-back Jason Tovey completed the counter-attack by cutting back inside through some flimsy tackling. Shaun Connor added the conversion.

The try that gave Dragons the lead was more spectacular. Leicester were again caught napping when Dragons attacked from their own line and former Wales winger Aled Brew went the length of the pitch to score a superb individual try.

But the lead disappeared within two minutes of the start of the second half.

Holes

Ben Youngs and Ben Kay both punched holes in the Welsh side's defence and Anthony Allen exploited the overlap to score an unconverted try.

Leicester sustained the pressure and took a firm grip on the game when referee Tim Wigglesworth lost patience with Dragons' spoiling tactics in the scrum.

Staunton added the conversion but the visitors hit back with a penalty from Connor followed by another opportunist try from centre Rhodri Gomer Davies, who intercepted a stray pass from Hamilton.

Replacement fly-half Adam Greendale somehow missed a straightforward conversion and Flood slotted two penalties in six minutes when he took over the kicking duties.

Flood almost celebrated his comeback with a try but Tovey managed to get in the way of a scoring pass from Anthony Allen.