Tigers claw back Saints

Matt Smith carries Chris Ashton across the line

Leicester snatched a dramatic 30-25 win over Northampton in a pulsating East Midlands showdown at Welford Road.

Horacio Agulla crossed late on to edge the Tigers back in front towards the end of an Aviva Premiership clash that saw both sides finish with 14 men.

Chris Ashton's clash with fellow winger Alesana Tuilagi resulted in red cards for the latter and Northampton flanker Tom Wood, who became embroiled in a mass punch-up.

Leicester had led comfortably after tries from Matt Smith, Steve Mafi and Ben Youngs, only for the Saints to come marching back in the second half.

Burst

The visitors had broken the deadlock after just four minutes when an offside infringement allowed Ryan Lamb to boot them 3-0 ahead. Toby Flood equalised in the 11th minute, however, before the game then burst into life.

Ashton, who was on the receiving end of Manu Tuilagi's infamous three-punch salvo in the same fixture last season, tackled Alesana Tuilagi out of play by his hair, sparking a fracas against the front of the stand.

A dozen players and an unfortunate ball-boy became involved but despite not connecting with a single blow, Alesana Tuilagi was red-carded along with Wood, who was spotted by the far-side touch judge throwing two punches.

Agulla and team-mate Geordan Murphy were, like Ashton, fortunate to escape punishment.

Having stopped Ashton at one end, Matt Smith then carried the same player with him for several yards to touch down right in the corner for the opening try. Flood's conversion attempt was wayward, though, leaving the score at 8-3.

The second try came when Ben Foden's kick was charged down and he was forced to hack out for a line-out, from which Leicester recycled the ball and flanker Steve Mafi burst through four weak tackles for a converted effort.

The collateral damage continued as Foden was tackled into a pitchside cameraman, before Lamb cut the arrears with a second penalty.

Flood missed a drop-goal and penalty on the stroke of half-time, meaning Leicester led 15-6 at the break.

The England fly-half did find the target early in the second half, but Ashton's fortunes turned when he was found by Foden on the end of some superb quick passing and went over out wide.

Last-ditch tackle

Lamb missed the conversion and also a subsequent penalty from a central position, before Northampton were denied one of the tries of the season by Mafi's last-ditch ankle-tap on Tom May.

Instead it was the Tigers who crossed next, Lamb dropping a simple pass to allow Julian Salvi to seize on the loose ball. The Saints defence held firm until Ben Youngs picked up and drove over, the scrum-half being given the benefit of the doubt on what was a marginal call for the television official.

May touched down in similar fashion to cut the deficit and Saints suddenly led 25-23 when Ashton recovered his own kick out of Agulla's hands and put flanker Phil Dowson in behind the posts.

But the game swung back Leicester's way when number eight Thomas Waldrom shimmied and found Agulla, who ran 50 metres and mimicked Ashton's swallow-dive as he touched down.

Fly-half Flood found his accuracy to put his side five ahead with the conversion and they clung on for a crucial victory.