Aviva Premiership: Leicester Tigers and Saracens share the spoils
Last Updated: 16/11/14 3:37pm
Owen Williams earned a 21-21 draw for Leicester with the last kick of a turgid Aviva Premiership clash against Saracens at Welford Road.
The 22-year-old Welsh fly-half kept his cool to slot his seventh penalty on an afternoon when former England fly-half Charlie Hodgson kicked seven for Saracens.
The two points put Saracens in joint second place with Exeter and Bath, while Leicester go level on points with Sale and Gloucester.
Saracens centre Marcelo Bosch was the only player to get a yellow card on a rain-soaked afternoon when, with so much at stake, neither side were prepared to take any risks and instead relied on the boots of Williams and Hodgson.
Saracens led 12-6 after a hard fought first half thanks to Hodgson, who kicked four penalties from five attempts.
His opposite number, Williams, did not fare so well, slotting two from four and would have kicked himself for missing one from bang in front of the posts.
Both sides were missing key players on international duty but Leicester recalled England prop Dan Cole for his first start since neck surgery and were led by former All Black Brad Thorn, their oldest captain at 39 years and 285 days for 90 years.
With so much at stake neither side took any risks and, as a result, not a single chance was created. The biggest talking point of the half was the yellow card shown to Bosch, who, along with David Strettle, picked up Leicester winger Blaine Scully and dumped him on his back.
After consulting the TMO and watching several replays, referee Tim Wigglesworth sin binned Bosch but could easily have shown a yellow to Strettle too.
Leicester failed to take advantage and the score was 3-3 during the 10 minutes Bosch was off the field.
Replied
Hodgson kicked penalties in the 10th, 20th, 32nd and 34th minutes, while Williams replied in the 23rd and 29th minutes.
It was more of the same after the interval, with Williams and Hodgson exchanging penalties and Saracens keeping their noses ahead.
Williams slotted three penalties in the third quarter, the first a monster from 50 metres, but Hodgson hit back with two of his own and constantly pegged Leicester back with diagonal kicks to touch as the rain poured down.
The second of those, in the 57th minute, came after Saracens had a chance to pull clear after winning a penalty at a scrum near Leicester's line. They could have gone for the try, either through another scrum or a line out and drive but chose the safe option of Hodgson's boot.
And minutes later Leicester were back on level terms after Williams kicked his fifth and sixth penalties.
Hodgson put Saracens ahead yet again with five minutes left with a simple penalty but Williams equalised right on full time with his seventh after Saracens had been penalised at a scrum, awarded after Strettle's kick had gone dead.
