Leicester 34-13 Worcester: Tigers return to winning ways
By PA Sport
Last Updated: 08/10/16 5:38pm
Leicester bounced back from last week's shock defeat at Sale to crush Worcester 34-13 in the Aviva Premiership.
The bonus-point win maintained their dominance over the Warriors, who have never won at Welford Road in 14 visits dating back to 1895, and kept them in fourth place.
Leicester scored four tries in front of a 20,854 crowd, through Tom Brady, Telusa Veainu, Logovi'i Mulipola, and Graham Kitchener, with Owen Williams kicking 14 points, while Worcester replied with one from Jaba Bregvadze and Ryan Lamb kicked eight points.
Leicester made an 11th-hour change, bringing in Mike Fitzgerald for flanker Mike Williams. They also made several other changes from the side that lost at Sale, bringing in scrum-half Jono Kitto and locks Kitchener and Dom Barrow, while prop Ellis Genge made his first start at home.
Worcester made three changes from the side that beat Newcastle, bringing in winger Dean Hammond, fly-half Ryan Lamb and hooker Bregvadze.
Leicester, who parted company with defence coach Scott Hansen in midweek after conceding 30 points or more in three of their five matches, dominated the first half to turn round 20-0 ahead.
Williams had kicked two early penalties before the abrasive Genge made a superb break into the Warriors' 22 that led to the first try, in the 23rd minute. Brady came off his wing before skipping past a tackle to score under the posts.
The second try, nine minutes later, came from a Worcester clearance. Leicester ran it back and full-back Veainu bounced out of one tackle before scything his way past some poor tackling for a fine solo try.
Lamb pulled six points back for Worcester with penalties in the 44th and 49th minutes before just managing to avoid conceding a third try when scrum-half Jonny Arr's pass missed Lamb behind his own try line.
Leicester brought on two big guns, props Marcos Ayerza and Mulipola, in the 56th minute and it paid off with the Tigers' third try in the 65th.
Mulipola had been held up over the line two minutes earlier after a great run by No 8 Lachlan McCaffrey, who was injured in the process, but two minutes later he barged his way over after an uncontested scrum. Williams converted to put Leicester 27-6 ahead.
Worcester hit straight back, Bregvadze scoring from a line-out and drive in the 68th minute which was converted by Lamb.
With five minutes left, Williams nearly scored Leicester's fourth try after a Lamb blunder but the Tigers kept the pressure on and got the bonus point when Kitchener barged over for a try converted by Williams.
