Richard Cockerill praised his Leicester side's intensity as they kept up the pace to hammer the Scarlets 46-10 in the Heineken Cup.
Tigers chief happy with intensity shown by Leicester side
Richard Cockerill praised his Leicester side's intensity as they kept up the pace to hammer the Scarlets 46-10 in the Heineken Cup.
The Tigers took control of Pool Five in European rugby's top competition with a lob-sided victory over the Welsh region at Welford Road.
Although just 13-10 ahead at half time, Leicester turned up the heat and scored tries through Ben Youngs, Thomas Waldrom, Tom Croft (2) and Matty Smith for a bonus-point win that sent them four points clear of Perpignan at the top of the section.
"I felt we needed more points out of the first half at half-time they were very much in the game," Cockerill said. "They took their try well and we'd have liked to have scored a couple more of our own but we didn't take our opportunities.
"But we kept the intensity and composure and those five tries in the second half included some quality bits of rugby. Ben Youngs was sharp, Toby Flood was really good and for Thomas Waldrom that was probably the best he's played in terms of his physicality and ball carrying."
Defence
Cockerill felt the Tigers' defensive display was a key factor in their success.
He said: "Defence was our theme this week, we didn't work on much else as we have been scoring plenty of tries but conceding soft tries.
"I am delighted we only conceded one try and, even when the game was won, in defence we were right up there and it's a good sign for us."
But the former England hooker says there will be no complacency at Welford Road, despite their strong start to the pool stages.
The next European appointments for the reigning Premiership champions will come in the form of back-to-back meetings with Perpignan in December.
He continued: "We have to go to Scarlets and Perpignan. Treviso also have to come here and there are lots of games to play.
"Scarlets are a good side and if winning the pool depends on winning at Llanelli we know it will be a tough day. But the challenge was laid down for us today and we accepted it and I'm delighted."
Davies down
Scarlets coach Nigel Davies cut a disconsolate figure after his side's heavy defeat, bemoaning their inability to cope with the pressure they had been put under by the ruthless Tigers.
He said: "We were too inaccurate, they seemed to have all the ball and were very effective at the breakdown, that was a key area and we lost a lot of ball there.
"At half-time it was only 13-10 and we hadn't had much of the game. It was a case of trying to keep hold of the ball but the pressure and intensity they brought did not allow us to do that.
"You have to get the basics right if you want to come to a place like Leicester and win. We have got to be more composed. They were ruthless and it was big, big lesson for us."
The visitors also saw Wales prop Rhys Thomas carried off during the first half, but Davies said it was too early to tell how severe the forward's injury was.
"It's too early to say. I don't know what it is, it looked like a football tackle to me and I don't know if it is his shin or his knee."
