Richard Cockerill praised Leicester's spirit after his depleted side fought back to claim an 18-13 win over Harlequins.
Tigers director of rugby pleased with battling qualities of team
Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill praised the spirit of his side after they ended a run of four straight defeats with a hard-fought 18-13 win over Harlequins.
Fly-half Billy Twelvetrees was the star of the show for the hosts as he kicked six penalties from seven attempts, two of them from inside his own half.
Quins scored the only try of the match late on when wing Tom Williams went over in the corner to earn a losing bonus point, but the Londoners were left counting the cost of numerous wasted opportunities.
Leicester's victory celebrations were dampened by a nasty injury to lock Geoff Parling who, after four months out with a neck injury, sustained a knee problem when on as a replacement.
"I was delighted with the players," stated Cockerill. "We played on the back foot in the scrum a little bit, which we are not used to, but I thought the spirit and willingness to roll our sleeves up to get the victory was key.
"And it was a key win within the context of the season as they would have fancied their chances after winning in the LV= Cup here.
"The boys tackled themselves to a standstill on a heavy ground and we were smart tonight.
"When we got a foothold in the game and got our penalties, Billy was pretty smart, kicking them from his own half as well."
Sympathy for Parling
Speaking about the injury suffered by Parling, Cockerill added: "It's horrendous.
"He has just had four months out with a neck injury and, if his knee is serious, that is horrendous luck for him and not good news for us."
Frustration for O'Shea
Harlequins rugby director Conor O'Shea rued his side's profligacy as they saw the game slip from their grasp having dominated early on.
"It was a case of what could have been but our players are sick of saying what could or should have been," a frustrated O'Shea declared.
"It was a game we believed we could win and a game in which we created enough chances in the first half.
"In the second half we gave away a lot of penalties and they played territory well.
"We played to the bitter end and created chances but, at times, it looked like it was harder not to score than to score.
"But that is life. We will remain positive and look to finish off these chances when they happen. It is going to be a long old season. We know that."
