Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill insisted that Viadana presented the team with a tough challenge, despite the Tigers' win.
Head coach warns group rivals not to underestimate Italians
Leicester head coach Richard Cockerill insisted that Viadana presented the team with a tough challenge, despite the Tigers celebrating a 46-11 Heineken Cup triumph in Italy.
Scores from Johne Murphy, Tom Croft and Lucas Amorosino were furthered by a penalty try and a hat-trick by Scott Hamilton as the Tigers scooped maximum points in the Pool Three encounter.
But Cockerill was adamant that Viadana should not be taken lightly by group rivals Ospreys and Clermont Auvergne, who have yet to face the Italian side.
"Viadana have good players, are doing well in the Italian league and have a good set piece and kicking game. They are a very strong team," said Cockerill.
"They made the game really hard for us and we must give them huge credit for that. Any side which comes here and thinks they can just turn up will come unstuck. It was a hard, physical battle for us.
"It was frustrating and disjointed at times but we took our tries really well."
Patience
Cockerill put the Tigers' victory down to a combination of patience and grabbing opportunities when they arose.
"We have found from experience in Italy that you have to be patient, go through the phases and take your opportunities," he added.
"We didn't want to chase the game too early because that is when you make mistakes.
"But seven tries is probably a decent return in the end. We've scored 11 tries in the last two weeks and that's a good return in the first two rounds."
The Stadio Luigi Zafanella triumph went some way to compensate for Leicester's 32-32 draw against Ospreys in their opening Heineken Cup game.
Despite Viadana making a compelling fight back, the Tigers were able to maintain their lead with ease, with Hamilton giving a notable contribution by scoring in both halves to finally eradicate their hard-working hosts.
"We have probably played better than what we have shown here. But we came here for five points and that's what we have got, we're pleased with our work," said Hamilton.
"Viadana were really good and I was impressed by their forwards. They carried the ball well and their big boys took a lot of stopping.
"Some of their backs put us under pressure but we managed to hold onto the ball for long enough and score the tries when we needed to."
