Tigers stay in the hunt

England fly-half Toby Flood kept Leicester on course for an eighth successive Aviva Premiership final as the Tigers beat Northampton 21-35 on Saturday.

Flood grabbed a 25-point haul in front of a sell-out crowd at Franklin's Gardens as Leicester claimed a Premiership record with their fifth successive bonus-point win.

Flood scored two of the Tigers' four tries and booted three conversions plus three penalties, while wingers Alesana Tuilagi and Horacio Agulla also crossed for the visitors.

Northampton's tries came from England pair Lee Dickson and Chris Ashton, with Ryan Lamb kicking three penalties and Stephen Myler a conversion.

Northampton led 6-0 after 13 minutes thanks to two penalties from fly-half Lamb but the game swung the Tigers' way straight from the restart after his second kick.

Leicester centre Anthony Allen charged down the number 10's attempted clearance and Flood pounced to score under the posts before adding the conversion.

Fierce pressure

Two minutes later Leicester led 14-6 after a brilliant piece of skill by Agulla, who chipped a defender, caught the ball and off-loaded inside to fellow winger Alesana Tuilagi, who went under the posts.

Soon after Leicester flanker Julian Salvi just did enough to put off Ashton with the line at his mercy, while at the other lock George Skivington had a try chalked off for a forward pass by Allen.

Fierce Leicester pressure led to a penalty for Flood but that was cancelled out by Lamb's third penalty after Agulla had come to Leicester's rescue with a great try-saving tackle on winger Paul Diggin.

Leicester shot out of the blocks after half-time and fierce pressure led to their third try after just four minutes, Youngs putting Flood through a hole near the posts.

Flood's conversion made it 24-9, and while he was short with a long-range penalty minutes later he made no mistake with one from 40 metres.

It was turning into the Flood show and he almost scored a third try but was beaten to his chip over the line by Foden.

Brilliant

In the 54th minute, Agulla scored Leicester's bonus-point try, beating Diggin in the right corner after more fierce pressure in the Saints line. Flood missed the conversion.

Northampton hit back six minutes later when Dickson scampered over after great work by his forwards and replacement fly-half Myler added the conversion.

Northampton should have scored again in the 63rd minute but Ashton fell over making a pass when he should have gone for the line.

Flood's third penalty in the 70th minute made it 35-16 before Tigers replacement prop Martin Castrogiovanni was sin-binned for a professional foul, and with two minutes left Ashton's hard work was rewarded with a try from Myler's chip.

But Manu Tuilagi pulled off a brilliant try-saving tackle on opposite number George Pisi, who also got a bad bounce from a chip ahead after Hamilton failed to deal with the danger.

Leicester also had a lucky escape when Hamilton was again slow to deal with a bouncing ball in his own 22.