Second defeat for Sarries

Saracens' Guinness Premiership challenge has suffered another blow after Leicester scored a 22-15 victory at Vicarage Road.

The impressive Toby Flood kicked 17 points for the visitors and Dan Hipkiss scored the game's only try in a win built on the firm foundation of the Tigers' pack.

Sarries stay top of the table by virtue of the losing bonus point they picked up; however, having gone unbeaten for four months they have now lost on consecutive weekends - last season's other grand finalists, London Irish, getting the better of them last Sunday.

Brendan Venter's side showed typical defensive defiance in holding a 6-3 advantage at the end of a first half Leicester dominated.

Justin Marshall's try-saving tackle on Scott Hamilton and a bone-shuddering hit from Brad Barritt on Lote Tuqiri typified why they have been so hard to beat this season.

It was a different matter after the interval, however, as the Tigers cranked up the pressure - their forwards giving a fine performance which yielded a raft of penalties.

Warning signal

Their pack fired an early warning signal by driving Saracens back 15 metres in the scrum before referee David Rose awarded the a penalty.

Flood failed to equalise Glenn Jackson's early strike but the miss did little to halt Leicester's momentum.

The forwards earned quick ball for impressive scrum-half Ben Youngs and Flood, but Saracens' defence held out.

The visitors were then forced into a change when Anthony Allen limped out of the game and Jeremy Staunton came on at fly-half with Flood moving to inside centre.

Leicester could have taken the lead in the first half after Jackson over-hit a cross-field kick but although Staunton and Hamilton launched a counter-attack, Marshall tackled his fellow New Zealander in the corner.

Even so, he could not force Hamilton out and the Tigers drew a penalty which Flood converted.

Saracens responded positively with Marshall taking a quick tap before releasing Andy Saull, who chipped in behind the Leicester defence before being taken out by Leicester prop Boris Stankovich, who was sin-binned.

The home side had one attempt at scoring from close range but then opted for the points, which Jackson kicked to secure the half-time lead.

Jackson was replaced by Derick Hougaard for the second half and the latter soon extended Saracens' advantage to 9-3 with a penalty from half-way.

Momentum shift

However, the momentum then shifted Leicester's way - Hipkiss's try coming after Ben Youngs' tap penalty produced sustained forward pressure towards the line.

Hougaard and Flood exchanged penalties before Hamilton launched a counter-attack from deep inside his 22 - the move involving Tuqiri but eventually breaking down when Youngs' pass deflected off Steve Borthwick.

The England captain was then sin-binned for offside and although Flood missed that penalty shot he soon kicked the Tigers clear just as soon as Leicester's pack once more asserted themselves.