Festive bonus for Leicester

Toby Flood: Pulled strings for Tigers

Leicester continued their Aviva Premiership resurgence as they claimed a 32-13 bonus-point victory over Worcester at Sixways.

Last season's runners-up endured a dismal start to the campaign but are now well within sight of the top four after a comfortable win over the struggling Warriors.

Fly-half Toby Flood scored one try and created another for Matt Smith, while Louis Deacon and Horacio Agulla also crossed the line to secure the extra point.

Worcester briefly threatened a comeback early in the second half but could not prevent the visitors from enjoying an almost perfect day, with injuries to England internationals Manu Tuilagi and Deacon the only drawbacks of their success.

Brighter start

Leicester made the brighter start and took the lead in the third minute when Flood broke through the line before handing off to Smith, who showed an impressive turn of pace to touch down.

Flood was on target with the conversion and then added a further three points in the seventh minute when his opposite number Joe Carlisle was penalised.

Tempers almost boiled over after Shaun Perry used his feet on opposing scrum-half Ben Youngs, resulting in a brief scrap and a kickable penalty for Worcester being reversed.

The Tigers scored another converted try just after the midway point of the first half, Flood again slicing the defence open and this time finishing himself after Agulla had set the move up with a break down the right.

Worcester finally began to show some attacking impetus as the half wore on and got their first points on the board with 30 minutes gone, Carlisle slotting over a straightforward penalty.

But the 17-point lead was restored on the stroke of half-time when Flood nailed a great penalty from wide on the right after Chris Jones took out a line-out jumper, an offence for which the Warriors' No. 8 was sent to the sin bin.

Leicester were penalised at a scrum soon after the restart but Carlisle's penalty came back off the upright and the Tigers defence held firm from a subsequent five-metre scrum.

Fightback

Carlisle was successful with a 48th minute penalty, making the scoreline 20-6, and the home side finally crossed the try-line after Jones had been reintroduced, with Marcel Garvey finishing off a dynamic move in the corner.

Carlisle threaded his touchline conversion through the posts to bring Worcester to within seven points, although the Warriors were let off the hook moments later when Tom Croft just failed to ground what would have been a superb try in the corner.

But the hosts were under heavy pressure at this point and their hopes of a comeback took a serious blow when Deacon powered over from close range, although Flood could not add the extras.

Despite the fact that Worcester needed to find another quick score it was Leicester who took control in the closing stages, although both Tuilagi and Deacon were forced to limp off.

Replacement prop Oliver Tomawaszczyk picked up Worcester's second yellow card in the closing stages and Leicester capitalised when Agulla collected his own chip over the top to score in fine style.