Flood's boot floors Warriors

England fly-half Toby Flood kicked 24 points as champions Leicester beat Worcester 39-18 in their biggest away win this season in the Guinness Premiership.

Bottom side Worcester took the lead at Sixways as Willie Walker kicked the first of his six penalties early on, but the Tigers took control after that.

Tries by full-back Jeremy Staunton, scrum-half Ben Youngs and substitute James Grindal were all converted by Flood, who also booted six penalties to bolster an emphatic victory.

The reigning league champions are now well on course for a home semi-final in mid-May, suggesting another title triumph is well within reach after cruising to biggest league away win of the league season.

Worcester trailed 13-12 at half-time, but that was as close as they got before an organised Leicester outfit pulled clear leaving the Warriors stuck at the bottom of the table, two points behind Leeds Carnegie and Sale Sharks with just five games left.

Discipline

Warriors boss Mike Ruddock will not have been pleased with another in-disciplined display, although they did take the lead seven minutes in when Walker kicked his first penalty after Leicester messed up a lineout.

Flood botched a straightforward penalty chance but the visitors still took the lead as centre Ben Smith delivered Staunton a scoring pass.

Flood converted and then added a penalty following a long-range Walker strike, but Worcester crept 12-10 in front through two further Walker penalties, only for Flood to have the final say of a lively half when he slotted his second penalty.

Flood increased Leicester's advantage just two minutes into the second period, and with a strengthening breeze behind them, the Tigers sought territorial dominance.

Although Walker slotted his fifth penalty to give Worcester hope, Leicester responded by collecting their second try of the game when Youngs made a darting 30-metre run.

Gap

The Worcester back-row went absent without leave, allowing Youngs to scorch through a huge gap and take the Tigers clear, with Flood adding the conversion.

Flood and Walker exchanged further penalties early in the final quarter, and although Worcester kept plugging away, there was no way back.

Two further Flood penalties underlined Leicester's degree of control, and they finished the game chasing a third try when their New Zealand wing Scott Hamilton almost powered over.

Worcester escaped on that occasion, but Leicester struck with the game's final move when Grindal - on for Youngs - scampered through weak tackling for a score that left the Warriors a demoralised, distant second-best.