Murphy proud of Leicester fight in Harlequins draw

LONDON: Leicester Tigers coach Geordan Murphy saluted his struggling side’s determination as they came from 14 points down to draw 30-30 with Harlequins in front of a 75,000 crowd at Twickenham on Saturday.

This was the 12th ‘Big Game’ at Twickenham and the match followed the inaugural edition in finishing in a draw when Murphy scored for the Tigers in a 26-26 clash with Quins back in 2008.

Leicester remained second-bottom in the English Premiership, with only reigning champions Saracens — hit with a huge 35point deduction for salary cap breaches — below them in the table.

Tries in Saturday’s final quarter from Jordan Taufua and Telusa Veainu helped Leicester to a share of the spoils after Quins were reduced to 14 men and Murphy was delighted by the way his team’s pack paved the way for a couple of points.

“We knew that they were on a final warning scrum wise, we thought we had an edge there,” he said.

“We used that to build us a platform and at 30-30 and when they were down to 14 with seven minutes to go, I thought we’d go on and win that game, so it certainly feels like a very strange game.” Quins boss Paul Gustard was frustrated by his side’s failure to see out the game in a match played just round the corner from the London club’s Stoop headquarters.

“For me, (I’m) gutted. I’m disappointed with the referee today and it feels more like a loss than getting two points,” he said. “It was difficult, obviously, with sin-binning our tighthead prop, we had to move Joe Marler across.”

Elsewhere Bath edged out Sale 16-14 in a thriller at the Recreation Ground to leave them just outside the top playoff places. It was a second straight win for Bath, whose hopes of reaching this tern’s European Cup knockout phase have been ended long before the finish of the pool stages.

Wales fly-half Rhys Priestland kicked three penalties for Bath, the last proving to be a match-winner after England centre Jonathan Joseph had gone over for a converted try.

Meanwhile Wales No 8 Taulupe Faletau came through a full match for the first time this season, a timely appearance ahead of new national coach Wayne Pivac’s unveiling his inaugural Six Nations squad.

“He is pleased he has got through it,” Hooper said. “Credit to him for the work he has put in and to our medical team.”