Tuilagi’s in agony yet again

nature of a game in which Leicester had two players sin-binned – Nick Malouf for a head-high tackle on Wade that could easily have been a red and Telusa Veainu for a deliberate knock-on.

But after seeing a much smoother Wasps ease into a 15-7 interval lead, the Tigers showed all their cussedness to haul themselves back. And when Kearnan Myall transgressed at a lineout late on, Ford put over the winning angled kick from 20 metres.

It was Leicester’s fourth successive win and elevated them to fifth place in the Premiership in front of a sellout 25,849 crowd.

While Wasps’ losing bonus point moved them up to third, they were left kicking themselves at the number of chances they spurned.

“That game should have been out of sight. I think we had 10 line breaks and six or seven clear opportunities – we’ve just got to take them, it’s as simple as that,” said Young. “One more score midway and that could have nailed it. But we didn’t have enough composure or patience, and that is disappointing.”

After Leicester had touched down in the third minute through man-of-the-match Sione Kalamafoni following a lineout drive, Daly crossed for two tries in quick succession.

Had Dan Robson not been hunted down in the corner by Tuilagi’s replacement Mathew Tait after the Wasps scrum-half had picked off an interception just before the break, the game could have been gone for the home side – and with it their chances of a 14th successive Premiership play-offs appearance.

But the arrival of Ellis Genge on the hour changed the flow of the game. The prop, who has missed the past three-and-a-half months after shoulder surgery, made a significant impact off the bench on his return.

With the scrum a deadly weapon, the revived Tigers timed their dip for the line to perfection.

“We couldn’t have afforded to lose and it keeps us right in the mix,” admitted O’Connor.

“It’s like going to the circus playing Wasps, there are that many things going on, but I’m pleased we kept it together and showed the resolve to come through.

“We knew we’d have them at the end in the front row and that was probably the game, along with Taity’s tackle.”