MANU MAKES IT ...TIGERS DON’T
Tuilagi unscathed after comeback but can’t stop Leicester’s exit
MANU TUILAGI survived his return to rugby but could not stop Leicester’s European hopes being dealt a fatal blow.
Tigers pinned their hopes on the power of the fit-again England star helping them overturn last week’s hammering in Limerick.
Instead while Tuilagi avoided further mishap in his first game since September, English rugby’s biggest club suffered back-to-back defeats to the same opponent in Europe for the first time in 18 years.
“It’s a huge blow to our season,” Leicester boss Matt O’Connor admitted after the Champions Cup loss which ends his club’s interest in a competition they have twice won.
“Full credit to Munster. They won the big moments, they were better at taking their opportunities. We just weren’t accurate enough.”
A week after all seven English clubs were beaten in the same round of the tournament for the first time, only Wasps and Bath bucked the trend.
History suggested Leicester would join them given they had only lost twice at home in 36 previous European Cup ties.
But 12 months after turning a 38-0 thumping at Thomond Park into an 18-16 win under the Welford Road lights, they fell well short of performing the same Houdini act.
A secondhalf try by CJ Stander and 20 points from the boot of Ian Keatley deservedly gave Munster their first win at Leicester for 11 years – and what was just a 50th defeat for Tigers in 21 years of European competition. Tuilagi’s return to action at least brought consolation to the 23,100 crowd ahead of Sunday’s showdown with Saracens.
“The growth Manu will get out of that mentally and physically will be enormous for us,” said O’Connor. “There are no issues with his quality, we just have to keep him on the field. He was blowing hard at the end, but will get better and better every time he plays.”
It had all looked promising when fullback Mat Tait combined with Graham Kitchener to score the try which put Leicester 10-3 ahead on 15 minutes.
But Munster responded with 16 unanswered points as Leicester lost control of their physicality and Keatley punished their indiscipline.
Tigers were mighty unhappy to be pinged for 12 of the 14 first-half penalties, one of which sent Dan Cole to the sin bin. They tightened up as the game wore on and George Ford kicked them back to within three points.
But that was as it good as it got and Munster closed out a win which put them top of Pool 4 and left Leicester cursing what might have been.
LEICESTER - Try: Tait. Con: Ford. Pens: Ford 3.
MUNSTER - Try: Stander. Con: Keatley. Pens: Keatley 6.