Improvement continues – now for the league
NOBODY can complain about the first away win for the Tigers in about a year and, even more significantly the first win in France for seven years.
Those are significant statistics, but perhaps more significant is the fact that the Tigers managed to back up a decent performance last week at Welford Road against Brive with another one, this time away and with a much-changed and rotated side.
While Bayonne have not been playing particularly well, and had been held to a draw by the Italian side Zebre the week before, the fact they were at home meant this was no gimme for the Tigers.
For long periods, Leicester depended on their improved defence under Steve Borthwick, and at times, as illustrated by three yellow cards, were close to breaking. But they held on.
The ability to take virtually all the chances on offer was absolutely key.
Particularly impressive was the start to the second half, when, down to 13 men, the Tigers managed to eke out two kickable penalties that were duly despatched by the excellent Zack Henry.
Few would have expected Henry to be the preferred alternative to George Ford once Argentinian international Joaquin Diaz Bonilla arrived, but at the moment he is well ahead of the former Jaguares star in the fly-half pecking order.
The three yellow cards will be of concern, and taking two at effectively the same time and still conceding the try (they might as well have lost the try and kept 15 men on the pitch) rather indicated a possible lack of rugby intelligence, but that will hopefully come.
The desire to prevent the opposition crossing the line was there for all to see, and some effective defence of the driving maul – an Achilles heel in the past – indicated genuine improvement.
Whether the introduction of a genuine seven in the form of Tommy Reffell was a tactical masterstroke or simply reflected the young Welshman’s form in training is open to question, but it certainly paid off as his work in both defence and attack was exemplary.
The next question will be whether the Tigers can actually repeat the improvements next time out.
While the results so far have put
Leicester in the box seat for qualification in Europe it is correct that the competition will be low priority against that of the Premiership.
Another victory against Newcastle on Boxing Day and people will start to believe that something significant is happening.