Tigers too fierce for Treviso

LEICESTER took control of their European Rugby Champions Cup pool with a bonus-point 36-3 win at Treviso.

Telusa Veainu scored twice, Peter Betham and Greg Bateman followed while the Tigers also claimed a first-half penalty try. Tommy Bell weighed in with three conversions and a penalty, and Seremaia Bai also converted.

The victory rubberstamped Leicester’s place at the top of Pool Four with maximum points from their opening two games, while Stade-Francais’ game against Munster was postponed. For Treviso, this was a 16th consecutive loss in the competition and they only had a solitary James Ambrosini kick to show for their efforts.

Bell kicked a seventhminute penalty when Francesco Minto was penalised at the breakdown but it was Leicester’s strength in the scrum that created the game’s first try.

Prop Matteo Zanusso was sin-binned in the 18th minute for collapsing the set-piece and French referee Mathieu Raynal awarded a penalty try following the next scrum. Bell converted but Leicester failed to add further punishment on the scoreboard against 14 men. But two tries in the five minutes before half-time saw the Tigers take control.

Tom Croft set up Brendon O’Connor. Dom Barrow followed before Bell slid through a kick for Veainu to score on 36 minutes. O’Connor was penalised from the restart to allow Ambrosini to kick Treviso’s only points.