Ford takes charge as Tigers find their claws
A MEMORABLE opening burst proved the crucial part of a giddy victory to begin the Geordan Murphy era at Welford Road.
The way Leicester raced into a 22-0 lead evoked memories of those days when Tigers flattened allcomers. However, the 2018 Tigers do not enjoy such dominance and they were relieved some 65 minutes later to be winners of a match which saw each team score five tries.
The difference was Leicester’s greater possession, the silky skills of George Ford and Newcastle’s poor first-half defence and struggling line-out in the second half.
Ford pounced for Leicester’s first try to launch an afternoon of 29 points containing three conversions and six penalty goals.
Leicester did not need any more motivation in a week when they had sacked head coach Matt O’Connor. However, an extra dollop was provided by captain Tom Youngs, who appeared just before kick off on the big screen. “We’re all in it together – let’s hear the roar,” he said.
His rallying cry set the tone for a first half in which Tigers led 40-19 at the break. At one stage they were 32-7 up having scored 22 points without reply in that opening 14-minute burst.
Helped by Newcastle’s poor defending, Leicester began to put memories of that embarrassing demolition last week at Exeter behind them. Ford led the way for the first, darting over near the corner, to be followed by Jonny May and Adam Thompstone.
Newcastle did pull a try back through their neversay-die No.9 Sonatane Takulua but that only spurred Leicester to produce a fourth score when Manu Tuilagi raced clear, off a neat pass from Kyle Eastmond, to run in from near halfway.
It was non-stop stuff and Newcastle showed how they have developed as a team by not panicking. They too played some good rugby and stretched their opponents to earn two tries for Niki Goneva.
In between Goneva’s scores, Leicester grabbed another penalty through Ford and finished the half by working a second try for May, Ford again in the thick of the action.
The second half was a much more traditional Premiership match in which Newcastle led the way to leave the Leicester faithful very worried.
Those frowns started when Falcons captain Will Welch wrestled his way out of a maul, following a closein line-out, to score a try which needed the approval of the video official. Toby Flood, following a sloppy first half, found his kicking boots to land the extras.
Though Leicester grabbed another Ford penalty immediately, Newcastle had the upper hand for a period and deserved a fifth try from prop Sami Mavinga. Flood converted only for Newcastle to concede another penalty straightaway which Ford landed for a 46-33 lead.
To the credit of Newcastle they did not give up and the crucial decisions came in a frantic spell when they camped on the Tigers line.
However, the pressure did not produce a try even though Leicester had Telusa Veainu sin-binned for being offside at a ruck on the Tigers line.
That decision just about finished Newcastle’s comeback and it was Ford who had the last word. Though he missed with a drop-goal, he kicked a 45m penalty to start the Tigers’ celebrations.