Leicester Tigers edge past fellow strugglers Wasps
AN 80-METRE dash by full-back Telusa Veainu sealed this stormy tussle for a Leicester team fired up by their pack.
Veainu raced clear after a sustained Wasps spell of pressure failed to deliver a try for wing Zach Kibirige.
The Wasps wing looked certain to score in the right corner but lost control of the ball as Leicester scrumhalf Ben White dived to stop him.
White caught Kibirige around the shoulder but referee Karl Dickson ignored claims for a high tackle and a possible penalty try to rule the wing had knocked on.
It was a crucial call and triggered a calamitous two minutes for Wasps as moments later fly-half Jacob Umaga threw a wayward pass into the path of the speedy Veainu.
He proceeded to outrun the Wasps defence to score Leicester’s second try in the 65th minute following prop Greg Bateman crashing over in the 55th.
Overall, it was a heartening Leicester performance in registering only a third win in the Premiership this season.
Geordan Murphy, Tigers’ director of rugby, described the intervention by White as crucial and likened it to a famous tackle by Wallaby George Gregan on New Zealander Jeff Wilson in a Bledisloe Cup encounter.
“You see players often giving up to make a huge play like that and 99 times out of 100 the wing should score,” Murphy said.
Leicester turned round 6-3 down and a third penalty from Jimmy Gopperth at the start of the second half increased Wasps’ lead.
However, Leicester regrouped strongly following the sin-binning of Tomas Lavanini for upending a line-out just before Gopperth kicked his third penalty goal.
Leicester did not wilt without their big Puma and responded quickly to grab a penalty from substitute fly-half Noel Reid who had taken over from the luckless Rob Hardwick who had endured a tough first half in poor conditions.
Leicester’s diminished pack were in control by the time the big Argentinian returned to the field to immediately throw his weight into a ten-man drive which ended in Bateman scoring.
Reid converted to put Leicester 13-9 in front and for a time it brought another good response from Wasps.
The pressure should have been rewarded only for
Kibirige to lose control as he looked to finish off in the corner. Referee Dickson looked several times at TV replays but decided to signal for a knock forward and a scrum down.
To their credit, Wasps did not protest and continued on the attack only to lose any chance of victory when Umaga threw a pass that bounced into the hands of Veainu.
It was a key moment in a match marred by the bad weather brought by Storm Dennis.
Wasps looked to be playing the conditions the better in a mistake-riddled first half and Gopperth led the way by kicking two penalties to one by Hardwick.
Leicester gained in strength as the match wore on while Wasps were their biggest enemies at times by conceding 16 penalties to seven.