Manu back on the rampage to tee up Tigers
MANU TUILAGI rediscovered his impression of a rambunctious rampaging rhino as he bashed Leicester back into European contention.
Eddie Jones, sitting in the Welford Road stands, would have loved it. The England centre, who was recalled for the autumn Tests on Thursday, looked ravenous and richly in form.
He scored a vital 64th-minute try that was all power and might on the blindside as he swatted away three poor Scarlets, and carried like a runaway train all night. On this evidence he looks ready for the Springboks and All Blacks in November.
George Ford looked brilliantly bossy too and accounted 20 of Leicester’s points, kicking eight of his 10 attempts.
Leicester’s bonus- point win means they stopped the rot of their worst European run in history — five consecutive defeats — but the collective sense of a relief took a while to materialise.
Far from feeling like the fervent fortress of old, Welford Road was just about two-thirds full and bounced to Hymns and Arias, Sosban Fach and Land of My Fathers at the start. Even when the Tigers were 10-0 up inside 15 minutes it was the Welsh voices singing. Perhaps that was because the old place had lost faith in a Leicester side in such dire Champions Cup straits. A sixth consecutive continental defeat here would surely be curtains and a third pool-stage exit on the spin.
Harry Wells’ try and five points from Ford had them ahead early, but then — in now typical Tigers style — they let the opposition back in. They scored a superb try down the left. A flicked pass from prop Wyn Jones to David Bullbring for the break, then on to pacey Gareth Davies for the finish. Leigh Halfpenny kicked that conversion and a penalty to take them level by the half-hour mark.
Scarlets had one ruled out by the point too, Blade Thomson’s six-metre slide ending with him losing the ball forwards as he crossed the line.
Leicester did lead at half-time however. A quick ruck in the 22 and Ben Youngs missed out Tuilagi to find Mike Williams, who sent over Guy Thompson. A Halfpenny penalty after Ford had missed the wide conversion cut the gap to two at the break.
The back- and- forth theme remained. Tigers No 8 Sione Kalamafoni bashed over under the sticks after the interval following another Ford penalty, but then Steff Evans went over and Halfpenny converted to cut the lead to 25-20.
It was Scarlets who would break the theme. Youngs cleared from his 22 badly and Ken Owens swept up passing to scrum-half Davies. One jink and he was in acres to put Thomson over. Halfpenny converted for the lead.
Of course, that was not it. Next Tuilagi was over, then Jonny May and the Tigers had victory with something to spare.