Tigers can’t claw it back after fab four for Thorley

IN THE end, four tries from Ollie Thorley were just about enough. The Gloucester wing broke a Premiership record in the first half, but his stunning efforts almost counted for nothing as Leicester launched a 24-point comeback. Thorley (below) could not have banged much harder on Eddie Jones’s door, although the England coach will be just as pleased by the way George Ford and Ben Youngs marshalled a stunning turnaround. Leicester were chewed up and spat out in the early exchanges. Steve Borthwick named another young starting XV and Gloucester’s pack bossed proceedings. They went almost unchallenged at the breakdown, with their speed of ball providing Danny Cipriani with a platform to unleash his speedsters. Joe Simpson scored the opening try after seven minutes, before it turned into the Thorley show. Only Tom Voyce and Christian Wade have scored four first-half tries in the Premiership, but Thorley joined the hall of fame with the fastest ‘quadruple’ in league history. All eyes were on Jonny May’s encounter against his former employers, but it was Thorley who stole the headlines on the opposite wing. ‘I have my teammates to thank for putting some of the tries on a plate for me,’ said Thorley. ‘I have worked hard over lockdown on speed and power.’ When Thorley ran in his fourth try Leicester’s coaches called an impromptu crisis meeting at the top of the stand. Chris Harris scored another long-range try while they were talking and the Tigers sent on Ford for Tom Hardwick after just 35 minutes. An improved Leicester later added Youngs and Jordan Taufua to the mix, with tries by Taufua, Harry Potter and Cameron Henderson closing the gap. Gloucester lost both Thorley and Cipriani to injuries, but Billy Twelvetrees’ 70th-minute penalty provided them with some breathing space, before Lloyd Evans’ try ensured Thorley’s early haul was not in vain.