Injuries unlock the door for McPhillips and Leicester
For now, ugly wins will do just fine for Leicester. This one, sealed by two late penalties from Johnny McPhillips, was certainly a grinding affair in blustery conditions.
For an idea of Worcester’s recent travails, a six-point margin of defeat was their heaviest in a sequence of four consecutive but Premiership losses.
Ultimately, injuries to both starting locks, Anton Bresler and ex-Tiger Graham Kitchener, proved too disruptive. Alan Solomons, Worcester’s director of rugby, rued setbacks that left his team “completely de-powered”.
“The change in the locks had a massive impact. Suddenly, they got purchase in the scrum, which they never had in the first half. They started mauling and got penalties from there. It was a game-changer,” he said.
Without Saracens’ banishment to the Championship, this game would have been a tense derby between 11th and 12th on the league ladder.
In the absence of relegation jeop- ardy, a basement battle of the Premiership’s two least potent attacks – Leicester and Worcester had mustered a combined total of just 34 league tries prior to kick-off – seemed less appetising.
Telusa Veainu did his utmost to liven things up. Leicester’s full-back intercepted and ran 55 metres to score with 65 seconds on the clock. However, the score was chalked off for a knock-on.
Worcester struck in the 11th minute, Perry Humphreys finishing after Ted Hill had charged past three defenders. Duncan Weir’s conversion was wide.
Leicester cut their deficit to 5-3 when McPhillips, an early replacement for Noel Reid, punished Ethan Waller for jamming in at the side of a maul. They took the lead when Ben White tiptoed around a ruck and hit a grubber. Jordan Olowofela won the race.
Ollie Lawrence hit back, carving through midfield directly from a scrum and the retreating Tigers were caught offside. Weir levelled at 8-8.
Powerful scrummaging inspired Tigers in the second half. The first set piece following the introduction of 149kg prop Nephi Leatigaga buckled and broke Worcester. McPhillips gave Leicester a skinny advantage.
Brawny mauling by Leicester then eked out another Worcester offence and McPhillips secured Tigers’ win.