Leicester Tigers claimed a second win in the Premiership Rugby Cup with eight tries in a 55-7 victory away to Wasps on Saturday.
Following up on the opening-round win over Sale Sharks, Tigers led Wasps by 10 points at half-time but then pulled away as Hosea Saumaki grabbed a hat-trick of tries to go with a double from Guy Porter.
The win also made it 10 in a row in league and cup from the start of the season and 11 in all including Round 22 of the last campaign.
Kini Murimurivalu ran in the opening try but Tigers added only a penalty to their tally for a 10-0 lead at half-time before pulling away against a young Wasps line-up.
Looking to stretch a winning run which began at Wasps in Round 22 last season, Tigers added four tries in the opening stages of the second half to put the game out of their rivals’ reach.
Calum Green scored the first, Porter added a double to secure the bonus point and then James Whitcombe added the fifth as the lead reached 36 points before the hour mark.
Saumaki celebrated his first Tigers try entering the last quarter-hour with Tigers sealing a seventh away win in succession for the first time since 1996 and the wing quickly added two more.
It was a decent afternoon’s work for a line-up which included George Martin, Tommy Reffell, Charlie Clare and Dan Kelly who were all added to the squad following the Round 1 win over Sale Sharks, while coach Brett Deacon also gave a debut to scrum-half Sam Edwards and gametime to other senior academy players from the bench.
In change colours of white, black and orange, the opening score came after the work of Saumaki and Porter took Tigers upfield on the left and then, when skipper Jack van Poortvliet broke from a ruck inside the Wasps 22, Murimurivalu was there in support to run in and score. Lancaster’s conversion made it 7-0.
Tigers sensed a second moments later when they overloaded the left and quickly spread ball to Saumaki, but he ran out of room close to the touchline.
Murimurivalu looked dangerous again as he broke out of defence and through tackles in midfield, but his offload found only a Wasps player and they were able to kick downfield. It put pressure on Tigers for a first time, playing in the corner. Green, though, won lineout ball and it was Ollie Chessum who kicked to touch.
Chessum then stole the resultant lineout but play was brought back for a Wasps free-kick and Tigers had to go through phases of defence before sending Wasps backwards.
Tigers used their attacking lineout to look for another opportunity but had to wait until Lancaster landed a 30-metre penalty to take the lead into double figures shortly before the half-hour.
Wasps fly-half Tommy Mathews had one sight of the posts in the half, but his kick hit the outside of the post as Tigers maintained that advantage.
The scoreboard moved more quickly at the start of the second half, however, as Green ran in for only his second Tigers try in 68 appearances after gains by Kelly and Porter through the middle.
Then Chessum broke the Wasps defensive line with a break on the left and, when Green arrived to pop ball off the floor, Porter raced through from 25 metres out.
The centre added his second – and the bonus-point score – as he dived into the right-hand corner after a break by Juan Pablo Socino and carry from Joe Heyes had Wasps backpedalling.
On 56 minutes, the lead stretched even further when Whitcombe was the man in possession as a forward drive took play into the right-hand corner for his first score for the club – and on his 21st birthday.
Scrum-half Edwards was introduced for his debut as Brett Deacon spread gametime through the matchday squad, with Jacob Cusick, Dan Richardson and Tomiwa Agbongbon also gaining valuable minutes on the field.
Saumaki’s opening try on the left came after strong work by the forwards, before Wasps claimed their first points with a try by centre Olly Hartley, converted by Mathews on 71 minutes.
Tonga international Saumaki added his second with power and nimble footwork as Edwards spotted his run to the blindside behind a maul on 76 minutes and he completed a late treble by finishing in the same spot after the forwards had taken play up to the tryline on the opposite flank.
Commentary
JOB DONE
It's all over, Tigers make it 2 from 2 in the Cup, 10 from 10 in the season, with a 55-7 victory over Wasps in Coventry.
Tries by Murimurivalu, Green, Porter (2), Whitcombe and a late Saumaki treble.
Lancaster kicks the conversion to bring the game to a close.
HAT TRICK
SAUMAKI gets his third try of the second half.
The forwards drive hard on the right, Vanes and Richardson almost getting up to the tryline before play spreads wide and Saumaki finishes the job with the team's 8th try
Lancaster adds the kick to take Tigers up to 78 points with just a couple of minutes remaining.
MAKE IT A DOUBLE
Saumaki steps in from the left to reach out and score his second after Edwards spotted his run to the blindside at a maul.
Mathews adds conversion for Wasps.
TRY WASPS
Centre Olly Hartley scores the first points for Wasps.
68
Lancaster misses the conversion but Tigers are 41-0 up at Wasps with 6 tries on the board.
Archie Vanes getting through some work after his introduction from the bench in the front row.
NUMBER SIX
HOSEA SAUMAKI has his first try for Tigers, forcing his way over from close range and the forwards took play up to the line.
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SAM EDWARDS is on for his Tigers debut at scrum-half. Another father-and-son combination in the record books, following in footsteps of his dad Diccon.
Lancaster nudged the kick over from wide on the right to extend the lead to 36 points.
JIMMY DOES IT
Forward drive in the right-hand corner ends with a try for JAMES WHITCOMBE.
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Lancaster off target with the conversion from the right touchline but Tigers are 29-0 in front with four tries.
BONUS POINT
GUY PORTER adds his second try. Socino makes a break, Heyes takes play to the line and Tigers spread ball to the right for Porter to dive in.
47
Socino and Agbongbon on for Tigers, replacing Kelly and Reffell.
Lancaster adds the extras for a 24-0 lead. Tigers have 3 tries on the board.
ANOTHER ONE
Try no3 comes from GUY PORTER. Starts with gallop by Chessum, then Green picks up at back of ruck and Porter charges through a gap 25 metres out to score.
Lancaster adds the conversion from in front of the posts to make it 17-0 to Tigers.
BREAKTHROUGH
CALUM GREEN is over for a try. Good work by Kelly and Porter through midfield, JvP find Green on his shoulder and he's in from 5 metres.
41
GO AGAIN
The teams are back out, no changes. Tigers lead 10-0.
BREAK TIME
Tigers lead 10-0 at half-time after a try from Kini Murimurivalu converted by Dan Lancaster who also added a penalty.
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Penalty to Wasps, Tigers offside. Mathews hammers the kick off the outside of the post, Tigers still lead 10-0.
PENALTY KICK
Lancaster takes on a penalty from 30-plus metres, and takes the lead into double figures.
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QUARTER-TIME
Tigers still lead 7-0 as we reach halfway through the first half thanks to that early score by Murimurivalu.
14
Phases of defence from the Tigers just in front of their own posts. Finally force an error from Wasps and then win penalty at a scrum. Line intact.
8
Nice break by Tigers, quickly spreading play to the left flank but Saumaki is brought down just short of the tryline.
DAN LANCASTER adds the conversion to try by KINI MURIMURIVALU.
OPENERS
Jack van Poortvliet makes a break in the Wasps 22 and KINI MURIMURIVALU is there in support to run in and score.
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It’s Wasps fly-half Tommy Mathews to get the game started here. If you’re familiar with the venue, Tigers are running left to right as you look from the dugouts.
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Both teams are on the field for their warm-up. They’ll need it too because it’s a chilly afternoon in Coventry.
There’s no live TV coverage but you can keep up to date here with Matchday Live.
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TODAY’S OPPOSITION
Wasps (First-team appearances): 15 Cameron Anderson (4), 14 Luke Mehson (2), 13 Rekeiti Ma’asi White (1), 12 Olly Hartley (1), 11 Ollie Dawkins (1), 10 Tommy Mathews (2), 9 Sam Wolstenholme (19) (c); 1 Gordon Reid (1), 2 Michael van Vuuren (3), 3 Biyi Alo (21), 4 Tim Cardall (36), 5 Sebastian de Chaves (2), 6 James Tyas (1), 7 Mario Pichardie (1), 8 James Tunney (2)
Replacements: 16 Dan Eckersley (1), 17 Zac Nearchou (3), 18 Pieter Scholtz (4), 19 Alfie Bell, 20 Fyn Brown, 21 Greg Fisilau, 22 Ollie Monye (1), 23 George Simpson (1)
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HOW TIGERS LINE-UP
No changes to the announced team, as follows:
STARTING XV [First-team appearances]:
15 Kini Murimurivalu [27], 14 Kobus van Wyk [16], 13 Guy Porter [23], 12 Dan Kelly [26], 11 Hosea Saumaki [2], 10 Dan Lancaster [1], 9 Jack van Poortvliet (c) [28]; 1 James Whitcombe [8], 2 Charlie Clare [34], 3 Joe Heyes [79], 4 Ollie Chessum [15], 5 Calum Green [67], 6 Francois van Wyk [6], 7 Tommy Reffell [54], 8 George Martin [23]
Replacements: 16 Archie Vanes [1], 17 Dan Richardson [1], 18 Will Hurd [3], 19 Harry Wells [132], 20 Tomiwa Agbongbon [1], 21 Sam Edwards, 22 Juan Pablo Socino [3], 23 Jacob Cusick [1]
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MATCH PREVIEW | PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP
Tigers make the short trip to face Wasps in a 1.30pm kick-off in the Premiership Rugby Cup today.
The team’s winning run, which now stretches to 10 games in league and cup, began at Wasps in the final round of the Gallagher Premiership last season and is the club’s best run of results since 2012.
Leicester have won five of their last seven meetings, but have won just twice since Wasps moved to Coventry, on their first visit in 2016 and the most recent in June.
Brett Deacon leads the coaching team in this competition and the Tigers line-up includes George Martin in the forward pack after his release from the England squad. There are also places for Tommy Reffell, Calum Green, Charlie Clare and Dan Kelly among the changes to the team since the 32-23 win over Sale Sharks.
A young Wasps team featuring 12 debutants lost 34-27 at Newcastle Falcons in Round 1.
There is no live coverage of the game scheduled but you can keep up to date with Matchday Live on app and website.
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WELCOME TO MATCHDAY LIVE!
We’re LIVE from Leicester Tigers at Wasps in Round 2 of the Premiership Rugby Cup today. Kick-off is at 1.30pm.
Follow all the action with our Matchday Live coverage on the Tigers App and website at www.leicestertigers.com.