Leicester Tigers end their season with a last-minute loss but their pride firmly in tact after a brutal battle with Exeter Chiefs is won by the visitors.
Roisin McBrien takes the ball well and Tigers play an early couple of phases, Keia Mae Sagapolu Sanele warming up her shoulders early on in her first Premiership start of the season.
The Chiefs turn the ball over not long after though, leading to the game’s opening try. Tigers repel five minutes straight of carries inside their 22 but eventually the pressure tells and Hope Rogers spins through a tackle, the USA prop crashing down to score.
Not to be deterred, Tigers win the ball back from kick off and Tahlia Brody carries hard before the ball is shipped wide to Emily Henrich and Meg Jones dances at the defence. Leicester eventually win a penalty which looks like it may send Claire Gallagher straight through but the Canadian is stopped and then stripped of the ball just short.
This allows Chiefs to reset play in the Tigers half and although they cede possession shortly afterwards an intercept as Leicester try to play out from their own half leads to lock Dorothy Wall running a hard line and diving over.
However, Tigers bite back almost immediately. The best scrum in the league (94.2% success rate!) wins another scrum penalty and Leicester take a quick tap. There’s a couple of hard lines ran before captain Roisin McBrien finds herself on the end of a tip on and smashes through two covering defenders to touch down.
It looks like they’ll get another but are turned over after a long spell of possession, a double whammy of disappointment as Sophie Benavent is shown a yellow card.
Despite this, Leicester do get the equaliser two minutes later. Crashing lines from across the pack, Brody and Keia Mae especially setting the stage for their North American counterpart Claire Gallagher to hit a lovely line, flying through the defence, stepping the fullback and stepping on the gas to score. The Canadian then converts her own try to make it 14 all at the half hour mark.
It looks impossible for the visitors to not retake the lead here but, on the Leicester line, Emily Henrich pulls off a miracle interception and accelerates outward, resuming play in midfield. With seconds left on the clock, Tigers again show their composure, winning a line out against the throw to reclaim possession and boot the ball out to end the half.
Half time score: Leicester Tiger 14 - 14 Exeter Chiefs
Tahlia Brody kicks off the second half in style, the Eagle soaring through the Exeter defence before being hauled down at the halfway line.
Winning a penalty, the advantage sees Gallagher poke a kick through for Jones but the Red Rose just misses out. Tigers instead opt for the scrum and make incremental metres to just outside the Chiefs try line.
Centimetres out, Amy Relf eventually pulls the trigger, flinging the ball to the shortside out the back and Meg Jones, one on one with her opposite number elects to go through her, splashing down right on the line to hand Tigers the lead.
A couple of minutes later the centre produces two excellent tackles, chasing down kicks long to force Chiefs to keep handing Tigers possession back.
Ten minutes of the ball won't result in a further score though as the Chiefs dig their heels in and hold the line, impressive defensive effort repelling the onrushing Tigers until eventually they win the ball back.
The visitors capitalise, winning two successive penalties and the subsequent kick to touch seeing the whole Chiefs XV pile into the maul, hooker Emily Tuttosi eventually putting the ball down and levelling the score at 19 all.
A tight match sees the two teams go hammer and tongs as the heavens open and conditions dampen. Both sides make use of the bench in what has been an attritional outing thus far. Evie Wills has been tremendous thus far and she continually smashes the hosts over the gain line with brutal carriers
With the scores level, Jones, ever the risk taker, opts to shoot for goal from well over thirty metres out. With the rain bucketing down, the ball falls just short and we continue at parity.
One final cruel twist ends the season as Chiefs work their way up the line before eventually driving over from range with the maul, winning them the game.
A tough end to a fantastic game, Tigers leave Mattioli Woods Welford Road with their heads held high.
