Leicester Tigers have defeated Newcastle Falcons 60-7 in round four of the Premiership Cup at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
A brace of tries for captain Hanro Liebenberg, hooker Charlie Clare and scrum-half Joe Powell sealed the 10-try victory, Tigers having averaged 50 points scored in the Cup so far.
Tigers’ forwards were in a mood from the first whistle, dominating at the set-piece and piling on the pressure in defence.
McKellar’s pack would open the scoring off the back of a rolling maul, Liebenberg the one to touch down.
Clare would get the honours off the next drive, Tigers’ brutality in the collision across the team proving too strong for Falcons in the early exchanges.
The visitors just couldn’t get into the contest and Leicester began to look ominous with ball in hand as well as in-tight.
Playing with advantage after a demolishing scrum, the ball popped out inside Newcastle’s 22-metre area and Powell pounced at the opportunity, scooping and scoring Tigers’ third try and his first for the club. Flyhalf Charlie Atkinson converted to make it 17-0.
The points continued to fly, centre Guy Porter diving over in front of the Crumbie Stand off a deft pass from Powell.
After the slick attack came more punishment at the maul, prop Francois Van Wyk sneaking over before Clare got his second five-pointer.
Powell would round out the first half with his second of the day, the Australian scooting with speed to beat the Falcons defence. Clare found the range to make it 39-0 at the break.
Falcons were always going to come out firing in the second forty, and the visitors got their name on the board through hooker Jamie Blamire.
Tigers managed to stem the flow of Newcastle’s attack however, and slowly worked their way back into the ascendency before Liebenberg restored the Tigers cushion from close range.
Atkinson’s conversion made it 46-7 with just over 20 minutes to play.
A dogged Newcastle side never gave up the fight, but Leicester continued to press, particularly at scrum time as Tigers’ replacements looked to finish the job on a high.
Number eight Matt Rogerson capped an impressive performance with his first Tigers try to bring Leicester’s tally beyond 50 before replacement scrum half Tom Whiteley put the icing on the cake with a cracking effort out-wide.
Atkinson converted the pair to make it 60-7 and that’s how it would finish.
Commentary
TIGERS REMAIN UNBEATEN IN CUP
Leicester Tigers make it four from four in the Premiership Rugby Cup with a 53-point, 60-7 win over Newcastle Falcons.
CON | CHARLIE ATKINSON
Leicester hit 60 with another successful conversion from Charlie Atkinson.
TRY | TOM WHITELEY
Another massive effort from the Leicester scrum, dominating Newcastle's forwards and giving Tom Whiteley a chance to break from the back and run it in to score!
CON | CHARLIE ATKINSON
Charlie Atkinson converts to make it a 46-point lead with five minutes remaining on the clock.
TRY | MATT ROGERSON
Successive scrum infringements on their own line ultimately cost the visitors as Matt Rogerson breaks from the back of the pack to reach out and score with six minutes to go at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
70
TIGERS ON THE PROWL
The home side are on the attack, deep inside the Newcastle half, with the 8,000-strong crowd right behind them at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
MCKELLAR EMPTIES LEICESTER BENCH
Dan McKellar makes his final substitution of the match as Phil Cokanasiga replaces Dan Kelly in the Leicester midfield.
CON | CHARLIE ATKINSON
Charlie Atkinson adds the extras to extend Leicester's lead to 39 points, 46-7, with 20 minutes remaining.
TRY | HANRO LIEBENBERG
A second for the skipper...
Pressure pays off from the home side as Hanro Liebenberg pushes his way over from close range after a patiently worked build up.
CHANGES FOR TIGERS
Mike Williams replaces Harry Wells in the second row just prior to Nic Dolly and Tom Whiteley joining the action for Charlie Clare and Joe Powell.
CON | NEWCASTLE FALCONS
Leicester's lead is cut to 32 points after a successful conversion from Newcastle.
TRY | NEWCASTLE FALCONS
The Falcons get themselves on the scoreboard with the first points of the second half, a try to Jamie Blamire at the back of a driving maul from 5m out in the North West corner.
SECOND HALF UNDERWAY
The second half gets going at Mattioli Woods Welford Road!
LEICESTER LEAD AT THE BREAK
An entertaining opening half for the Mattioli Woods Welford Road faithful with seven first-half tries to Leicester Tigers, giving them a 39-0 lead at the break.
CON | CHARLIE ATKINSON
Charlie Atkinson converts to make it a 39-0 lead after 40 minutes.
TRY | JOE POWELL
The Tigers scrum win another penalty against the feed and, with seconds left in the first half, kick for the corner before bringing down a line out, driving on ... before the scrum-half again darts through to dive over.
TRY | CHARLIE CLARE
A second for Leicester's hooker Charlie Clare, at the back of another dominant driving maul from the home side, to extend the lead to 32 points approaching the break.
TRY | FRANCOIS VAN WYK
Another five-pointer for the home side from the pack as Francois van Wyk crashes over from close range!
YELLOW CARD | NEWCASTLE
Newcastle are down a man for the next 10 minutes after a late, no arms tackle from Guy Pepper ends up with the Falcons back-rower being shown a yellow card.
TRY | GUY PORTER
Guy Porter dives over, acrobatically, in the South-West corner to score the fourth of the afternoon for Leicester ... but it's Ollie Hassell-Collins the centre can thank after a barnstorming run down the left touchline from the wing sets up the attacking chance.
CON | CHARLIE ATKINSON
Charlie Atkinson converts the third Tigers try of the afternoon to extend the lead to 19-0 after just 19 minutes.
TRY | JOE POWELL
Another dominant scrum effort from the Leicester pack, pushing Falcons off the ball on their own feed, and Joe Powell breaks from the back into space and over for his debut Tigers try.
15
ENTERTAINING OPENING
Tigers have come to play today and have this Mattioli Woods Welford Road crowd on the edge of their seat early on!
TRY | CHARLIE CLARE
Three successive infringements from the visitors sees Leicester end up with another lineout, 5m out, and the pack - again - drive their way through and over the top of the Falcons forwards.
5
TIGERS PUSH THROUGH FALCONS
The home side's pack is in a mood early on this afternoon with a penalty at the first scrum of the game, against the feed, helping Tigers out of their own end.
TRY | HANRO LIEBENBERG
A physical, fast start from the home side brings reward with a try to the skipper, Hanro Liebenberg, in the third minute.
On the back of a dominant driving maul, the back rower breaks away and dives over to score.
UNDERWAY IN LEICESTER!
Charlie Atkinson gets us going at Mattioli Woods Welford Road!