LEICESTER TIGERS 0

Guinness ‘A’ League

Monday, September 26, 2005

Wanderers got their Guinness ‘A’ League campaign back on track at Franklin’s Gardens tonight in a tremendous six-try demolition of Leicester.

Nevertheless, the Tigers had the edge in the opening exchanges after Marc Howgate - who would see yellow in the second half - recovered a lost lineout ball to set up Ben Toft’s charge, halted five metres short.

This was as close as the visitors would come for the entire match though, and kicks from Johnny Howard and Ben Patston were soon pinning Leicester back. A Tigers’ midfield spill in their 22 maintained the Wanderers pressure, and the hosts didn’t waste the position gifted them to open the scoring in the 12th minute through Mark Soden.

Tigers couldn’t emulate their opponents four minutes later when Tom Elliott spilled a catch on his 22, conceding a penalty in the front row.

A powerful lineout drive from Alex Rae’s catch put Wanderers back in Leicester’s 22 at the end of the first quarter. Again they made the most of the opportunity with Rhodri Davies looping round Seamus Mallon and sprinting into the left corner for the try.

Wanderers were seven points further ahead in the 38th minute through a Paul Diggin try. Diggin came off his wing to collect the ball after a triple-dummy by Patston had bamboozled the Leicester defence. He rounded Matt Smith to score near the posts, making Patston’s conversion that little more straightforward.

Tigers’ only chance of points came from an Ian Humphrey’s penalty shot from 35 metres.

Leicester’s forwards provided the highlight of the third quarter thanks to some lovely interplay in their own half. But they couldn’t repeat the feat in the Wanderers’ 22 and the hosts weathered the storm, thanks to stout defence and a trademark booming Patston kick.

Davies just failed to collect an interception that would have seen him in the clear before Wanderers collected the bonus point in spectacular fashion. In a virtual repeat of Diggin’s earlier effort, Andy Vilk came flying off his wing to collect the short ball from Luke Myring. The Tigers’ defence couldn’t lay a hand on him and Vilk rounded John Murphy to score in the right corner.

Vilk collected his second try through a powerful run and stretch over the line. But the biggest cheer of the evening was reserved for injury returnee Brett McNamee who, in injury-time, barged his way over in the shrubbery corner. Myring landed the touchline conversion to round off the match.

Teams:
Wanderers - Elliott (Myring 40mins); Vilk, Mallon, Davies, Diggin; Patston (Barnard 71mins), Howard (Bishop 71mins); Beech (Maggs 64mins), Richmond (Supple 64mins), Noon (Heliasmenos 40mins), Rae, Seely (capt), Powell, Soden (McNamee 30mins), Hopley.

Leicester Tigers - Smith (Murphy 52mins); O Dodge (Owen 74mins), A Dodge, Youngs, Toft; Humphreys, Wright (Springall 69mins); Davis, Buckland, Young, Croft, Nimmo, Shaw (Howgate 77mins), Howgate (Piennar 66mins), Montagu.

Scorers:
Wanderers - Tries: Soden, Davies, Diggin, Vilk (2), McNamee; Cons: Patston (2), Myring.

Yellow card:
Howgate (48mins)

CLOCKWATCH:
12mins Wand: Try Soden; Con Patston 7-0
22mins Wand: Try Davies 12-0
38mins Wand: Try Diggin; Con Patston 19-0
48mins Leics: Yellow card Howgate
67mins Wand: Try Vilk 24-0
81mins Wand: Try Vilk 29-0
85mins Wand: Try McNamee; Con Myring 36-0