Kickers day in Premiership

 

An intriguing contest quickly became a kicking duel between this season's leading points scorer Steenson and the league's all-time record scorer Charlie Hodgson yet the Chiefs' superior tactical nous ultimately proved vital.

 

Rob Baxter brought in Ben Moon and Moray Low after their scrum prowess proved vital in last weekend's triumph over Wasps and they again exerted their dominance with Sarries routinely penalised at the set piece.

 

Steenson was flawless from the tee, kicking nine penalties as visiting prop James Johnston was sent to the bin with the Chiefs pack putting in a consummate performance to move their side up to second in the table.

 

The hosts led 18-6 at the break before Mark McCall introduced England prop Mako Vunipola on his return from a long-standing injury but he could not prevent Saracens from falling to back-to-back defeats, despite substitute Maro Itoje's late consolation try.

 

Meanwhile, in a scrappy but gripping affair at Welford Road a low-scoring first half ended with the Tigers 9-3 to the good thanks to flyhalf Williams' three long-range penalties.

 

But the game burst into life a mere seven seconds after the break with returning international Alapati Leiua's try giving Wasps the lead before Williams took over to seal the victory.

 

Coming into the game, history favoured Leicester, with the last 12 matches between the teams being won by the home side.

 

Tom Croft was a late withdrawal from the Tigers matchday 23 to attend the birth of his first child and although both sides laboured early on, it was the hosts who delivered the game's first points.

 

 

 

 

Pens Williams 6

 

Try: Leiua

Con: Goode

Pen: Goode 3

 

 

Leicester Tigers: 15 Mathew Tait, 14 Blaine Scully, 13 Vereniki Goneva, 12 Anthony Allen, 11 Miles Benjamin, 10 Owen Williams, 9 David Mele, 8 Laurence Pearce, 7 Julian Salvi, 6 Jamie Gibson, 5 Graham Kitchener, 4 Brad Thorn (captain), 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tom Youngs, 1 Marcos Ayerza.

Replacements: 16 Leonardo Ghiraldini, 17 Michele Rizzo, 18 Fraser Balmain, 19 Tom Croft, 20 Robert Barbieri, 21 Sam Harrison, 22 Freddie Burns, 23 Matt Smith.

 

Wasps: 15 Andrea Masi, 14 Sailosi Tagicakibau, 13 Alapati Leiua, 12 Chris Bell (captain), 11 Tom Varndell, 10 Andy Goode, 9 Joe Simpson, 8 Sam Jones, 7 Guy Thompson, 6 Ed Jackson, 5 Kearnan Myall, 4 Bradley Davies, 3 Lorenzo Cittadini, 2 Edd Shervington, 1 Simon McIntyre.

Replacements: 16 Ashley Johnson, 17 John Yapp, 18 Jake Cooper-Woolley, 19 James Cannon, 20 Nathan Hughes, 21 Charlie Davies, 22 Alex Lozowski, 23 Rob Miller.

 

Referee: Luke Pearce 

Assistant referees: Steve Lee, Simon McConnell

TMO: Rowan Kitt

 

 

 

Pens: Steenson 9

 

Try: Itoje

Con: Goode

Pen: Hodgson 4

 

 

Exeter Chiefs:  15 Phil Dollman, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Henry Slade, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Matt Jess, 10 Gareth Steenson, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Don Armand, 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Damian Welch, 4 Dean Mumm (captain), 3 Moray Low, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Ben Moon. 

Replacements: 16 Greg Bateman, 17 Carl Rimmer, 18 Tomas Francis, 19 Ryan Caldwell, 20 Kai Horstmann, 21 Haydn Thomas, 22 Ian Whitten, 23 Byron McGuigan.

 

Saracens:  15 Alex Goode, 14 Chris Ashton, 13 Duncan Taylor, 12 Chris Wyles, 11 David Strettle, 10 Charlie Hodgson, 9 Neil de Kock, 8 Ernst Joubert 7 Jacques Burger, 6 Will Fraser, 5 Alistair Hargreaves (captain), 4 Mouritz Botha, 3 James Johnston, 2 Jamie George, 1 Rhys Gill. 

Replacements: 16 Brett Sharman, 17 Mako Vunipola, 18 Juan Figallo, 19 Maro Itoje, 20 Kelly Brown, 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Nick Tompkins, 23 Ben Ransom.

 

Referee: Gregory Garner 

Assistant referees: Paul Burton, Gareth Copsey

TMO: Geoffrey Warren