Tigers bounce back with win over Harlequins
MATCH REPORT: A Jonah Holmes inspired brace put to bed Leicester Tigers’ worse run since 1975 with an assured 35-24 victory over Harlequins.
The Tigers wing crossed twice in the first-half to gift Geordan Murphy a first victory as permanent head coach and confine Quins to a sixth loss of the season.
Leicester started the brighter of the pair and took a deserved lead when George Ford showed his formidable kicking ability to put the hosts 3-0 up inside six minutes.
Then, the flyhalf turned provider for the opening try and he did so in some style by impeccably threading in Holmes to cross the line and delight the Welford Road faithful. Ford converted.
Quins’ James Lang reduced the deficit midway through the half, before the flyhalf kicked another penalty only four minutes later to cut the lead. But Ford again found the posts to make it 13-6.
But straight from the restart, the Tigers were gifted an early Christmas present as Jonah Holmes clinched his second try of the match with an electric dash to the line after Tatafu Polota-Nau’s pass.
Lang and Ford traded penalties once again to ensure Tigers went in 23-9 up at half-time.
The Quins fly-half delivered a fourth successful strike, but it mattered little as Manu Tuilagi fought his way over the try line to dab down for his first of the season.
However, Cadan Murley gave his side some hope after a neat pass from James Chisholm to cut the lead to nine points.
But Tigers clinched a try-bonus point after Jonny May slid over the line to end an eight-game losing streak. Ford kicked for two to seal it as Alex Dombrandt went over for a late consolation.
The scorers:
For Leicester Tigers:
Tries: Holmes 2, Tuilagi, May
Cons: Ford 3
Pens: Force 3
For Harlequins:
Tries: Murley, Dombrandt
Con: Lang
Pens: Lang 4
Teams:
Leicester Tigers: 15 George Worth, 14 Jonah Holmes, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Matt Toomua, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford (captain), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Sione Kalamafoni, 7 Guy Thompson, 6 Mike Fitzgerald, 5 Will Spencer, 4 Harry Wells, 3 Dan Cole, 2 Tatafu Polota-Nau, 1 Ellis Genge
Replacements: 16 Jake Kerr, 17 Campese Ma’afu, 18 Joe Heyes, 19 Mike Williams, 20 Brendon O’Connor, 21 Ben White, 22 Gareth Owen, 23 Jordan Olowofela
Harlequins: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Nathan Earle, 13 Joe Marchant, 12 Paul Lasike, 11 Cadan Murley, 10 James Lang, 9 Charlie Mulchrone, 8 James Chisholm (captain), 7 Jack Clifford, 6 Alex Dombrandt, 5 George Merrick, 4 Matt Symons, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Dave Ward, 1 Joe Marler
Replacements: 16 Max Crumpton, 17 Lewis Boyce, 18 Will Collier, 19 Ben Glynn, 20 Renaldo Bothma, 21 Dave Lewis, 22 Marcus Smith, 23 Alofa Alofa
Referee: Luke Pearce
Assistant Referees: Craig Maxwell-Keys & Peter Allan.
TMO: David Grashoff.
@Premrugby
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