Wigglesworth starts Leicester Tigers tenure with win
PREMIERSHIP SATURDAY WRAP: Leicester Tigers hand Richard Wigglesworth a first win as interim head coach, while Exeter Chiefs edged Bath Rugby in a hotly contested west country derby.
Leicester Tigers overturned a half-time deficit to beat Gloucester Rugby 28-13.
Anthony Watson crossed twice after the break to take the game away from the Cherry & Whites, bringing a little festive cheer to Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium after a quiet first half.
And the mood at the break was certainly more sober, with the Tigers 8-6 behind after Albert Tuisue’s score from a typically robust Gloucester lineout drive.
Guy Porter responded for the hosts just after the restart before Watson scored twice in the space of nine minutes, and though Jonny May scored late on against his former club, it was a dominant Tigers victory.
Victory sees Tigers leapfrog Gloucester into the top four and claim the inaugural Slater Cup, an early Christmas tonic after former boss Steve Borthwick left the Midlands for the England job at the start of the week.
Meanwhile, Dave Ewers and Henry Slade crossed for first half tries for Exter Chiefs after Joe Cokanasiga’s score for the away side.
Combined with the boot of Joe Simmonds, Chiefs opened up a 20-10 lead at half-time, which proved to be unassailable.
Niall Annett scored for Bath midway through the second-half, but thanks to some dogged defending at the death from Chiefs, they were able to hold on for an important victory which sees them nicely poised in the hunt for the semi-final places.
All Saturday’s scores and Scorers:
Leicester Tigers 28-19 Gloucester
The scorers:
For Leicester Tigers:
Tries: Porter, Watson 2
Cons: Burns 2
Pens: Burns 3
For Gloucester:
Tries: Tuisue, May
Pen: Hastings
Exeter Chiefs 20-15 Bath
The scorers:
For Exeter Chiefs:
Tries: Ewers, Slade
Cons: J Simmonds 2
Pens: J Simmonds 2
For Bath:
Tries: Cokanasiga, Annett
Con: Bailey
Pen: Bailey
Source: Premiership
