Leicester had never lost their opening two matches in a European Cup campaign and the last time they lost to a French club here was at the beginning of 2005. Their director of rugby, Richard Cockerill, had demanded a response after the heavy opening-round defeat by Glasgow and he was not disappointed as the Tigers, the masters over the years of confronting adversity head on, subdued the French champions who had defeated them in last season’s semi-final.
Racing had the pedigree but not the desire of their hosts, who have become used in recent seasons to having to pick themselves up after heavy defeats, but it took the emergence of a player in the second half not known for his consistency, Freddie Burns, to tilt the match decisively towards Leicester. The fly-half was brought on 13 minutes into the second half after Dan Carter had reduced the home side’s lead to a point with an individual try as he rolled back the years.
The fury with which Leicester started yielded a try after three minutes. Having driven a maul 15 metres, they opted for touch rather than three points after Racing collapsed it. Mike Fitzgerald secured the line-out but Racing this time defended the drive effectively only to be twice caught out on their fringe defence as Leicester moved the ball quickly. Ben Youngs’ swift pass gave Brendon O’Connor the space to touch down in the corner.
Racing took note and tried to slow down the home side’s possession for the rest of what became a slow-paced first half. Leicester got on top in the scrum where the weight of the 23-stone prop Ben Tameifuna was not complemented by technique and the Top 14 champions, who have not won on the road last season, lacked ambition, as if their intent was to leave with a bonus point.
Their one attack of note in the opening period, inspired by Johan Goosen’s midfield break, was thwarted by Graham Kitchener’s tackle on Maxime Machenaud. The second-row, epitomising the urgency injected into the Tigers after the capitulation in Glasgow, scented the danger early and tracked back to end the move at the point the scrum-half thought he had a run to the line.
With Racing’s tight-five forwards slow to get to the breakdown in wide areas, last season’s beaten finalists tended to confine moves to one or two passes. The first time they opened out, eight minutes into the second half, Carter, who until then had worn the demeanour of a gourmet presented with a fry-up, drifted to the blind-side and glided past Marcos Ayerza before wrong-footing Telusa Veainu and leaving Youngs in a flap.
It was a moment out of context with the match. One of Racing’s earlier moves had left Carter uncertain whom to pass to and, when he picked on Goosen, a knock-on followed. Leicester were by then 8-3 ahead with Owen Williams responding to Carter’s penalty after Dom Barrow had played the ball off his feet at a ruck.
Barrow was soon to depart with a head injury, quickly followed by Matt Toomua, Leicester’s eyes behind the pack, who jarred his right knee as he confronted Machenaud. His departure prompted his side to play even more for position and make the most of their mounting superiority up front having cracked Racing’s line-out. Williams extended his side’s lead to eight points at the interval after Tameifuna collapsed the scrum but he was taken off the field a few minutes after Carter’s try, allowing Burns his moment.
Burns kicked two penalties to put Leicester a converted try ahead. Racing, as they had done previously when moving out of bonus point territory, showed urgency. They earned a scrum on Leicester’s 22 and Machenaud schemed with Chris Masoe to create a gap for the centre Henry Chavancy.
Everything worked except for Machenaud’s flat pass which was anticipated by Burns who, by intercepting, not only prevented Chavancy from levelling the scores but doubled Leicester’s lead by running 75 metres to score.
Racing responded and, after Carter grounded the ball a few centimetres short of the line having been tackled by Mathew Tait and play had been held up for five minutes while Telusa Veainu was treated after he was temporarily knocked out as he tried to tackle Francois van der Merwe, Juan Imhoff finished smartly and Carter converted from the touchline.
The bonus point was not to be for Racing. Bruce Dulin played the ball at a ruck having made a tackle and Burns kicked the resulting penalty from 40 metres. It may have been played before Leicester’s smallest crowd of the season, the public’s verdict on the kick-off time, but the roar at the final whistle could have been heard halfway to Paris, one of relief rather than rapture.
“This win against a very good side should give us massive confidence going forward,” said the Leicester captain, Tom Youngs. “We have been misfiring this season, playing well one week and poorly the next. We backed each other up for the whole 80 minutes and have to back this up.” That will start with the little matter of Saracens at Allianz Park on Saturday, the scene of recent slaughters.
Leicester Veainu (Harrison 70); Thompstone, Tait, Toomua (Betham 23), Pietersen; O Williams (Burns 53), B Youngs; Ayerza (Mulipola 59), T Youngs (capt; McGuigan 75), Cole, Slater, Barrow (Kitchener 18), Fitzgerald, O’Connor, McCaffrey.
Tries O’Connor, Burns Con Burns Pens Williams 2, Burns 3.
Racing 92 Dulin; Rokocoko, Goosen Chavancy, Imhoff; Carter, Machenaud; Ben Arous (Afatia 54), Chat (Lacombe 54), Tameifuna (Ducalcon 53), Nakarawa, Carizza (van dear Merwe 62), Lauret, Nyanga, Masoe (Dubarry 76).
Tries Carter, Imhoff Cons Carter 2 Pen Carter.
Referee M Mitrea (Italy) Attendance 19,048
