A gusty wind swirled around the ground. It served us a metaphor for Leicester’s season, blown so off course that they still have to secure their Premiership status with two rounds to go after a third successive home defeat. It is the time of the season when the Tigers are used to confirming their place in the play-offs, but the belief that sustained them then has long evaporated. The exceptional has become ordinary.
Leicester took the lead after four minutes here and were level 11-11 at the interval despite playing into the wind. They did not fall behind until the 75th minute, but at no point did they exercise control against opponents who played with the customary exuberance and desire to attack from everywhere. It would have been manna for the Leicester of not that long ago when they had the capacity to grind down teams and feed off mistakes, but here they were caught between the desire to protect their lead and the realisation that it was not big enough.
Bristol’s winning try, on an afternoon when they outscored their hosts by three tries to one, was claimed by Harry Thacker, who this time a year ago was a Tiger. Five minutes from time, he emerged from the back of a driving maul to claim his third try against his former team this season as the visitors achieved their first Premiership double over Leicester.
A trip to Twickenham at the end of the season has long been scratched from Leicester’s diary, but a first campaign in the European Challenge Cup now looms. Victories in their final matches at Harlequins and at home to Bath are unlikely to be enough to preserve their record of qualifying for every Champions Cup. As they again showed, their form no longer merits them a place at the top table
“I always try to look up rather than down,” said the Leicester head coach, Geordan Murphy. “I do not [want] anyone to think that we are complacent or that we do not realise where we are: no one knows better than the players how tough it has been this season. I do not think we are a bottom-three side. Maybe I am wrong because that is where we are at.”
Bristol’s lingering fears of relegation evaporated on Friday night when Newcastle lost at home to Northampton. They owe their survival to their home form with just one victory on the road, down the M1 at Northampton. The bulk of their players lacked Premiership experience at the start of the season and their £1m a year signing, Charles Piutau, has been injured most of the campaign to the point where each of his appearances has been worth £100,000.
Bristol have what Leicester lack, an understanding of what they are. A curiosity of the Premiership era has been that sides are more adept at playing into the wind rather than with it, probably a consequence of intensive coaching and less reliance on initiative. The Bears three times came from behind in the opening period, Callum Sheedy twice equalising George Ford’s penalties before scoring a try five minutes from the break.
Leicester were then 11-6 ahead through a sublime try by Jordan Olowofela, the quick hands of Jonny May and Guy Thompson giving the wing the space to cross on the left. It was a glimpse of the potential the Tigers have, but they have the worst defence in the Premiership and showed when Alepati Leiua’s inside run was picked up late and Sheedy evaded three tacklers on a 25-metre run.
Bristol had squandered a try when Nick Haining wasted an overlap by passing out of the back of his hand rather than conventionally with Leiua having a run-in. The Bears had never won here in the Premiership and there were periods when they seemed to lack belief. Two Ford penalties put Leicester 17-11 ahead, but when Matt Toomua was sent to the sin-bin for killing the ball, Bristol stirred and Dan Thomas finished off a counterattack.
In his jubilation, the flanker did not go closer to the posts before touching down. Sheedy missed the conversion and Ford extended Leicester’s lead with his fifth penalty. The old Tigers would have run down the clock, but Bristol kept playing and when Ford was forced to concede a five-metre scrum, two penalties gave Bristol the maul from which Thacker won the game.
“When I said before the start of the season that we could finish in the top six, no one believed me,” said the Bristol head coach, Pat Lam. “Now it is on if we beat Sale on Friday.” Leicester were certainly hit for six.
