First Leicester swaggered, then they squeezed the life out of a side who have never won in these parts, but a satisfying bonus point victory – illuminated by Telusa Veainu’s wonderful try – was tempered by the loss of the flanker Mike Williams.
His arm injury, just before kick-off, will also be of great concern to Eddie Jones, for whom options at openside flanker for England’s first autumn international against South Africa on 12 November are sparse with James Haskell, Sam Jones and Jack Clifford unavailable. Richard Cockerill, Leicester’s director of rugby, could not put a timeframe on Williams’s injury, but he did confirm that it was the same arm – his left – that was broken twice last season. “He got a whack to his arm and it was sore. The best thing to do is not for him to play,” said Cockerill. “He had some nerve issues before so we’ll have it scanned and see where he’s at. Hopefully it’s just a bit of nerve irritation and he’ll be fine but it is unfortunately the same arm.”
In contrast to some of his counterparts, Cockerill also defended the recent England training camp where Sam Jones and Anthony Watson picked up long-term injuries. He said: “If you’re Eddie you’ve got to get ready for the Springboks. There’s no point moaning about it, it’s happened for 20 years at Leicester. You’re going to have a crack in training because you want to play against South Africa. I’m not saying it’s right, that’s just how it is.”
It was the Leicester fly-half, Owen Williams, who shone brightest in the first half, demonstrating his full array of kicking skills. He took a few hits from the Worcester blindside Alafoti Fa’osiliva but it was his delayed pass that prised the opening for Tom Brady to score on his first Welford Road start, on 25 minutes, after a typically abrasive run from Ellis Genge.
By that stage the Tigers were 6-0 to the good – Williams opening the scoring from just outside the 22 after Donncha O’Callaghan’s high tackle and doubling it after a scrum penalty in front of the posts. Veainu was seeing plenty of the ball and Leicester’s Tongan full-back soon produced the kind of mazy run from inside his own half at which to marvel. Defenders were grasping thin air.
Williams converted for a 20-0 lead and while the Tigers defence – poor against Sale the week before – was made to scramble on occasion. Ryan Lamb had just one shot at goal in the first half and struck it terribly, provoking much mirth in the stands after an ill-fated spell here.
“We didn’t to come up here and have an arm wrestle,” said Worcester’s head coach, Carl Hogg. “We wanted to express ourselves but we struggled to get out hands on the ball in the first half. They’re very good at squeezing sides. We were staring down the barrel at half‑time but we fronted up well.”
Lamb put Worcester on the board early in the second half after Genge infringed at the breakdown and with Ben Te’o coming off the bench following a concussion lay-off to offer a gain-line threat, the Warriors were improved after the break. Lamb was soon on target from the tee again but the contest was over when the replacement tighthead Logovi’i Mulipola drove over, having been held up minutes before.
By that stage the scrum – a close contest – had become one-sided with both of the Worcester looseheads off injured. Cue an element of farce with the officials engaging in lengthy dialogue as to how to proceed, before the Warriors scored a try their second-half efforts deserved – Jaba Bregadze finishing off a driving maul. Graham Kitchener then barged over for Leicester’s bonus point after a poor knock-on from Lamb.
“Job done. Worcester aren’t a poor side,” said Cockerill. “You take the five points, it’s a good win, it’s nothing spectacular but after the first stage of the Premiership we sit in the top four. The players needed to front up and they did but against better sides we would have been punished.”
Leicester Veainu (Roberts 68); Thompstone (Smith 53), Betham, Tait, Brady; Williams, Kitto (Harrison 77); Genge (Ayerza 53), T Youngs (capt; Thacker 68), Bateman (Mulipola 53), Barrow, Kitchener, Fitzgerald, O’Connor (Evans ht), McCaffrey (Hamilton 63)
Tries Brady, Veainu, Mulipola, Kitchener. Cons Williams 4. Pens Williams 2.
Worcester Shillcock; Hammond, Olivier, Willison, Humphreys (Te’o ht); Lamb, Arr (Baldwin 62); Rapava Ruskin (Leleimalefaga 25; Schonert 63), Bregvadze, Schonert (Johnston 62), O’Callaghan (Scotland‑Williamson 65), Barry, Fa’osiliva, Kirwan (Cox 60), Dowson (capt)
Try Bregvadze. Con Lamb. Pens Lamb 2.
