Tigers’ Boks more effective than Sale’s

By ROB WILDMAN

Leicester ……….19pts

Tries: Langdon 80

Penalties: Wilkinson 36, 56

Sale ………………….11pts

Tries: Liebenberg 49

Conversions: Ford 49

Penalties: Ford 31, 38, 56, 77

LEICESTER won the ‘Battle of the Boks’ thanks to a try from South African flanker Hanro Liebenberg and the goal-kicking of George Ford.

Helped by a smart break by Springbok No.8 Jasper Wiese, Liebenberg sped to his try after an even quicker injection of pace from Ben Youngs.

It was a memorable moment in the 49thminute of a disappointing stop-start affair that never lived up to its billing.

It was also fractious as England colleagues Ellis Genge and Tom Curry, heading for an international squad week in Jersey next week, squared up in several spats.

Leicester found the key to success through their second-half dominance and scrum power.

That edge up front produced the opportunity for the try and, finally, a late penalty from Ford which put the match beyond doubt.

Ford kicked five out of six attempts for a haul of 14 points while Sale missed out on a losing bonus point when substitute Tom Curtis missed an easy conversion of a last-minute try from Curtis Langdon.

To add to Sale’s misses young fly-half Kieran Wilkinson had also failed to land another relatively simple kick in the first half when he pushed a penalty wide.

Leicester led 6-3 at halftime and dominated the next 30 minutes to remain unbeaten after six wins in this season’s Premiership – their best start since 2014.

Overall Sale’s South African forwards could never master the Leicester back row of Liebenberg, Wiese and Marco van Staden who had the greater cohesion.

Sale had done well at the start to halt the opening Leicester surge fuelled by Youngs’ testing ‘bombs’ and a big crowd at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

After that initial pressure, Sale did have a good spell only for Manu Tuilagi – back at Welford Road for only the second time since his departure last year – to lose possession in his first opportunity to run at his old teammates from ten metres out.

Tuilagi looked ruefully to the skies after knocking on in trying to burst through a group of Leicester tacklers led by Liebenberg.

Tigers also looked to their ‘big man’ in Nemani Nadolo in trying to open a stubborn Sale defence. He had a busy first 30 minutes where Leicester looked to use him at every opportunity.

Leicester led 6-3 going into the second half and immediately sensed new opportunities when Lood de Jager dropped the kick off.

The Springbok was later substituted with Sale’s DoR Alex Sanderson revealing that the lock had hurt his elbow in the warm up and struggled throughout.

De Lood’s fumble gave Tigers the initiative which ended when Youngs, fed by Wiese’s break off a scrum, shot clear down the blindside for the attack which saw Liebenberg score.

Ford converted for a Leicester lead of 13-3 which was reduced by Wilkinson’s second penalty in the 54th minute.

A penalty from Ford pushed Leicester further clear and Leicester’s scrum power earned another opportunity which the fly-half added for a 19-6 advantage.

Though Leicester were beyond reach, Sale produced their best efforts in the final minutes which brought Langdon’s try off another forward drive from a lineout.

Their stubborn determination deserved a losing bonus point, but Curtis could not land the kick and it was Leicester who were celebrating.