Leicester run in seven tries at Northampton to rack up seventh win

Fiji winger Nemani Nadolo scored two tries as Leicester Tigers impressively kept their 100 per cent record in the Gallagher Premiership going with a 55-26 victory at East Midlands rivals Northampton Saints. The Tigers ran in seven tries at Franklin’s Gardens to rack up their seventh win from seven games this season and remain top of the table.

Saints crossed over four times themselves, but they were always playing catch-up after the visitors surged into a 27-0 lead in the first half. Leicester had the game’s first points, though a simple George Ford penalty, in the third minute after David Ribbans was pinged for holding on in front of his own posts.

The Tigers then had their first try after twelve minutes as a move started by Jasper Wiese’s break led to Nadolo easily brushing off Fraser Dingwall’s tackle to score in the corner off Dan Kelly’s long pass. Most of the play was taking place in the hosts’ half and Leicester soon struck again when Wiese got them within striking distance before Richard Wigglesworth recycled for Francois van Wyk to plunge over against his old club.

The visitors quickly forged even further ahead when Alex Mitchell missed Ford’s high kick and Nadolo pounced on the loose ball to go clear for his second, despite him slipping metres from the line. That took the score to 20-0 after 22 minutes and the Leicester onslaught was not finished, as Julian Montoya sealed their try bonus point by stretching over, after breaking off a driving maul.

Northampton finally found a response off the final play of the first half, as Courtnall Skosan did well to squeeze over in the right-hand corner for an unconverted try. Leading 27-5 at the break, Leicester lost Wigglesworth to the sin bin four minutes after the restart after his shoulder made contact with Dingwall’s head.

Not only did Northampton quickly pull back a second try through Mitchell’s dart, Leicester were down to 13 men, as Wiese’s no-arms tackle earned him a yellow card as well. Despite being two men light, Leicester still extended their lead through a superb drop goal from 40 metres by Ford.

Alex Waller scampered down the left to score Northampton’s third try just short of the hour mark, but Ford quashed any hopes of a fightback with two penalties in quick succession. Leicester then added salt to their rivals’ wounds, as Jack van Poortvliet scored after charging down Rory Hutchinson’s kick before Kini Murimurivalu went through some flimsy tackling to get in on the act.

There was still time for Skosan to earn Saints a try bonus point off James Grayson’s crossfield kick, before van Poortvliet was gifted a second by Grayson’s loose pass off the final play.