Leicester see off Saracens in full-blooded encounter

Handre Pollard scored 14 points as Leicester won a full-blooded encounter over leaders Saracens 24-18 to keep alive their hopes of a Premiership play-off spot.

It brought to an end a run of three consecutive league defeats for Tigers, who had to hang on desperately in the final quarter as Saracens, looking to avoid only a second defeat of the campaign, sought to complete a stunning comeback.

After playing their best rugby of the season, Leicester looked set for a convincing victory when they led 24-3 after 35 minutes but the turnaround was remarkable.

Cameron Henderson, Mike Brown and Pollard scored Leicester’s tries with Pollard converting all three and adding a penalty.

Eroni Mawi and Alex Lewington crossed for Saracens with Alex Goode kicking two penalties and a conversion.

Goode led out Saracens to become the first player to reach 350 appearances for the club in the professional era. Former England full-back Brown made his debut for Leicester with Jimmy Gopperth making his 200th Premiership appearance.

Leicester took a sixth-minute lead with a stunning try. On halfway, Jasper Wiese tore through a huge hole in the visitors’ defence to run 55 metres before being hauled down inches short. However, the ball was quickly recycled for Pollard to crash over.

Eight minutes later, the hosts repeated the dose with another 55-metre surge. This time it was Brown who made the initial break with captain Julian Montoya twice involved before Henderson dived over.

Pollard converted both tries and, although Goode put his side on the scoreboard with a penalty, Saracens trailed 14-3 at the end of a lively first quarter.

The league leaders’ woes continued as they lost flanker Jackson Wray to an arm injury before conceding a third try.

Creative play from fellow veterans Gopperth and Chris Ashton gave Brown the chance to evade the final defender for another impressive score.

Ashton came close to making it four tries for Leicester before half-time but an excellent tackle from Lewington dragged the wing into touch before Pollard kicked a penalty from halfway.

Saracens needed a response before half-time to keep in contention and got one when Mawi forced his way over from close range, with Goode’s conversion leaving his side 24-10 in arrears at the interval.

Six minutes after the restart, Goode kicked a penalty before Lewington capitalised on a Tigers’ handling error by picking up a loose ball and running 70 metres to score.

The tide was now turning in Saracens’ favour so the home side brought on Wales international flanker Tommy Reffell in an attempt to reverse the momentum.

However, it was still one-way traffic as Saracens besieged the home line.

Alex Lozowski made a clean break to take his team to within metres of scoring but despite continual pressure, Leicester remarkably held out with a number of last-ditch tackles to collect a valuable four points.