Irish hang on as Goode goes bad
By Ben Sullivan
Last Updated: 28/07/24 8:14pm
Leicester were beaten 26-25 by London Irish in a seven-try festive thriller.
Premiership leaders Leicester were beaten 26-25 by London Irish in a seven-try festive thriller at the Madejski Stadium in Reading.
The Tigers dominated long periods of the match and although Irish were outscored four tries to three, crucially Andy Goode's kicking was way off the mark for the visitors.
The England fly-half missed five of seven kicks at goal as Leicester failed to capitalise on long periods of pressure inside the Irish half. The Tigers probably deserved a losing bonus point and Alesana Tuilagi (pictured) earned them two - one for their fourth try - as he scrambled over on the last play of the game.
Irish started brightly and a neat handling move and good support play sent Shane Geraghty in at the corner inside two minutes.
The Exiles' forwards were also determined to play their part and after Harry Ellis was held up over the line on 10 minutes, they pushed Leicester off their own scrum ball in the first of many goal-line stands.
Geraghty stretched Irish's lead on 13 minutes after Johnny Murphy was penalised for holding on, but the winger made amends three minutes later, his namesake Geordan putting him over in the corner.
After Geraghty's second penalty for an offside, Paul Hodgson's quick-thinking set up a breakaway try from inside the Irish 22 for Topsy Ojo, Hodgson tapping a penalty and streaking clear to set up the chance.
Leicester's forwards began to take control towards the end of the half and after Martin Corry decided to put a penalty into the corner, it was the skipper himself who was driven over to cut the half-time deficit to 18-10.
Leicester continued to batter away at the Irish defence after the break but some staunch defending and a couple of dropped passes kept them at bay.
Irish made them pay for their profligacy on the hour with their first visit of the half to the Tigers' 22, a move which spanned one side of the pitch to the other and back again finished off by Steffon Armitage in the left corner, after Olivier Magne straightened the attacking line perfectly to set up the chance.
Barry Everitt showed Goode how it should be done with a touchline conversion and after Lewis Moody was driven over from a lineout, Goode missed the chance to cut the deficit to three points.
Everitt again provided the perfect strike after Leicester were penalised for pulling down a maul, but it was Tuilagi whose determination close to the line earned the Tigers a last-gasp two points.
