Tigers stretch their lead
Leicester moved further clear at the top of the Aviva Premiership with a 24-13 victory over Newcastle.
Last Updated: 23/04/11 6:26am
Leicester moved further clear at the top of the Aviva Premiership with a 24-13 victory over Newcastle.
The Tigers scored three tries and the failure to secure a bonus point should not prove significant, but the Falcons once again came away with nothing despite a competitive performance.
In an error-strewn first quarter, Newcastle had the better shape with Jimmy Gopperth prompting and when Leicester went over the ball on their own 22-metre line, he kicked the 14th-minute penalty for a 3-0 lead.
But Gopperth was quickly at fault as he tried to run the restart out of defence and his inside pass was intercepted, with Alesana Tuilagi crashing over for the try moments later, which Jeremy Staunton converted.
Leicester dominated possession but almost paid for their sloppiness when a weaving Luke Fielden run had them backpedalling on halfway, before Matt Thompson just failed to get in a round-the-back pass.
Staunton kicked a 32nd-minute penalty when Newcastle pulled down a maul but when Matt Smith took out Fielden as he chipped ahead, Gopperth narrowed the gap to 10-6 with the penalty.
Amends
Ally Hogg dropped the restart but he made amends when Staunton chipped and Hogg somehow got to the ball ahead of Manu Tuilagi behind the Falcons line.
The Tuilagi brothers combined to make the hole for Smith to crash over and Staunton's conversion pushed the Tigers 17-6 ahead after 47 minutes.
Newcastle hit back when hooker Rob Vickers showed some neat handling skills to set up a try for Tane Tu'ipulotu - and Gopperth converted to make it 17-13 in the 58th minute.
That would have been enough for what could have been a crucial losing bonus point, but a critical error saw Tom Catterick allow the ball to bounce in the 73rd minute and Leicester seized on the loose ball, before James Grindal eventually squeezed over.
Staunton converted to stretch the lead to 11 points and once again the Falcons will be anxiously looking out for Leeds' result against Harlequins at Headingley on Sunday.
