Tigers hit back for bonus win
Tom Croft scored in the final minute to hand Leicester a 41-32 bonus-point win over London Irish at the Madejski Stadium.
Last Updated: 25/03/12 6:52pm
England lock Tom Croft scored a try in the final minute to hand Leicester a 41-32 bonus-point win over London Irish at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday.
Tigers were trailing with just two minutes left on the clock when Toby Flood landed his eighth kick of the afternoon to put the visitors in front, before Croft's late score denied Exiles a losing bonus point.
Flood scored 26 points for Leicester with Tom Homer replying with 24 for Irish.
Dominant
London Irish began the match strongly and Homer took advantage of some early ill-discipline from Leicester's forwards to give his side a 3-0 lead and take has personal points tally to 200 for the season.
Irish's Kiwi fly-half Dan Bowden then got in on the act with a drop-goal from in front of the posts as the home side opted to take the points on offer as reward for their domination of territory and possession in the first quarter of an hour.
Tigers worked their way back into the game though and, such was their domination in the scrum, they twice spurned the opportunity to register three points of their own in favour of another scrum.
And the decision was vindicated as the forwards rumbled the set piece to within a few feet of the line, allowing Ben Youngs to feed Toby Flood, who ghosted in between two defenders to score.
The England fly-half was far too relaxed with the conversion though and it was charged down by London Irish to ensure they remained ahead.
The lead did not last long as Leicester were straight back on the front foot, the forwards again asserting their dominance, and Julian Salvi had the simple task of touching the ball down for the second try after a typically powerful run from Thomas Waldrom.
Irish were not about to give in though and, after Homer had notched another three points, scrum-half Darren Allinson made a great break from a line-out before offloading to Bryn Evans to gallop over the line and give the Londoners a 16-12 lead at the interval.
Open game
Tigers began the second half brighter but after Flood had momentarily given them the lead with two penalties, Homer burst through a couple of arm-tackles and accelerated away to score.
The game was really beginning to open up and, after Flood added another three points, Billy Twelvetrees exploited a gaping hole in the London Irish defence before passing to Manu Tuilagi to stroll over untouched underneath the posts.
Homer continued his excellent form with the boot though, kicking three penalties to Flood's one, to give Irish a one-point lead with less than five minutes remaining.
But Leicester's power at the scrum came to the fore again and, after the pack won another penalty at the set piece, Flood restored their lead.
The home side threw the ball from side to side as the game went into added time in an attempt to snatch victory at the death but, in doing so, they came up with a critical error which allowed replacement Croft to pounce on a loose ball and canter in for the final score.
Croft's try gave the Tigers a bonus point and denied London Irish a losing bonus of their own, an act which could prove vital in the final Premiership reckoning as Leicester look to cement a top four place and Irish attempt to qualify for Europe.
