Rugby Union: Tired Tigers put out of hunt
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Harlequins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
NONE of the locals admitted it, but a neutral summed up the situation perfectly. 'Well, that's that,' he said. Indeed, as Harlequins tweaked the Tigers' tail here while Bath wreaked havoc at the Rec, it really does seem that the league title has been neatly gift-wrapped and handed to the champions. Quins, on the other hand, live in hope.
Four points adrift of the leaders in second place they may be after two breakaway tries and some sterling work in defence at Welford Road, but at the end of a miserable afternoon for rugby they could still see a glimmer of light. First, Leicester would have to pull themselves
together in time for Bath's visit next weekend and secondly Quins would have to keep winning and then
surprise the West Country giants at The Stoop early next month.
The 'that's that' theory sounds favourite and as Chris Sheasby, who was in the thick of Saturday's courageous action, said: 'I have a feeling the home defeat against Bristol may come to haunt us.' After which, incidentally, Quins had taken the decision, never fully explained, to drop Brian Moore for the trip to Newcastle.
Since then Moore has had Geoff Cooke, the England manager, criticising his play. 'I think my general form has been good,' the hooker said, which it certainly needed to be at Leicester. Before Quins won for the fifth time in seven Courage meetings with the Tigers, Moore and company needed to repulse a succession of tap penalties within yards of their line.
Time and again Quins refused to crack as the tackles went in, which was the last straw for some weary Tigers, who had already experienced nothing but defeat as Midlanders in three divisional matches and against the All Blacks.
Meanwhile, the old Tigers' spark was missing as Quins adopted the best tactics to deal with the conditions. Besides which they made the most of their chances without ever having to string together a passing movement, a disastrous option as Leicester discovered when Jez Harris got rid of the ball in his own 22.
The ball skidded along the ground and Daren O'Leary booted it up the field for the first try. Will Carling, later making light of a shoulder strain, then scored the second straight after the break following a towering garryowen.
Leicester: Penalty Liley; Harlequins: Tries O'Leary, Carling.
Leicester: J Liley; S Hackney, S Potter, R Underwood, T Underwood; J Harris, B Gabriel; G Rowntree, R Cockerell, D Garforth, M Johnson, M Poole, J Wells, D Richards (capt), N Back.
Harlequins: K Bray; D O'Leary, G Thompson, W Carling, J Alexander; P Challinor, R Glenister; J Leonard, B Moore, A Mullins (capt), A Snow, D Dix, M Russell, R Langhorn, C Sheasby.
Referee: B Campsall (Halifax).
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