Booth slams the door on brave Bristol challenge

Leicester 26 Bristol 19

England's champion club had not reckoned on celebrating their receipt of the Freedom of Leicester by extending a similar courtesy to Bristol. Steve Booth's try, 10 minutes from time, belatedly staved off a first Premiership defeat for the Tigers here in almost four years, and, up in the stand, the Lord Mayor's nerves and gold chains could finally stop jangling.

Booth's arcing run to the line was a crucial contribution to a gripping match that had a thoroughly bizarre finish when a second try by the dashing wing in injury time was chalked off because the referee was lying injured on the halfway line. Happily, Tony Spreadbury, who had been concussed in an accidental collision, was able to walk, unsteadily, off the pitch.

Booth had dotted down at the left corner and bemoaned the missing five points while Spreadbury managed a weak smile as he went. Leicester, too, were ultimately smiling, but only just, in the face of a sterling Bristol challenge to the weight of history.

Felipe Contepomi, Bristol's Argentine outside-half, had last been seen punting the Pumas to near-victory over the All Blacks last weekend. For Buenos Aires, read Welford Road. Contepomi's try, three penalties and a dropped goal were not quite enough to halt Leicester's home run of 52 victories in domestic league and cup competitions. The bonus point ultimately secured by Bristol was scant consolation.

Bristol's director of rugby, Dean Ryan, had rather fancied himself as the party-pooper, having been in the Newcastle team that were the last to defeat Leicester here four Decembers ago. Still serving a touchline ban for publicly criticising a referee, Ryan's influence was evident none-theless in a tireless Bristol effort up front. Contepomi put them ahead with a penalty after 12 minutes, conceded by Leicester at a ruck after the visitors nudged across the gain line with perfect tail-of- the-line-out ball from Ben Sturnham. It was a tactic that served Bristol well, but Leic-ester gradually worked them out, with one of their seemingly endless line of England forwards, Ben Kay, taking an important steal early in the second half, when the scores stood at 6-6 after Contepomi's dropped goal, and two penalties by Tim Stimpson.

But Stimpson missed two other kicks and did not do much to suggest that his omission from England's 60-man élite squad was an error. Not that he was alone among the Leicester backs in struggling to make an impression.

Bristol's midfield, superbly organised by Contepomi and Jason Little, tackled brutally and often. Austin Healey looked none too happy when he was eventually shifted to the wing, but perhaps his mind was elsewhere – after the match he left a planned book-signing session to be with his wife, Louise, who went into labour last night.

Contepomi plucked a Healey pass out of the air and rounded Stimpson for the first try after 51 minutes. But Leicester retrieved possession from the restart after Lee Best's conversion, and set up a series of rucks before Geordan Murphy's pass sent Lewis Moody slithering over.

Stimpson converted, traded another penalty apiece with Contepomi, then made way for Andy Goode, who took over Healey's position. The switch worked a treat, with the latter pair combining to put Booth away for his try, Goode converting. Contepomi and Goode landed another penalty each, and Leicester held on to celebrate their latest title in the manner to which they have become so accustomed.

Leicester: T Stimpson (A Goode, 65); G Murphy, L Lloyd, R Kafer, S Booth; A Healey, J Hamilton (H Ellis, 55); G Rowntree (P Freshwater, 53), D West (R Cockerill, 53), R Nebbett, M Johnson (capt), B Kay, L Moody, A Balding (W Johnson, 74), N Back.

Bristol: L Best; D Rees, P Christophers, J Little (capt), S Brown; F Contepomi, A Pichot; P Johnstone, S Nelson, J White (D Crompton, 27), A Sheridan, A Brown, C Short, B Sturnham, A Vander.

Referee: T Spreadbury (Somerset).