Leicester stay in play-off hunt with Quins win

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February 24, 2017 10:35 PM

With games against Exeter and Bath to come in the next few weeks, Leicester knew they couldn't afford to slip up at the Twickenham Stoop.

The Leicester Tigers have games against Exeter and Bath to come in the next few weeks, after a win on February 24, 2017

With games against Exeter and Bath to come in the next few weeks, Leicester knew they couldn't afford to slip up at the Twickenham Stoop and a burst of 24 unanswered points in the second half ensured they didn't.

Half-back pair Sam Harrison and Freddie Burns crossed the whitewash while Leicester were also awarded a penalty try.

Defeat hit Quins' own hopes of a top-six finish and qualification for next year's European Champions Cup.

Leicester bossed the early exchanges but had only a 17th-minute Burns penalty to show for their efforts.

New Zealand international fly-half Nick Evans replied with his own three-pointer for Quins before the hosts scored a try with their first real chance.

Matt Hooper's grubber kick bounced back off the corner flag on the tryline, allowing Samoa international back Alofa Alofa to dot down in the corner on 26 minutes.

Evans converted but lasted only just past the half-hour mark before going off with an injured shoulder, and that on his comeback after three months out with a fractured wrist.

His replacement Ruaridh Jackson added another penalty just before half-time as Quins ended the first 40 minutes in the ascendancy, and leading 13-3.

But Leicester took just 10 minutes to turn the game on its head after the restart.

Scrum-half Harrison wriggled over from close range with Burns converting before the fly-half sent a cross-kick high into the sky.

Wing Adam Thompstone leapt high to claim it before being taken out in the air by full-back Aaron Morris.

The referee awarded a penalty try as he judged that Thompstone, who had to go off for a head injury assessment, would have scored but for the foul, while Morris was relieved to see only a yellow card and not red.

Burns landed the conversion from in front of the posts and soon after kicked his second penalty, giving Leicester a 20-13 lead.

Moments after Morris returned to the field, Burns intercepted a Jackson pass to race over for a try he converted, giving the Tigers a 24-point turnaround.

The Quins pack shoved Dave Ward over in the corner past the final hooter but Jackson needed to land the conversion to rescue a losing bonus point, only to hook his effort wide.

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