| Gallagher Premiership |
|---|
| Saracens (7) 24 |
| Tries: Lewington 2, Morris Cons: Manu Vunipola 3 Pens: Manu Vunipola |
| Leicester (6) 13 |
| Tries: White Cons: Hardwick Pens: Hardwick 2 |
Alex Lewington scored two tries to help Saracens beat struggling Leicester 24-13 in the Premiership.
Lewington’s early score put them ahead, but two Tom Hardwick penalties made it a one-point game at half-time.
Ben White’s try put Leicester ahead, but Sarries took advantage after Telusa Veainu was sin-binned as Dom Morris crashed over to restore their lead.
Lewington’s second try with 10 minutes left sealed the win which meant Leicester stay second-from bottom.
Saracens, who are already relegated following salary-cap breaches, move on to -63 points.
They started the game with England prop Mako Vunipola in the side after he was stood down by the national team earlier in the week in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
The prop had flown back from Tonga via Hong Kong, which has been affected by the virus since January, but has not displayed any symptoms.
It was his cousin Manu, though, who set up the first try as his nicely-timed pass allowed Lewington to scythe through the defence after 17 minutes to end a lovely passing move from a lineout 22 metres out.
Leicester lost fly-half Johnny McPhillips to a knee injury just seven minutes into his first Premiership start, and it was his replacement, 20-year-old Hardwick, who got them on the scoreboard with two successful kicks.
The Tigers defence did well early in the second half as Saracens started to probe, and they were rewarded when Joe Batley broke from the halfway line and popped the ball to White who raced in from 30 metres to give them a six-point lead.
After Manu Vunipola’s penalty had reduced the deficit, Leicester full-back Veainu was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock on and Sarries pounced as Dom Morris blasted through the short-handed defence.
With an extra man on the field, Sarries came alive and Lewington was on the end of another Manu Vunipola-inspired passing move to cross for his second, while youngster Ali Crossdale had a late try chalked off after teammate Ben Spencer knocked on in the build-up.
Saracens: Gallagher; Segun, Morris, Barritt (capt), Lewington; Manu Vunipola, Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Woolstencroft, Koch; Skelton, Kpoku, Isiekwe, Reffell, Clark.
Replacements: Singleton, Barrington, Lamositele, Hunter-Hill, Rhodes, Spencer, Whiteley, Crossdale
Leicester Tigers: Veainu; Holmes, Thomas, Eastmond, Hughes; McPhillips, White; Leatigaga, Polota-Nau, Heyes; Spencer, Batley, Wells, Reffell, Kalamafoni (capt).
Replacement: Kerr, Bateman, Cole, Green, Boladau, Simmons, Hardwick, Worth.
Referee: JP Doyle (RFU)
Article courtesy of BBC Sport
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