Leicester Tigers win Champions Cup opener against Stade Francais
Ben Youngs was one of Leicester's four try-scorers as they saw off Stade Francais
©PA
Leicester Tigers opened their European Rugby Champions Cup 2015-16 campaign by beating Stade Francais 33-20 at Welford Road.
Leicester led 12-8 at the break following a scoreless opening quarter to the Pool Four encounter and pulled clear in the second half to claim the bonus point victory.
Vereneki Goneva, Matt Smith, Brendon O'Connor and Ben Youngs all crossed for the Tigers in a 20-minute spell either side of half-time with the boot of Owen Williams, who kicked two conversions and two penalties, maintaining their advantage.
Tries from Julien Tomas and Paul Williams, as well a conversion and a penalty from Morne Steyn, just about kept Stade in touch, although by the time Julien Arias crossed in the 76th minute, Leicester had done enough to seal the game.
The scoring was completed when Leicester's Seremaia Bai landed a penalty in the final moments.
Leicester were forced into a late reshuffle when flanker Tom Croft was ruled out with a back spasm meaning Mike Williams came into play in the back row and Dominic Barrow stepped up to the bench.
Ex-Waratahs flanker O'Connor was handed his debut and the Tigers were boosted by the returns of prop Marcos Ayerza and scrum-half Youngs from World Cup duty with Argentina and England respectively.
It was a scrappy half, and although Stade Francais led 8-0, Leicester turned it round to lead 12-8, making the most of a dominant scrum although unforced errors cost them elsewhere.
Peter Betham thought he had crossed in the 15th minute only for the TMO to rule it out and it was Thomas, on the field as a substitute for Julien Dupuy, who dotted down for Stade in the 22nd minute out of nothing.
Steyn failed to convert but then landed a huge penalty from inside his own half.
In the last seven minutes of the half, Leicester struck back with two tries of their own to surge into a lead they would never relinquish.
Winger Goneva was sent over by Lachlan McGaffrey and Goneva then turned provider for Smith to score after the home side had laid siege to the Stade line, Williams converting the first score but missing his second kick at goal.
Almost immediately after the break, Leicester had a third try when O'Connor galloped over from the halfway line to capitalise on Stade captain Sergio Parisse making a mistake with Williams missing another conversion attempt.
He made amends with a 47th-minute penalty to make it 20-8 although Stade raised hopes of a comeback when Paul Williams brilliantly scored after good work from Parisse, and Steyn converted.
But it never materialised, as Youngs' solo effort in the 55th minute - converted by Williams - secured the bonus point and another penalty from Williams put them even further clear.
Arias crossed in the 75th minute for the visitors, the TMO taking plenty of time before awarding the try and the final action was Bai's penalty.
