Leinster overpower Leicester late to win 23-15

Leicester Tigers 15-23 Leinster, Mattioli Woods Welford Road

Leinster Rugby claimed a hard-fought 23-15 victory over Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Friday night, producing a controlled second-half performance to turn the contest in their favour.

The visitors took the lead after 15 minutes through a Harry Byrne penalty, but Leicester responded quickly. A dominant Tigers scrum under the posts earned a penalty, which Billy Searle converted to level the scores.

The game then came alive through Adam Radwan. The winger pounced on a loose ball inside Leicester’s 22, dribbled it forward with pace and composure, and finished after a series of clever touches with his boot to score a superb solo try.

Leicester continued to apply pressure, with Joe Heyes outstanding at scrum time and producing a crucial try-saving intervention to deny Lowe.

Just before the break, Leicester struck again. A powerful maul from a lineout set the platform before Searle delivered a perfectly weighted kick for Ollie Hassell-Collins, who finished acrobatically to give the hosts a 15-6 half-time lead.

Leinster regrouped after the interval and gradually took control. On 50 minutes, Jamison Gibson-Park pounced on a loose ball near the base of a scrum and darted into the corner to reduce the deficit. Byrne then edged Leinster ahead for the first time with a penalty on the hour mark making it 15-16.

The contest tightened, with both sides trading territory in what resembled a Test-match battle. Leicester defended bravely, but Leinster found the decisive moment on 72 minutes when Dan Sheehan powered over from close range to put daylight between the teams and sealing a 15-23 victory.

Team line up:

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Wand, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Searle, Whiteley; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Wells, Thompson, Reffell (capt), Moro.

Reserves: Theobald-Thomas, Van der Flier, Hurd, Manz, Williams, Allan, Bailey, Woodward.

Leinster: J O'Brien; T O'Brien, Ioane, Henshaw, Lowe; Byrne, Gibson-Park; McCarthy, Kelleher, Clarkson, McCarthy, Ryan, Conan, Van der Flier, Doris.

Reserves: Sheehan, Boyle, Slimani, Mangan, Deegan, McGrath, Prendergast, Frawley.