Leicester: 32 (15) Tries: Healey, Back, Ellis, Rabeni Cons: Broadfoot (3) Pens: Broadfoot (2) Northampton: 13 (6) Tries: Human Con: Drahm Pens: Drahm (2)

With England defence coach Phil Larder in the crowd, the 22-year-old Ellis scored one try and made another.

Flanker Neil Back and wings Austin Healey and Seru Rabeni also scored tries as the Saints were well beaten.

The visitors could only respond with two penalties from Shane Drahm and a late consolation try from Wylie Human.

Larder will also have noted down the name of Ross Broadfoot in his report to acting England boss Andy Robinson.

With Andy Goode sidelined by a knee injury, the Tigers were forced to hand the 19-year-old his first Zurich Premiership start against their fiercest rivals.

The teenager was composed enough, making a neat break and sending Healey close to the left-hand corner as well as drilling over four conversions and two penalties with his Jonny Wilkinson kicking style.

It was quite brutal at times but we came up trumps. Leicester coach John Wells

But it was up front where the sparks flew. A ninth-minute scrap saw Martin Johnson and Saints lock Damien Browne sin-binned.

Referee Tony Spreadbury also had to speak to Northampton's Robbie Kempson, while Geordan Murphy and Selborne Boome both needed attention for facial injuries.

While Johnson and Browne were off the field, both sides opened their account with Healey scoring a controversial opening try.

Ellis made a blistering 50-metre break down the right-hand touchline and his chip over the defence saw the ball break for Healey to pounce on with Spreadbury ruling he had applied enough downward pressure.

Drahm and Broadfoot traded penalties midway through the half and Drahm kept Northampton in touch with a kick from five metres inside his own half on 30 minutes.

We dug our own grave with the number of errors we made Northampton coach Alan Solomans

Northampton, though, could not control the ball to put Leicester under pressure and were punished in the final minute of the half by a no-nonsense effort from the home forwards.

They kept on driving towards the line from five metres out and the pressure eventually told when a spin off the edge of the maul saw Chuter credited with the try. Broadfoot converted for a 15-6 interval lead.

Broadfoot added another penalty early in the second half, then converted from the touchline after Ellis' dart into the corner from the back of a five-metre scrum.

Rabeni burst through to claim Leicester's fourth try 15 minutes from time and the only consolation for Northampton was a late score from replacement wing Human.

Leicester: Murphy, Rabeni, Smith, Gibson, Healey, Broadfoot, Ellis, Rowntree, Chuter, White, M. Johnson, Kay, B. Deacon, Back, W. Johnson.
Replacements: Buckland, L. Deacon, Cook, H. Tuilagi, Warren, Holtby, A. Tuilagi.

Northampton: Reihana, Rudd, Tucker, Stcherbina, Cohen, Drahm, Howard, Smith, Thompson, Kempson, Boome, Browne, Fox, Krige, Seely.
Replacements: Richmond, Budgen, Lord, Blowers, Jones, Human, Clarke.