 | Leicester: (13) 32
Tries: Chuter 2, Varndell, A. Tuilagi, Holford
Cons: Vesty, Goode
Pens: Murphy
Bristol (3) 3
Pens: Strange |
Leicester secured a bonus point and a home tie in the semi-finals of the Guinness Premiership play-offs with a five-try demolition of Bristol. Tries from George Chuter (2), Tom Varndell, Alesana Tuilagi and Michael Holford ensured Leicester finished the season unbeaten at home.
Austin Healey captained the Tigers in his final home league game before his part-time contract starts next season.
Leicester play London Irish next Sunday for a place in the play-off final.
Tigers drew first blood through Geordan Murphy's second-minute penalty before Jason Strange restored parity in the 25th minute.
Leicester went back in front five minutes later with Chuter the scorer of the game's opening try following a catch and drive.
Murphy dragged his conversion wide, but made amends when he started the break that helped Healey set up Leicester's second try after 35 minutes.
Healey burst through a gap in Bristol's midfield and the fly-half's long pass sent Varndell over in the right-hand corner for his 14th try in 16 Premiership starts this season.
Murphy was off target with the conversion to leave Leicester leading 13-3 at the interval.
They went further ahead six minutes after the interval when Chuter crossed for his second try after Tuilagi's break.
Sam Vesty missed the conversion but Tigers added a fourth try to secure the bonus point four minutes later.
Lewis Moody's crunching tackle on Bernardo Stortoni led to the Bristol full-back spilling the ball and Tuilagi crashed over in the corner for a try that Vesty converted to make it 25-3.
Holford burrowed over for Leicester's fifth try after 59 minutes and Andy Goode kicked the difficult conversion from the left-hand touchline to complete the scoring.
Leicester coach Pat Howard looks forward to the play-offs:
"Let's not get carried away. Bristol had a few guys missing, but there were a lot of encouraging signs. "If we play well, I'm sure we will win but London Irish can play very well on their day.
"Form doesn't count and being at home doesn't make any difference."
Bristol coach Richard Hill:
"We had nine first-team players missing from the starting line-up and it was a tough ask. "We managed to bolt the door for a number of phases but started to crack after six or seven phases.
"We set our sights higher than 11th, but we were safe with three games to go. That was job done."
Leicester: Murphy; A Tuilagi, Lloyd, Gibson, Varndell; Healey, Bemand; Rowntree, Chuter, Morris; Hamilton, Cullen; Jennings, Moody, L Deacon.
Replacements: Vesty, Ellis, Goode, Corry, Buckland, Johnson.
Bristol: Stortoni; Robinson, Lima, Cox, Stanojevic; Strange, Nicholls; Irish, Nelson, Crompton (capt), Sambucetti, Winters, Lewis, Short, Ward-Smith.
Replacements: Hilton, Clark, Morgan, Grieve, Rauluni, Gray, Hayes.
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