England forward Corry came on for Leicester at half-time

Leicester 27 (9)
Tries: Rabeni, Hipkiss
Con: Goode
Pens: Goode 5

Harlequins 22 (6)
Try: Turner-Hall
Con: Jarvis
Pens: Jarvis 5

Leicester went five points clear at the top of the Premiership thanks to a dogged win over Quins at Welford Road.

Harlequins had most of the possession in the first half but found themselves 9-6 down at the break, Andy Goode kicking three penalties.

But Leicester tries from Seru Rabeni and Dan Hipkiss either side of Jordan Turner-Hall's score early in the second half swung the game in their favour.

And the returning Goode added two more penalties to seal the win.

Leicester's win ruined the Welford Road return of Harlequins director of rugby Dean Richards, who spent 23 years with the Tigers as a player and coach.

The first half was dominated by the kicks while Leicester failed to get a foothold in the game as their line-out struggled.

The Tigers brought on England internationals George Chuter and Martin Corry at half time and Rabeni put his side 14-6 ahead after barging his way over the line.

England wing David Strettle was replaced after suffering a dead leg moments later to add to Quins' problems, but they regrouped and Turner-Hall ploughed over after Mike Brown's sparkling run.

The conversion reduced the gap to a point but Leicester responded when Hipkiss picked up 20 metres from the line.

Adrian Jarvis kicked his third penalty for Quins but the visitors received a further blow when Brown was yellow carded.

Goode, returning after a hamstring injury, belted over the resulting penalty to open up a 24-16 advantage although Jarvis added another three points.

Goode re-established Leicester's eight-point lead with a 70th-minute penalty but Jarvis secured a losing bonus point with a last-minute kick.

"It was important to see if the players could dig themselves out of the hole, and we dealt with the personnel when we realised that they couldn't.

"We lived off scraps in the first half, but we were dangerous once we got the ball and Geordan Murphy made inroads."

"The boys have had a few disruptions with injuries in the last couple of weeks, but they worked extremely hard.

"We have to be happy with a point, although we might have had more."

Leicester: G Murphy; Rabeni, Hipkiss, Gibson, Tuilagi; Goode, F Murphy; Holford, Buckland, White, Hamilton, Kay (capt), Abraham, Jennings, B Deacon.
Replacements: Chuter, Ayerza, L Deacon, Corry, Ellis, Vesty, Smith.