Leicester (18) 21
Tries: Staunton, Mafi Con: Staunton Pens: Staunton 3
Wasps (9) 12
Pens: Walder 4

Steve Mafi scored the Tigers' second try

Wasps began life without director of rugby Tony Hanks with defeat at the hands of Premiership leaders Leicester.

Fly-half Jeremy Staunton scored a try and kicked 11 points for the Tigers, who opened up a 10-point lead at the top of the table.

Lock forward Steve Mafi also crossed for the home side.

Wasps, who parted company with Hanks on Thursday, could only reply with four Dave Walder penalties on their way to a seventh defeat in nine games.

The Tigers may not have been at their best but their forward power, particularly number eight Thomas Waldrom and lock George Skivington, helped them to an eighth successive victory.

Wasps, with Shaun Edwards in charge, went behind to a Staunton penalty after Serge Betsen's illegal tackle on the former Wasps man.

Two kicks from Walder gave the visitors the lead, but Staunton put the Tigers back in front when he intercepted Walder's wide pass and touched down under the posts before adding the extras.

Staunton and Walder exchanged further penalties but the Tigers struck a decisive blow in the 29th minute.

After Mark van Gisbergen failed to gather a Staunton kick, Leicester worked the ball right then left before Skivington fed Mafi, who brushed off a weak Richard Haughton tackle to slide over.

Walder missed a penalty shortly before half-time but he and Staunton did add a further kick each in a second period that saw the visitors put under consistent pressure.

With the game being played almost entirely in the Wasps 22, the London side will take heart from fact the managed to escape without having further damage inflicted.

Staunton missed a final penalty and Waldrom struck the bar with a late drop-goal attempt, while Leicester's England international Tom Croft made came off the bench to return to action after three months out with a shoulder injury.

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill:
"They came to kick the ball away and defend and they didn't really come to play.

"We found it hard against a belligerent team who were pretty negative all round. They worked hard but you get four points for grit and determination and we got them.

"It was a bit frustrating, we probably didn't manage the tenacity at the breakdown as we would have liked but we deserved the win, we had the greater share of the game, although it wasn't a great spectacle, but the only thing that matters is the result."

Wasps head coach Shaun Edwards:
"I am very happy where I am. I have no desire to get involved in the contracts or hiring and firing of people.

"I am a coach and I enjoy being out on the training pitch with the players, so being a director of rugby has never been an ambition of mine.

"At the moment, with me taking over as the so-called 'boss' the only difference has been that I am picking the team and deciding when the subs go on so it has not taken up that much more of my time."

"We showed the usual Wasps spirit, I felt like they deserved a bonus point for the doggedness of the players and our defence in our 22 in the second half was superb. But we need to score more points."

Leicester: Hamilton; Agulla, M. Tuilagi, Allen, A. Tuilagi; Staunton, Grindal; Stankovich, Chuter, Castrogiovanni, Mafi, Skivington, Newby, Woods, Waldrom.

Replacements: Croft for Newby (58). Not Used: Hawkins, Ayerza, Bucknall, Green, Harrison, Hipkiss, Twelvetrees.

Wasps: van Gisbergen, Haughton, Waldouck, Flutey, Jacobs, Walder, Berry, Payne, Lindsay, Broster, Veale, Birkett, Launchbury, Betsen Tchoua, Worsley.

Replacements: Cannon for Worsley (37). Not Used: Ward, Ruwers, Baker, Jones, Simpson, Kefu, Wallace.

Attendance: 21,215

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