'I am learning as I go' - Wigglesworth fronts first Tigers post-match presser

Leicester interim coach Richard Wigglesworth was delighted to make a winning start in his new post as Tigers turned around an 8-6 half-time deficit to triumph 28-13 in the Gallagher Premiership and pick up the inaugural Ed Slater Cup.

The trophy was named in honour of former lock Ed Slater, 34, who represented both Leicester and Gloucester in his career before being forced to retire in the summer after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease and he was present at Welford Road to present the trophy.

Anthony Watson scored two tries for Leicester, with Guy Porter also on the try-scoring sheet as Freddie Burns kicked three penalties and two conversions.

Albert Tuisue and Jonny May scored Gloucester’s tries with Adam Hastings adding a penalty.

Wigglesworth said: “I am learning as I go along and I intend to put everything into it.

“It was a huge kicking battle in the first half which was pretty even but we became dominant in the tackle and ruck area which gave us field position.

“Our discipline improved as we didn’t give away one penalty in the first 30 minutes of the second half.

“We made some errors today and were scratchy at times but hopefully we will show more cohesion in the weeks ahead as it’s been a delayed start to our team-building this season with the England boys away.”

It was a crushing defeat for Gloucester as they had clearly targeted this match in an attempt to cement their position in the league’s top four but the defeat saw Leicester leapfrog them in the table.

They rested a number of leading players in last week’s 57-0 European defeat at the hands of Leinster with star turns, Ruan Ackermann, Louis Rees-Zammit and Hastings all returning to their starting line-up.

Their cause was not helped by first-half injuries to Rees-Zammit and Santiago Carreras but it will be of concern that they folded tamely in the face of Leicester’s onslaught in the second half.

Gloucester head coach George Skivington said: “We had a game plan but losing two of our strike runners didn’t help and possibly, I should have addressed it more at half-time as we got sucked into still playing our game with a reserve nine on the wing.

“Leicester squeezed us and showed more composure than we did. When they were under the pump they conceded once whereas we conceded two or three as they were better connected than us.

“We weren’t perfect in the first half but we should have been further ahead at the interval as we didn’t take our opportunities.

“In the second half they showed why they are Premiership champions and it was an off day from us and I have to look at some of the players and assess whether changes need to be made.”