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Rare try for Dan Cole as Leicester beat Wasps to secure top-half Premiership finish

By PA
(Photo by PA)

Leicester secured their first top-half Premiership finish for three seasons after edging Wasps 38-31 at the Ricoh Arena where spectators enjoyed their first live action for 15 months. Both teams qualified for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup, with Leicester ending the campaign in sixth spot and Wasps in eighth.

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Only one point separated them before the match, but the Tigers have taken a stride forward while Wasps, last season’s beaten finalists, have regressed. Nine of the players involved will report for England duty on Monday but it was someone whose international career appears to be over, Dan Cole, who made a decisive impact in a first half that swung in the summer sunshine.

The former Lions prop had scored two tries in 190 Premiership appearances for Leicester but increased his tally by 50 per cent seven minutes before half-time, forcing his way over the line after Harry Wells and Julian Montoya worked a clever lineout move.

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Leicester enjoyed more of the play on a ground where they had lost on their previous six visits in the Premiership but Wasps compensated for their indiscipline with moments of individual brilliance on an afternoon when neither side needed to win to qualify for Europe.

Wasps took the lead after seven minutes. Wells made a try-saving tackle on Brad Shields, but a series of rucks on the Leicester line ended with No8 Sione Vailanu scoring on an afternoon when all nine tries were converted. Leicester drew level after 19 minutes when Dan Kelly, one of the England newcomers, made a break from a scrum and second row Cameron Henderson scooped an off-load off his feet and stretched out for the line.

The set-piece was the source for the Tigers’ second try which gave them the lead, scored by their other centre Mike Scott after the burly wing Nemani Nadolo had distracted the defence as a decoy. Leicester were at their most vulnerable just after they had scored and within two minutes Wasps were level. Marcus Watson’s kick infield was picked up by Jacob Umaga and the out-half stepped away from Zack Henry before rounding Freddie Steward on a 40-metre run.

Johnny McPhillips kicked a penalty to restore Leicester’s lead before Cole’s try made it 24-14 to the visitors, only for Wasps to win the restart and set up Vailanu for his second try. Leicester secured their bonus point and Champions Cup berth six minutes after the restart when a Wells charge and Jack van Poortvliet snipe set up hooker Montoya, but back came Wasps through second row Will Rowlands, playing his final match for the club before joining the Dragons.

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Henry was sent to the sin-bin for a flip tackle on Watson after 61 minutes, but Wasps continued to concede penalties and Tomas Lavanini sealed victory for the Tigers seven minutes from time before Umaga’s late penalty gave Wasps a second bonus point.

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Bull Shark 2 hours ago
Rassie Erasmus' Boks selection policy is becoming bizarre

To be fair, the only thing that drives engagement on this site is over the top critiques of Southern Hemisphere teams.


Or articles about people on podcasts criticizing southern hemisphere teams.


Articles regarding the Northern Hemisphere tend to be more positive than critical. I guess to also rile up kiwis and Saffers who seem to be the majority of followers in the comments section. There seems to be a whole department dedicated to Ireland’s world ranking news.


Despite being dialled into the Northern edition - I know sweet fokall about what’s going on in France.


And even less than fokall about what’s cutting in Japan - which has a fast growing, increasingly premium League competition emerging.


And let’s not talk about the pacific. Do they even play rugby Down there.


Oh and the Americas. I’ve read more articles about a young, stargazing Welshman’s foray into NFL than I have anything related to either the north and south continents of the Americas.


I will give credit that the women’s game is getting decent airtime. But for the rest and the above; it’s just pathetic coming from a World Rugby website.


Just consider the innovation emerging in Japan with the pedigree of coaches over there.


There’s so much good we could be reading.


Instead it’s unimaginative “critical for the sake of feigning controversial”. Which is lazy, because in order to pull that off all you need to be really good at is:


1. Being a doos;

2. Having an opinion.


No prior experience needed.


Which is not journalism. That’s like all or most of us in the comments section. People like Finn (who I believe is a RP contributor).


Anyway. Hopefully it will get better. The game is growing and the interest in the game is growing. Maybe it will attract more qualified journalists over time.

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