Leicester Tigers book European play off

Leicester Tigers became the second English team to book a place in the European Rugby Champions Cup by beating Treviso 47-7 at Welford Road.

Leicester scored seven tries in the contest while Treviso could only score a single try in the first half.

Michael Fitzgerald started the try scoring for the Tigers before Vereniki Goneva, Freddie Burns, Adam Thompstone and Ben Youngs followed on with tries of their own.

Replacement Laurence Pearce scored Leicester’s final try deep in the second half.

England centre Manu Tuilagi made his first start in a rugby match for 15 months due to a groin injury and played for 51 minutes before being replaced.

For Leicester, the 2001 and 2002 winners, it was their  fifth win in five games in Pool 4.

At a cold, snow-hit Welford Road, Leicester had their bonus point wrapped up by half-time.

In between, Treviso had grabbed a shock try when they were 21-0 down as Andrea Pratichetti burst through a rare gap in the home side’s defence.

Scrum-half Ben Youngs claimed the fifth Tigers’ try early in the second half after sprinting 50 metres off a quickly-taken line-out.

Freddie Burns added a sixth from close range, pouncing on his own, quick-thinking kick ahead before replacement back-rower Laurence Pearce scored his maiden European try.

Final Score Leicester Tigers 47 (28) Treviso 7 (7)

Scorers

Leicester Tigers
Tries – Fitzgerald, Penalty, Goneva, Thompstone, B Youngs, Burns, Pearce
Pen –
Con – Burns (5), Bell
Drop –

Treviso
Tries – Pratichetti
Pen –
Con – Ambrosini
Drop –

Match Officials
Referee: Ben Whitehouse (Wales),
Assistant ref: Sean Brickell (Wales),
Assistant ref: Gwyn Morris (Wales),
TMO: Derek Bevan (Wales),
Citing Commissioner: Patrice Frantschi (France)

Teams

Leicester Tigers: Thomas Bell; Adam Thompstone, Matthew Tait, Manu Tuilagi, Vereniki Goneva; Freddie Burns, Ben Youngs; Logovii Mulipola, Tom Youngs (c), Dan Cole, Dom Barrow, Graham Kitchener, Michael Fitzgerald, Tom Croft, Jordan Crane

Replacements: Harry Thacker, Marcos Ayerza, Fraser Balmain, Sebastian De Chaves, Laurence Pearce, Jonathon Kitto, Seremaia Bai, Peter Betham

Benetton Treviso: Jayden Hayward; Andrea Pratichetti, Samuel Christie, Alberto Sgarbi (c), Simone Ragusi; James Ambrosini, Alberto Lucchese; Alberto de Marchi, Ornel Gega, Salesi Manu, Filo Paulo, Jean-François Montauriol, Marco Lazzaroni, Francesco Minto, Robert Barbieri

Replacements: Davide Giazzon, Cherif Traore, Filippo Filippetto, Marco Fuser, Alessandro Zanni, Abraham Jurgens Steyn, Enrico Bacchin, Luke McLean