Leicester 36-28 Saracens: Adam Radwan double edges Tigers closer to play-off places

The Prem

Leicester (26) 36

Tries: Steward, Cracknell, Radwan 2, Heyes Cons: Searle 4 Pens: Searle

Saracens (7) 28

Tries: McFarland, Carre, Gonzalez, Bracken Cons: Burke 4

Adam Radwan scored two tries as Leicester Tigers edged closer to The Prem play-off places with a dominant 36-28 win over a one-dimensional Saracens at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

The fifth-placed Tigers quickly built a first-half lead through Freddie Steward and Olly Cracknell, before Theo McFarland replied for the hosts.

Further scores from Radwan and Joe Heyes gave Saracens a second-half mountain to climb, before Rhys Carre responded for Mark McCall’s men.

Radwan’s interception try put the game beyond the visitors, before late consolation scores for Juan Martin Gonzalez and Charlie Bracken secured a bonus point for Saracens, who remain in sixth.

With both teams looking for a win to keep in touch with the top four, it was the Tigers who started strongest.

Following impressive carrying from Radwan and first-time starter Sam Williams, Billy Searle delivered a perfectly weighted grubber kick for Steward to dot down.

It then looked like the Tigers had grabbed a quick-fire double through Searle, before referee Matthew Carley decided that the fly-half had been tackled just short of the line.

But it proved only a temporary respite for the visitors.

Following a succession of drives from close range, Cracknell finally found a way through the Saracens wall, with a helpful push from Ollie Chessum.

Seeing little of the ball and choosing to kick it more often then not when they did, Saracens struggled for a foothold, but finally replied through McFarland.

The back-rower powered over from short range as the Tigers increasingly found themselves on the wrong end of Carley’s whistle.

Following another period of kick tennis, a try of real quality brought the Tigers’ faithful to their feet.

Off a scrum deep in their own half, Searle accelerated through a gap and kicked ahead.

Radwan regathered and outpaced the final Saracens defender, before delivering a spectacular dive to score in the corner.

Things got even worse for the visitors, when Elliot Daly was yellow-carded for a late hit on Searle in the build-up to the try.

With both Nick Isiekwe and Jamie George lost to head-injury assessments, the Tigers found their way to the line once again.

Following good work from Will Wand and Jamie Blamire, Heyes powered over from short range to secure the bonus point on the verge of half-time.

With director of rugby Mark McCall’s words ringing in their ears, Saracens needed an injection of quality and they got it after the break through Carre.

Pinned in their 22 after repeated infringements, Leicester were eventually worn down by repeated close-range drives before the Welsh prop barrelled his way over to give the visitors hope.

But that was quickly extinguished by Radwan, who secured his brace, perfectly reading a pass from Ivan van Zyl, before running the ball in from his own half untouched.

With the game gone, but a bonus point still on the line, Gonzalez spotted a gap to dot down for Saracens’ third try following good work from Theo Dan.

Saracens continued attacking until the final whistle and were ultimately rewarded when Bracken ran in following Max Malins’ break to ensure they returned down the M1 with a point.

Neither team improved their league position following the result, but Leicester have now built a four-point gap to Saracens below them and are only two points behind Bristol Bears in fourth.

Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling told BBC Radio Leicestershire:

«I thought we started the game really well, we had the right amount of edge to us, we moved the ball well.

«The breakdown was the only thing that I thought kept them in it in the first half, but we know we needed to be better.

«It was a great win and a great result but still things we can improve on. I’m disappointed they got that [bonus] point at the end but [you] can’t fault our effort.»

Leicester try-scorer Adam Radwan:

«We didn’t really turn up last week [against Exeter Chiefs], we had a pretty tough review of that game. In the week we challenged each other to be better, and I think you saw that today – not for the full 80 – but our intent was bang on, we worked hard.

«We don’t want to lose here – every time we play here it is a massive game for us.»

Saracens director of rugby Mark McCall said:

«Although a losing bonus point may be important at the end of the season, it is of little consolation today.

«You can’t turn up at a place like this and play with that attitude for the first 15 or 20 minutes as only one team had any fight for the physical battle.

«We were second best and I wish I knew what it was as we haven’t been able to win back-to-back games since rounds one and two.»

Leicester Tigers: Steward; Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hassell-Collins; Searle, van Poortvliet; Smith, Blamire, Heyes, Henderson, Chessum (c), Thompson, Williams, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Haffar, Hurd, Ilione, Moro, Allan, Pearson, Hamer-Webb.

Yellow card: Searle.

Saracens: Daly; Segun, Cinti, Tompkins, Malins; Burke, van Zyl (c); Carre, George, Riccioni, Isiekwe, Tizard, McFarland, Earl, Willis.

Replacements: Dan, Mawi, Street, Itoje, Gonzalez, Christie, C. Bracken, Lozowski.

Yellow card: Daly.

Referee: Matthew Carley.