Leicester put hypothesis linking head coach Steve Borthwick with England’s high job to 1 aspect as they opened their Heineken Champions Cup marketing campaign by beating the Ospreys 23-17 in Swansea.
Borthwick is the recent favorite to succeed Eddie Jones, who was sacked 5 days in the past following a poor autumn marketing campaign after seven years in cost.
The Leicester boss has completely distanced himself from questions on England, insisting his focus was firmly on Tigers’ difficult first European project.
Colleges arrive for World Colleges Competition 2022
Colleges arrive for World Colleges Competition 2022
And regardless of Borthwick resting a bunch of high names comparable to England pair Freddie Steward and Ben Youngs, Argentina hooker Julian Montoya and South Africa quantity eight Jasper Wiese, Tigers prevailed.
Leicester trailed 10-6 on the break, however second-half tries from wing Harry Potter and full-back Anthony Watson put them in cost, whereas fly-half Charlie Atkinson transformed each scores and kicked three penalties.
Ospreys claimed touchdowns from prop Nicky Smith and quantity eight Morgan Morris, plus two Jack Walsh conversions and a penalty, however it was their twelfth successive Champions Cup defeat and so they haven’t defeated English opposition in Europe for 5 years.
They go to French champions Montpellier subsequent weekend, with Leicester internet hosting Clermont Auvergne after gaining a potentially-priceless European away win regardless of by no means remotely hitting high gear.
Ospreys welcomed again seven gamers who began Wales’ Autumn Nations Collection defeat towards Australia two weeks in the past, together with centre George North, lock Alun Wyn Jones and skipper Justin Tipuric, however fly-half Gareth Anscombe missed out due to a shoulder harm.
Quite a lot of Leicester switches, in the meantime, included a begin for back-row ahead Olly Cracknell towards his former group, wing Harry Simmons and prop Joe Heyes.
Walsh and Atkinson exchanged penalties in the course of the first quarter-hour, however attacking alternatives had been few and much between as either side regarded to determine territorial management.
A second Atkinson penalty nudged Leicester forward, and it remained an attritional encounter, though Watson made a few half-breaks that examined Ospreys’ defence.
The Ospreys, although, started to get pleasure from scrum dominance, and French referee Ludovic Cayre ran out of endurance with Leicester’s front-row simply earlier than the interval.
The house aspect regarded to hammer residence their set-piece benefit, and so they struck simply after Tigers tighthead Heyes was yellow-carded.
Sustained stress close to the Leicester line lastly informed as Smith crashed over from shut vary earlier than Heyes had barely left the pitch.
Walsh transformed for a 10-6 half-time lead, however there was an Ospreys concern as North went off to obtain remedy following a hefty midfield collision.
North didn’t reappear for the second interval, being changed by Michael Collins, whereas Will Hurd took over from Heyes on a everlasting foundation when the sin-binning time elapsed.
And Leicester regained the lead via a 51st-minute landing, created by Atkinson’s cross-kick as Potter beat reverse quantity Keelan Giles in a scramble for possession to the touch down, earlier than Atkinson landed a wide-angled conversion.
Tigers scored once more seven minutes later, and this time it was Watson who broke clear from simply inside Ospreys’ half, showcasing blistering tempo to say a wonderful solo strive that Atkinson transformed.
The Ospreys refused to go quietly, although, and Morris’ strive seven minutes from time – transformed by Walsh – arrange a tense finale.
However Atkinson calmed any Leicester nerves by finishing a penalty hat-trick, and Ospreys had been then stored at a secure distance.
