Premiership: Leicester Tigers 33-31 London Irish - hosts hang on for tense win

Victory against London Irish moves Leicester Tigers into the top half of the Premiership table

Leicester Tigers held on for a tense victory against bottom side London Irish in a 10-try Premiership thriller.

Julian Montoya, Richard Wigglesworth, Harry Potter and Tommy Reffell scores put Tigers 26-14 up at the break, with Api Ratuniyarawa's touchdown and a penalty try keeping Irish in touch.

Second-half Matt Rogerson and OIlie Hassell-Collins tries restored parity.

Paddy Jackson's failure to convert Tom Pearson's try after Jasper Wiese edged Tigers ahead proved to be decisive.

The bonus-point win lifted champions Leicester up to fifth in the table, while the bonus points collected in defeat moved Irish to within two points of nearest rivals Bristol Bears.

The game was the Tigers' first in the Premiership at home for 50 days - a prolonged break brought about by the financial collapse of rivals Wasps and Worcester and the resulting cancellation of fixtures against both.

Before kick-off there was a minute's applause in memory of former Scotland international Doddie Weir, who died aged 52 on Saturday - six years after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

A tribute to the late Doddie Weir on the big screen at Mattioli Woods Welford Road

Montoya, back from international duty with Argentina, made an immediate impact on his return by barging over for the game's first try, in the fourth minute.

Ratuniyarawa hit back for the visitors just minutes after being held up over the line, but Tigers quickly restored their lead through Wigglesworth.

An intercept and clever kick from Matt Scott set Potter up for Leicester's third try, which Freddie Burns converted to bring up 1,500 Premiership career points.

Reffell picked up the try-scoring bonus point for Tigers when he dived over on the half-hour mark for a Leicester side that finished the half a man down, with Olly Cracknell sin-binned for bringing down the maul on the line which resulted in the penalty try.

Nemani Nadolo - who started in his 43rd and final appearance for Tigers before leaving to return to Australia - left the field to a warm ovation, before Irish pulled another try back through Rogerson and Hassell-Collins raced away for a stunning score to make it 26-26 in the 51st minute.

Back-rower Wiese - on as a replacement - edged the hosts ahead again, and while the relentless visitors found another response through Pearson, the failure of Jackson to convert the try crucially left them trailing with 20 minutes remaining.

'A bit closer than Tigers wanted' - reaction

Leicester Tigers boss Steve Borthwick told BBC Radio Leicester:

"I'm pleased with the result at the end of the day. It was a bit closer than we would have wanted it, and I think most of the mistakes that made it closer were things that were in our control.

"Credit to London Irish, they took their opportunities brilliantly with the incredible speed that they have and athleticism.

"It was a learning experience for us. I'm really pleased we found a way, the reliance to close out the game in the end. It's credit to the players."

London Irish director of rugby Declan Kidney:

"We gave away too many points in that first half and we had to come back from a big hole.

"We are not far away from winning games as we've had six games away in our eight fixtures and it's only at Sale that we didn't perform. We've picked up five points in our last four away games.

"So we are knocking on the door, but we need to put together a full 80-minute performance and then the results will come."

Leicester Tigers: Watson; Ashton, Potter, Scott, Nadolo; Burns, Wigglesworth; Whitcombe, Montoya, Cole; Martin, Green, Liebenberg, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Clare, Van Wyk, Heyes, O. Chessum, Wiese, Edwards, Atkinson, Porter.

London Irish: Parton; Loader, Joseph, Janse Van Rensburg, Hassell-Collins; Jackson, Powell; Fa'aso'o, Rogerson, Pearson; Ratuniyarawa, Munga, Chawatama, Creevy, Gigena.

Replacements: Willemse, Hoskins, Fischetti, Caulfield, Gonzalez, Cunningham-South, White, Morisi.

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe.

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