Leicester boss Michael Cheika likened the Gallagher Premiership play-off race to a Rugby World Cup pool stage after his team beat title rivals Bristol 36-19 at Ashton Gate.
Tigers’ bonus-point win saw them climb above Bristol, Sale and Saracens into second place, with four regular-season rounds remaining. There are just five points separating Leicester and sixth-placed Gloucester.
Bristol failed to collect a Premiership try-scoring bonus point for the first time since late December after Leicester successfully stalled their free-scoring machine.
And it also gave the Tigers revenge for a 54-24 drubbing by Bristol on home soil just before Christmas.
“They are nearly all finals now, all the games during the run-in,” Leicester head coach Cheika said.
Gallagher Premiership
P
W
L
D
PF
PA
PD
BP T
BP-7
BP
Total
1
14
12
2
0
61
2
14
8
5
1
46
3
14
8
6
0
46
4
14
9
5
0
44
5
14
8
6
0
44
6
14
7
7
0
41
7
14
6
7
1
38
8
14
6
8
0
33
9
14
3
11
0
21
10
14
2
12
0
12
“It is almost like a group stage of a World Cup. You have got to get as many points as possible.
“The play-off chances will be decided after the final game. There are no points for being third, fourth, first or second now. There is no prize for that.
“For me, personally, and for us as a team we really wanted to play this game for the fans. We were poor the day they (Bristol) came to us…and we really did want to turn that around today.
“It is not just about knowing the strategy or technical stuff, it is about doing it as well.
“The players accepted that challenge and prepared accordingly and if you prepare accordingly during the week you will get the performance you need when the pressure is on.
“The number one thing we have got to get in our heads is playing well at home. We have played some good games at home but I want to be better at home.”
Wings Adam Radwan and Ollie Hassell-Collins, scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, full-back Freddie Steward and lock Cameron Henderson scored tries for the Tigers, with fly-half Handre Pollard kicking three conversions and a penalty and Jamie Shillcock slotting one conversion.
Bristol trailed by 17 points at the interval, and while they rallied after the break, the home side’s try-count stopped at three after Gabriel Ibitoye, Kalaveti Ravouvou and Harry Randall touched down, while AJ MacGinty added two conversions.
It was an outstanding performance on the road by Leicester, one that was underpinned by an impressive display up front, with skipper Julian Montoya, lock Ollie Chessum and flanker Tommy Reffell among those to the fore.
Reflecting on the loss, Bristol rugby director Pat Lam said: “We were pretty sloppy in the first half. We tried to set a tempo and play, but conceded three soft tries.
“We talked at half-time that we were just messy and when we are messy we are just average. We had a lot of opportunities we didn’t fix and the last thing you want to be is two scores down against Leicester with 15 minutes to go.
“Everyone is pretty gutted but if we can get four or five (points) next week (against Northampton) it makes a big difference.”
