Turnovers condemn the Exiles

The knee-jerk reaction in the midlands, where the green-ink brigade have been busy of late, has been to sympathise with Leicester that English rugby's champion team will now be largely decided by an end-of-season sprint rather than the traditional marathon route. The Tigers are publicly peeved but, on grey days like this, it is hard to see why.

For while no one disputes those in charge have made a complete horlicks of selling the concept of the Zurich championship, the pluses surely outweigh the minuses for almost everyone at Welford Road.

Think about it. A guaranteed home draw against lesser opposition in both the play-off quarters and semis, which conveniently fall after their European Cup semi-final against Gloucester, then the prospect of another big Twickenham day out and a further large cheque.

Which is going to earn the club wider exposure and increased replica strip sales: clinching the trophy in front of a few diehards at Bristol or Newcastle, or in front of 60,000plus fans of all persuasions on May 13? It's a no-brainer.

It did not take a genius, anyway, to predict last week's clarification. Although the top table fudged the issue, the pecking order for European qualification rated the championship winners higher than the league champions from day one. There is not a side in England, though, who will be confident of snatching what Leicester have earned the right to regard as their own.

"It's probably made us more determined to win the league than ever," said Leicester coach Dean Richards. "I think everyone believes it's a great concept, but the one thing you can't do is change the goalposts halfway through the season."

Leicester exposed the chipboard reality of the Exiles' unbeaten record in their new home on Saturday. Irish started brightly enough, but gradually the supply lines to their pacy wings clogged up, and 25 turnovers, two of which were converted into tries, made Leicester's job even easier.

"Once you give a team like Leicester a 14-point gap, it's good night, nurse, isn't it?" observed Best dryly.

When his centres got themselves in a tangle in the 79th minute to cough up an interception which allowed Tim Stimpson to dive over for his second try in a personal haul of 18 points, it even gave the Tigers a precious extra bonus point; with four of their remaining six games at home, all they have to do now is conserve their energies for those final few extra laps.

LONDON IRISH: Bishop; Sackey, Appleford, Wright (Oliver, 58 mins), Ezulike; Everitt, Tonu'u (capt); Hatley (Halford, 54), Kirke, Hardwick, Strudwick, Williams (Delaney, 54), Halvey (Bates, 54), Allan (Danaher, 63), Sheasby.

LEICESTER: Stimpson; Tuilagi, Smith (Gelderbloom, 69), Howard, Murphy; Healey, Hamilton (Goode, 71); Rowntree (Freshwater, 75), West, Garforth, M Johnson (capt), Deacon, W Johnson (Balding, 75), Back, Corry.

Referee: S Dickinson (Aus).