European Cup Pool Four/ Bourgoin 13 Leicester 28:Leicester hauled their European campaign back on track last night thanks to a first-half display ranked among their most commanding in a decade of European Cup away-days.
For the time being they are back in contention in Pool Four and their visit to Munster next month is suddenly relevant again. Despite heavy rain and a soaking pitch, the Tigers had the match won by the interval when they led 28-3 but could end up regretting their failure to secure a try bonus point.
It did not help that three players, including captain Martin Corry, were sin-binned in the final quarter and the Tigers finished the game with only 13 men on the field.
Even so it was a welcome change in fortune for several of the Tigers' England contingent after a depressing autumn. Corry scored an important first-half try and played a prominent role in a forward effort. Behind him, the halfbacks Harry Ellis and Andy Goode had productive nights, albeit against opponents offering only a sporadic threat.
Bourgoin were quickly behind to a Goode penalty and, in conditions that suited the Leicester pack, were under the cosh almost from the outset. Only a loss of control at a close-range scrum prevented the Tigers from capitalising on an extended period of forward pressure but Bourgoin's reprieve was temporary. Goode popped up on the right to take a short pass from Sam Vesty, barrelled past the tentative Jean-François Coux and threw an inside ball to Geordan Murphy, who slid over to score.
Two more Goode penalties extended the lead and Bourgoin lost their openside flanker Mark Rennie to the sinbin for attempted ball-killing.
Further interpassing between forwards and backs resulted in a 35th-minute try for Tom Varndell, his trailing foot a millimetre or two the right side of the touchline as he stretched for the touchdown.
Even better was to follow in the final moments of the first half. Ellis made yet another smart break around the back of a ruck and set up the lurking Corry inside him for a free gallop to the line. Given the events of the past month, the broad smile on Corry's battered features was the image of the night.
The second half was rather less memorable as Bourgoin belatedly decided to go down with at least the odd pop-gun blazing.
The replacement hooker Benoit Cabello and Coux, almost on the final whistle, slid over for tries as the depleted Tigers were pinned in their own half.
Guardian Service
BOURGOIN: Laloo; Nicolas, Bousses, Coetzee, Coux; Boyet, Parra; Milloud, Vigneaux, Sourgens; Del-Fava, Williams; Bonnaire, Rennie, Monzeglio. Replacements: Davis for Coetzee (66), Denos for Boyet (74), Prendergast for Parra (64), Khinchagishvili for Milloud (78), Cabello for Vigneaux (62), Cardinali for Sourgens (41), Jooste for Bonnaire (74). Sinbin: Rennie (27).
LEICESTER: Vesty; G Murphy, Hipkiss, Gibson, Varndell; Goode, Ellis; Ayerza, Chuter, Castrogiovanni; Cullen, L Deacon; Moody, Jennings, Corry. Replacements: Cornwell for Gibson (73), J Murphy for Varndell (59), Moreno for Ayerza (51), Hamilton for L Deacon (65), B Deacon for Jennings (68). Sinbin: Corry (71), B Deacon (77), Goode (80).
Referee: D Courtney(Ireland).
