Murphy leads Leicester's charge

It was Swansea's bad luck to catch Leicester on a roll yesterday, burning as brightly as they have all season, but the scale of this reverse was still startling.

Dean Richards, their director of rugby, rated this four-try demolition among his side's best displays in the past two years and, having won two English Premiership titles on the trot, the scent of Europe now hangs heavy in the midlands air.

"To say there was an edge in training this week would be an understatement," said Richards afterwards. "None of our guys have been to a European Cup final and won and a lot of them would dearly love to do that. The beauty of today was that everyone played a part."

The only scant crumbs of comfort for Welsh supporters were Mark Taylor's successful return from a knee injury and the sight of an Irishman winning the vote as man-of-the-match. Geordan Murphy scored two sharp tries down the right wing, but the lingering memory will concern the one which got away.

Had Murphy's audacious overhead kick, from a stationary position some 15 metres from the tryline with his back to the Swansea posts, resulted in a try for the diving Leon Lloyd, Richards was among those who felt all votes for try of the season could have been abandoned. "The guys will try anything if the forwards will let them get away with it," he said, again expressing surprise that Murphy cannot find a place in the Irish squad, let alone the team.

Leicester's first try was arguably their best, quick first-phase ball off the top of a lineout allowing Pat Howard to put Lloyd clear through the middle and Murphy to finish with a flourish.

Two further scores in two minutes after the interval threatened a serious rout. Murphy pounced for his second after Kevin Morgan had missed his attempted hacked clearance of Dorian West's rolling chip before Austin Healey wriggled over.

Healey's flying defensive tackle on Shaun Payne proved to be almost his final act before limping off with a cut leg, but an Andy Goode drop goal kept the scoreboard ticking over and Swansea's day worsened when Garin Jenkins, yellow carded for a high tackle on Tuilagi, was followed to the sin bin by lock James Griffiths, unable to resist a sly punch on the blindside.

With just 13 men manning the barricades, Howard's inside pass put Goode over with 15 minutes still remaining but Leicester were happy to let their replacements take the strain. Swansea's Paul Moriarty crossed for a consolation try in the last minute.

Leicester: Stimpson; Tuilagi, Lloyd (Gelderbloom, 45min), Howard, Murphy; Goode, Healey (Hamilton, 52); Rowntree (Freshwater, 62), West (Cockerill, 67), Garforth (Nebbett, 73), Deacon, Kay, W Johnson, Back (capt; Moody, 66), Corry.

Swansea: Morgan; Payne, Taylor, Gibbs (capt), Robinson; A Thomas (Rees, 69), Martens (R Jones, 69); Morris, Jenkins (Smith, 71), Evans (Anthony, 60), Griffiths, Moore, Lewis, Charvis (D Thomas 66), L Jones (Moriarty 71).

Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).