Tigers bring on their super subs

13 April 2012

Martin Johnson came off the bench last night as Leicester obliterated a 10-point deficit to jump nine points clear at the top of the newlyconfused English Premiership.

England captain Johnson, flanker Neil Back and Australian centre Pat Howard found themselves introduced in the unusual role of substitutes on a night when Bristol threatened to inflict what would have been only the second double on the champions during 14 years of League competition.

Instead, a thrilling late try from Canadian wing Winston Stanley in front of a 12,000 crowd ensured the Tigers doubled their lead over ancient rivals Bath with seven matches to go.

If they stay there, they will have earned the title of champions even if they are part of an organisation which has decreed otherwise.

In a valiant attempt to pre-empt reaction and explain their rationale, the Premiership marketing men distributed 10,000 leaflets among the faithful on arrival at Welford Road. They were being asked to comprehend the incomprehensible, that the Premiership was suddenly not all it had been cracked up to be.

Their beloved Tigers might finish on top but they would have to win three more matches in the top eight play- off to become official champions, an additional hazard which offers the possibility, however remote, of the club finishing eighth finding themselves crowned the official champions of England.

Imagine Manchester United winning their Premiership only to be told that it counted for nothing beyond a home draw in the play-offs. By all means have a grand final but why devalue winning the Premiership? The answer, of course, like everything else has a lot to do with money.

How Leicester responded on the pitch suggested they were having a problem understanding that the really serious part of the domestic season would begin after the Premiership had been done and damned with officially faint praise.

After half an hour, they found themselves in the strange position of being 10 points adrift to opponents fighting to make the playoffs.

Even allowing for his club's massive contribution to the national cause last weekend, Dean Richards sprang a surprise by opting to start with a shade more than half his full-strength team, namely eight internationals.

On a night when two of them were injured, the Tigers manager took the precaution of keeping another four on the bench.

The first arose at half-time, hence Howard's introduction for the second half with his team in a spot of bother. Felipe Contepomi followed his early penalty by converting his own opportunist try, the Argentinian using his soccer skills to punish an unusually sloppy piece of Leicester work, even allowing for the mud.

Freddie Tuilagi, running into trouble after retrieving a loose ball, responded to his collaring from Bristol wing Luke Nabaro by chucking a desperate pass in Tim Stimpson's vague direction. Contepomi stabbed the ball past the full back before picking it up a yard from the line and completing a score which had Leicester's heavy reserve mob warming up.

Johnson's presence there was a little surprising, given that he had spent five weeks conserving energy before the Wales match. Richards, with one eye firmly on Saturday's match at London Irish, decided he could afford to conserve another 53 minutes' worth.

With Stimpson having slashed Bristol's lead to a point by kicking three penalties, the England captain had no sooner joined the fray than his full back nudged Leicester in front with his fifth attempt, the previous one having rebounded off an upright.

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Tigers bring on their super subs

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