Leicester Tigers 31
Tries: Crane, Kitchener, Scully, Bowden, Waldrom. Conv: Flood (2), WilliamsNewcastle Falcons 6
Penalty: Clegg. Drop goal: Clegg
Champions Leicester Tigers enjoyed a comfortable bonus-point win against new-boys Newcastle Falcons at Welford Road.
Tigers scored five tries but, in truth, never really got out of second gear and did not need to in this Aviva Premiership clash
Graham Kitchener, Dan Bowden, debutant Blaine Scully, Jordan Crane and Thomas Waldrom were all on the scoresheet in an easy victory.
In fact, Tigers had rested six regular first-choice starters before the game, with three tough fixtures coming up.
However, they could welcome back Toby Flood, Ben Youngs and Manu Tuilagi for their first Premiership games of the season and they were all impressive.
Tigers started well and scored two tries in the first 12 minutes, with No.8 Crane going over after heavy pressure and then Kitchener went in after great work by Manu Tuilagi.
The second try was down to Tuilagi, who broke through six or seven tackles to feed Kitchener with an easy score.
Tigers then went off the boil and a 15-minute spell of scrappy play followed before Scully went in for his debut try just before half-time. The American full-back again had Tuilagi to thank for some great work to put him in.
At 17-6 by half-time, Tigers were coasting and the second-half followed a similar pattern.
Bowden scored the fourth and bonus-point try mid-way through the half before Waldrom added the fifth following a rolling maul after a line-out.
Falcons prop Kieran Brookes, a former Tigers player, was given a yellow card for a late tackle on Toby Flood, the victim of two recent bad injuries after late tackles.
An incensed Flood squared up to Brookes and words were clearly exchanged.
There was a nice moment just before the full-time as the impressive Tuilagi came off to an ovation and a whole series of 'bunny ears' made by the fingers of the Welford Road faithful.
It was easy win for Tigers and Newcastle frankly face a long, hard season. The new-boys were never in the game.
LEICESTER TIGERSTeam: 15 Blaine Scully, 14 Vereniki Goneva, 13 Manu Tuilagi, 12 Dan Bowden, 11 Adam Thompstone, 10 Toby Flood (c), 9 Ben Youngs,1 Boris Stankovich, 2 Neil Briggs, 3 Logovi'i Mulipola, 4 Ed Slater, 5 Graham Kitchener, 6 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Jamie Gibson, 8 Jordan CraneReplacements: 16 Tom Youngs, 17 Tom Bristow (for Stankovich, 55), 18 Dan Cole (for Mulipola, 46), 19 Geoff Parling (for Crane, 54), 20 Julian Salvi, 21 David Mele (for Youngs, 68), 22 Owen Williams (for Flood, 61), 23 Niall Morris (for Tuilagi,78)
NEWCASTLE FALCONSTeam: 15 Alex Tait, 14 Noah Cato, 13 Adam Powell, 12 James Fitzpatrick, 11 Tom Catterick, 10 Rory Clegg, 9 Warren Fury, 1 Franck Montanella, 2 Rob Vickers, 3 Kieran Brookes, 4 Carlo del Fava, 5 Dominic Barrow, 6 Mark Wilson, 7 Will Welch (c), 8 Chris YorkReplacements: 16 Matt Thompson (for Vickers, 53), 17 Gary Strain, 18 Scott Wilson, 19 Sean Tomes (for del Fava, 60), 20 Ally Hogg, 21 Chris Pilgrim (for Fury, 62), 22 Joel Hodgson (for Clegg, 62), 23 Alex Crockett (for Powell, 70)
Yellow cards: Brookes (Falcons), Thompstone (Tigers)
Att: 19, 723
Ref: David Rose
