This is Leicestershire --Since Leicester Tigers have ambitions to be involved in the end-of-season dust-up for trophies, it is almost inevitable that the season will get off to a slow start, writes Ian Cockerill.
The first six weeks or so involve what most clubs would judge to be pre-season style tapering from training, so that the players are able to peak at the appropriate point – the end.
On that basis, the first few weeks are a little bit 'in the lap of the gods'. So, a bonus-point win in the very first game is to be celebrated, regardless of opponents or style.
As it happened, Worcester were not great. Many referees would have found the need to brandish more yellow cards on the basis of a very one-sided penalty count.
Worcester took a couple of decent tries during a very flat period for Tigers in the second half, but they never looked like preventing a home victory.
Tigers, in their turn, played some decent stuff, apart from the 20 minutes of the second half when decision making took a downward turn and intensity levels dropped.
After two first-half tries, and an early strike in the second half, the bonus point looked assured until those 20 minutes.
As it was, Tigers provided some excitement at the end, with the excellent Vereniki Goneva beating four men to score with the last touch of the game.
David Mele continues to impress, while Ryan Lamb was excellent in the first half, but less so in the second as Tigers failed to give quite so much front-foot ball.
Both wingers scored and Tigers must already be worried about those across the Irish Sea casting envious eyes over Niall Morris, whose form is still top-drawer following on from last season.
Dan Bowden and Anthony Allen proved they can play together, although it might not be the ideal pairing for tougher tests, and the forwards did what one expects of a Tigers pack, generally dominant with improvement to come.
There are tougher tests to come, notably Bath on Saturday, and I'm not sure they are quite ready for that one, but the team is a point up on where they probably thought they would be and, with players to return, things are set fair.
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