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Leicester Tigers 32 Worcester 15: Match verdict - Goneva gets Tigers off to a flying start

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Leicester Tigers 32 Worcester 15:   Match verdict - Goneva gets Tigers off to a flying start This is Leicestershire --

A stunning try from Fijian Vereniki Goneva with just six seconds left on the clock got reigning champions Leicester Tigers off to a bonus-point start in the Aviva Premiership.

With time ticking down, it looked like Tigers had ran out of ideas for the crucial fourth try after losing momentum with a comfortable 25-3 lead early in the second half.

But following Tom Croft's initial break down the right wing, Goneva picked up the ball and skipped past six or seven would-be tacklers to dive over the line for a stunning individual try.

Before Goneva's score, Leicester had touched down through Adam Thompstone, man of the match David Mele and the superb Jordan Crane.

But Tigers lost their grip on the game through some poor execution and decision-making in the backs.

Worcester scored two tries through Chris Jones and Josh Matavesi and, at 25-15 with 15 minutes left, Tigers looked rattled before rallying for a spectacular finish.

It was an awfully scrappy game with the new scrum engagement sequence leading to a horrible spectacle when the sides packed down.

All new laws usually take time to bed in. For the sake of the game, they had better do so quickly because this was seriously ugly for the supporters.

Leicester will gleefully take the points having gone into the match with a huge injury list.

For Worcester, new director of rugby Dean Ryan will be pleased with his side's commitment and comeback when all seemed lost.

On his Premiership debut for Tigers, fly-half Ryan Lamb made some superb passes but also made some questionable decisions in the second half.

The former Northampton man got his opening league point after just six minutes before seeing a second penalty drift just wide soon after.

It took 13 minutes for the Premiership's top try-scorers last season to get their first of the new campaign – and it was a cracker.

Crane made hard yards before the ball was recycled to Niall Morris. The Irishman sent a delicate grubber kick down the touchline to dissect the defence and Thompstone gratefully accepted the bobbling ball and ran in to score.

A scrappy spell of unfinished scrums typified the problems when both Mele and opposite number Jeremy Su'a were both penalised for 'not straight' put-ins within 60 seconds.

It looked like Mele would have to go off soon afterwards after taking a big knock to the leg, but he shook his head and managed to run it off.

Lamb and Dan Bowden nearly set Croft free before Lamb's boot put Tigers 11-0 ahead after 23 minutes.

Worcester enjoyed a decent five minutes which ended with Ignacio Mieres – who had a brief spell at Leicester under Marcelo Loffreda – getting them on the board.

But Leicester finished the stronger with the outstanding Crane off-loading to Mele, who ran in under the posts, Lamb's extras making it 18-3 at the half.

Sensing they were well on top, Tigers turned down numerous penalty kicks in the early stages of the second half after lock Mike Williams had been sin-binned for a block on Lamb.

Their tactic paid dividends with a big and brutal rolling maul, driving the visitors back 10 metres from a line-out and over the line, Crane with the touchdown and Lamb with the conversion.

At 25-3, it looked merely a case of how many Tigers would win by.

But the Warriors showed confidence and tenacity to work their way back into the game with two tries in nine minutes through Jones and a superb individual score from Matevesi.

Leicester had now seriously lost their momentum. They struggled to get any good ball, with a messy set-piece and some poor decision-making and execution behind the scrum.

Another score by the visitors at 25-15 could have made things interesting, but it was Tigers who finished the scoring with Goneva's memorable solo effort.

Read more news on Leicester Tigers See more pictures from Leicester Tigers 32 Worcester 15 Reported by This is 15 hours ago.

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