Tigers thump Red Bulls

I was optimistically hopeful that Red Bulls could get something from this one, people weren’t so sure and I’ll admit I was very wrong as Leicester dished out a punishing victory to Newcastle Red Bulls built on the first twenty minutes.

Red Bulls started ominously when James Eliott was charged down from his first clearance. It did make touch on the second go and Leicester rumbled forward from the maul. They then spun it wide to Adam Radwan, Josh Hodge did well to tackle him but as Radwan passed back in Elliott Obatoyinbo was adjudged to have deliberately knocked on and was given a yellow card. Leicester went to the lineout and rumbled their way over with ex-Newcastle man Jamie Blamire at the back over the maul to score against his former side. Billy Searle converted and Leicester led 7-0 early on.

We did see a glimpse of what Christian Wade can do as he returned a Tigers kick and made good ground to give Red Bulls some territory, arguably when making the tackle Joe Heyes slowed the ball down but wasn’t penalised. Red Bulls did earn a penalty and Ben Healy kicked it to take the score to 7-3. 

Frustratingly for Red Bulls they conceded a penalty for a dangerous clear out as Ollie Leatherbarrow went in dangerously on Hamish Watson. Leatherbarrow was given a twenty minute red and there couldn’t be any complaints with that. Red Bulls now had thirteen men and a tough task of their own doing. From the resulting lineout Leicester did a training ground move and Olly Cracknell went over from the first phase, it was far too easy for Leicester. However Cracknell was inside the ten metre channel after moving too early and the try was chalked off and there was reprieve for Red Bulls. Red Bulls cleared and took the play to just beyond the halfway line.

Leicester were starting to exploit the space in the back field due to Obatoyinbo being off and Freddie Steward kicked a 50:22. It seemed inevitable what Leicester would do and they did exactly that, Blamire was at the back of the maul to score his second of the afternoon, Searl converted and Leicester led 14-3. 

Leicester were getting quick ball, far too quick ball really and they took advantage of this to find Gabriel Hamer-Webb on the left as he ghosted past Wade to score, Searle missed the conversion and Leicester led 19-3. Red Bulls did threaten as a Healy chip found Hodge, the fullback gathered but then lost possession. 

Hamer-Webb doubled his tally for the afternoon after a bullocking run from Moro, the ball went left and Hamer-Webb went down the left again to score, Searle missed the conversion but Leicester led 24-3 and had a bonus point in the bag before the twenty minute mark. Richard Palframan felt the full force of Ollie Chessum as he put in a huge hit and earnt a penalty that made Welford Road shudder. From the lineout it threatened to be rinse and repeat but Red Bulls defended and when Leicester went wide they knocked on. From the scrum Ben Healy did a nice dummy but his chip couldn’t find Hodge but Red Bulls did make good ground.

Red Bulls were forced into a reshuffle as Obatoyinbo couldn’t run off an injury, Simon Benitez Cruz came onto the wing….

Red Bulls were back up to fifteen men with the score at 24-3 as Reuben Parsons came on after the Leatherbarrow twenty minute red card. Leicester scored their fifth of the afternoon and it was a hattrick for Hamer-Webb as he was on the end of a lovely Jack Van Poortvliet pass to go over, Searle converted and Leicester extended their lead to 31-3 as Red Bulls were caught too narrow in defence. 

The first half finished 31-3, Leicester were dominant and Red Bulls didn’t show a lot. We saw the good, the bad and the ugly of Ben Healy. His kicking game was mixed with loose kicks being punished but he also threatened the Tigers defence at times. But to be truthful, Red Bulls were way off the pace. 

Red Bulls made changes at half time with Connon on for the injured Healy and McCallum on for Palframan. There were some encouraging signs for Red Bulls as Reuben Parsons broke nicely but all too often the Leicester defence was winning the battle and Red Bulls didn’t have an answer beyond the first phase of attack.

After a scrappy start to the second half, it was Leicester who scored. Perese did brilliantly to take a Bailey cross kick, he fed Hamer-Webb inside and Hamer-Webb returned the favour to find Perese to score an excellent Leicester try, Bailey converted and extended the lead to 38-3.

It continued to feel like Leicester knew they had won the game but they did try and up the tempo. Red Bulls conceded a penalty for offside and from the lineout they ran another training ground move and scored from first phase as Hamer-Webb went over for his fourth of the afternoon exploiting a huge gap in the Red Bulls defence as Wade misread the move. Bailey converted and Leicester led 45-3. 

It was all too easy for Leicester as Hamer-Webb strode in for his fifth try of the match exploiting more holes in the Red Bulls defence, Bailey missed the conversion but Leicester led 50-3. Red Bulls were really struggling into the last ten minutes as Leicester added pace to the game, Radwan got the ball on the left and grubbered through, he followed up his kick to race over and take the score to 55-3. 

Leicester threatened to rumble towards the line from a lineout but then went crossfield through Bailey who found Radwan who caught and spun then ran to the line to score. Bailey converted to extend the lead to 62-3. Tom Whiteley did excellently to do a 50:22 towards the end of time to give Leicester an attacking platform, they went crossfield from the maul and Hamer-Webb thought he’d scored his sixth of the afternoon but his foot was in touch and that signalled the end of the game a thumping 62-3 defeat for Red Bulls.

For Red Bulls there wasn’t much to be positive about, the two cards in the first quarter were of their own doing. Leicester had the game won by the time Red Bulls had a full complement of players back onto the pitch. Rhys Beeckmans and Reuben Parsons got more game time and Parsons especially made some ground when he came on. 

But the concern is that similarly to Gloucester last night, Red Bulls look to be looking towards next season and with a dangerous Bristol side at Kingston Park on Friday night they have to find a performance in front of the Kingston Park faithful. Today was everything that they can’t be Friday night, they’re going to have to show some steel and fight.

For Leicester, they’ll be delighted with the result and performance as they look to cement a play-off spot which in Geoff Parling’s first season will be a great return for them.