Leicester got a measure of revenge for their defeat to Bath in last season’s English Prem final on Saturday as Noah Caluori scored five tires in Saracens’ 65-14 thrashing of Sale.
Billy Searle’s penalty secured a dramatic 22-20 victory for Leicester with the final kick of the game and inflicted a first defeat of the season on the defending champions.
Bath scored 17 of their 20 points inside the first 25 minutes as Dan Frost, Sam Underhill and Cameron Redpath all scored tries.
But Finn Russell crucially missed two of the three conversions.
Scores from Oliver Cracknell and Tommy Reffell kept Leicester in the contest at half-time and the Tigers took the lead when Nicky Smith touched down for a third try early in the second period.
Russell’s penalty nine minutes from the end edged Bath back in front.
However, Leicester snatched it at the last after Thomas du Toit who was yellow-carded as a result caught Searle with a high tackle and the replacement fly-half held his nerve.
“When things didn’t go our way, and went towards Bath, we just stuck to the process,” said Leicester head coach Geoff Parling.
“We stuck to our job, we worked hard for each other and eventually put ourselves, at the end, in a position to win that game.”
Teenage sensation Caluori stole the show in Saracens’ rout of Sale.
The England Under-20 international used his towering frame to torment the Sharks in the air and also displayed his ruthless streak with five blistering finishes.
A harrowing evening for the visitors was compounded by a 20-minute red card for hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie for a dangerous tackle, endangering his availability for England’s autumn opener against Australia on November 1.
The sides were only separated by an Owen Farrell penalty at half-time with the home side 17-14 in front.
However, Cowan-Dickie’s dismissal and a yellow card for Tom O’Flaherty left the visitors playing with just 13 men for a spell early in the second half.
Caluori ran amok as Saracens ran in 10 tries against a Sale side that had conceded just six in their opening three games of the season.
Saracens climb up to second in the table, ahead of Bath on points difference.
Leicester move up to fifth, one point ahead of sixth-placed Sale.
kca/nf
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
