Searle makes difference as Leicester battle to Prem top spot at Bristol

Visitors score four tries in error-strewn game

In the end there was a relatively clear winner of this straight shootout for top spot in the Prem. Leicester took the spoils in a error-strewn contest between two sides who began the night in second and third position, scoring four tries to one and being masterfully steered to a bonus-point victory by their alert fly-half Billy Searle, whose left boot set up three tries in addition to landing two conversions.

Following on from their commanding second-half display in the wet at home to Northampton last Saturday, the Tigers were far from perfect but had the game’s outstanding player in Searle, whose left boot set up all three of his side’s tries in addition to landing the goals. Bristol, reduced to 13 players in the second quarter by a brace of yellow cards, had their moments but ultimately coughed up possession far too often.

The game’s stylistic highlight was a quite brilliant sixth-minute solo try by Louis Rees-Zammit, back to his sharpest on the wing for the Bears, but it takes more than the occasional flash of talent to tame the Tigers. In Adam Radwan they had their own high-speed danger man, with the former Newcastle wing and full-back Freddie Steward both registering first-half tries

Of the England international contingent on view, though, the most eye-catching was Ellis Genge who was a constant handful in all areas during his 63 minutes, only for the visitors to ruin the prop’s night with a bonus-point try from Jamie Blamire within moments of his departure. Modern-day Leicester are not yet an irresistible force but they still have the capacity to strike at psychologically key moments.

Bristol’s players wore old-school letters on their backs in tribute to the club legends of yesteryear, a nostalgic sight for local old-timers. Leicester were invited to do the same until officialdom stepped in and deemed it too confusing. The Tigers’ rugby alphabet used to run the other way, with ABC denoting the front row rather than the outside backs, and asking them to abandon that tradition was borderline heresy.

There was a timeless beauty, either way, to Rees-Zammit’s early score. The England tight head Joe Heyes – entertainingly listed on the team-sheet as “Joy Heyes” – was minding his own business in midfield when the Welsh wing accelerated past him from a standing start before slaloming 40 metres to the line for a spectacular individual try.

Leicester’s response was clinical in a different way, Searle’s cross-kick finding an unmarked Steward on the right who dived over to mark his 100th Prem start in style. The visitors also had a close-range “try” by Ollie Chessum scrubbed out for an earlier knock-on but, in general, there was little to separate two well-matched teams.

If Leicester had a slight edge at the scrums the Bears were the more fluent attacking team and Rees-Zammit was very close to adding another stunner to his collection, only for his deft chip ahead to elude his grasp. The momentum was about to shift significantly, though, courtesy of two quickfire yellow cards in three minutes for Matias Moroni and Tom Jordan for misjudged tackles.

With a two-man advantage Leicester duly pulled ahead courtesy of another smart kick by Searle, drilled perfectly in behind the cover for the electric Radwan to outpace the cover and slide over. The half-time score of 12-7, even so, still gave the Bears some wriggle room in the closing 40 minutes.

The omens did not look great when the Tigers scored again, Searle’s precise boot this time finding Ollie Hassell-Collins in acres of space on the left. But a penalty from Jimmy Williams provided some breathing space and, now restored to 15 players, a massive penalty for the hosts’ scrum altered the mood again.

Blamire’s score, however, seemed to have settled things, Searle again having an input with a raking kick to the corner. At a time when England’s fly-half pecking order is once again in the spotlight, here was another reminder of his match-winning qualities.

On a night full of frustrating moments for both sides, his contribution was even more striking. Bristol huffed and puffed but chances came and went and the boot of Williams was ultimately not enough. While Leicester are now top dogs going into the weekend they will have to perform better than this to remain ahead of the chasing pack through the upcoming winter.