the first of numerous Bristol scrummaging infringements to come.  However early endeavour amounts to nothing as spirited Bristol defence and clumsy Leicester hands bring all to naught. A pattern is set?

And then - more spirit still from Bristol. They attack from deep to earn themselves the game’s first scoring opportunity proper. The penalty kick by Ed Barnes goes wide.

A good passage of play follows with Leicester moving steadily up the paddock the movement is slick, runners come on they’re into the Bris 22 and the ball goes back to loosehead prop Dan Cole. Stepping like a centre – not an England centre you understand (addendum: I wrote this line prior to Sunday but I’m not so vain as to change my copy after the fact even if it makes me look foolish!) – he weaves between the defenders and scores his first try for the Tigers’ first team diving, with a flourish, beneath the sticks. Dupuy applied the extras and here we go, we’re off, we thought.

Of more concern is the sight of Matt Smith receiving first medical attention and then assistance from the pitch. Enter Tom Varndell after months of waiting, frustration and heated debate for a run-out – a lengthy run-out at that. Interesting!

The kick-off – a first touch for Varndell – calling and making the catch and clearing to touch – ah – off the side of his boot. But at least he was in the game and looking keen!

As was his fellow Tigers winger – a mixed bag from Alex, dropped ball and some surging runs keep back row and midfield defence on the Bris side honest and interested in equal measure.

But the Bristol kicking game begins to take effect; Perry in particular pinning Tigers back again and again with clever, neat, angled box kicks and grubbers nagging and equally he begins to chipper and nag at the referee, identifying his inexperience, spotting a weakness. With Regan doing as much in his own inimitable way from close quarters Bristol begin to disrupt the Leicester patterns and to get their own way. Clever.

From one those deep box-kicks, angled to space, the aforementioned Alex, retreating, picks up the bouncing ball, attempts to clear; his kick long. Arscott, Luke recovers and from half-way has space to run; some poor defence and he’s through to interchange with back row and second before he follows up to dot down beside the posts. Nice try – but where was the cover?

And suddenly Tigers just where they didn’t want to be – scores tied and in a dog fight.

Still they attack, yards made, defence opened up but another chance bombed as the last pass goes astray, snaffled by the cover. And then, Dupuy breaks from the base, a sniping run into the 22. Tackled he keeps the move alive and Hamilton is there to make the scoring pass to Tuilagi. Yes! We are about to cry but Alex puts the ball down again. Head in hands!

But worse, half-back and goalkicker, Dupuy follows Matt Smith from the field and the disruption tells. Bristol’s kicking game is working to good effect, keeping their forwards going – well – forwards. Their dander is up. And a turn-over at the line-out gives them ball on the Tigers 22. Snappy hands across the back-line with Perry figuring large and Brew straightens to draw Varndell. The ball goes wide one last time and Lemi (wait for it) is in, in the corner. Scores a lot of tries Lemi and he’s looking a lot better (wait for it, wait for it) since he left Motorhead! Kerching!

The Bris fans are noisy. Apparently “they don’t like it up ‘em!”

Who does? Your correspondent finds himself wondering.

Touch-line conversion is good.

From the restart things get worse for the visitors. Wentzel is the third Tiger to fall, stretchered off the field after what looks like a bad knee injury. Behind 14 points to 7 Leicester are rattled and half time can’t come soon enough.

Disrupted by injury and international call ups going into the game and by injuries during Tigers begin the second half like an ageing Marco Antonio Barrra the following night, wobbling and vulnerable. Balls go to ground, the scrum, for the first time, looks under pressure, errors there are aplenty.

But somehow they hold out. And we get an inkling of why Bristol are where they are. They aren’t a poor side but they don’t have the extra gear, the killer instinct, the rapier to whisper death to opponents’ hopes. They kick a little too much. Not badly – just too much. Possession is squandered. And possession is nine tenths!

Somehow Leicester weather the storm, and the crowd quiets as Bristol falter and then it takes on a whining note with Perry and Regan leading their complaints from the park.

Leicester’s scrum regains its ascendancy and that other prop-cum-centre, Marcos Ayerza, is at the heart of things again - like so often of late. He weaves and sprints. With hands that would shame a Tindall or a Noon he and Cole and, glory be at last, Tuilagi combine. They break from half-way and all the way to two yards out between and in front of the sticks. It’s coming…and the defence kills it. Penalty – paltry! Mr Perry’s friend keeps his hand from his pocket. Sam Vesty kicks – three points poor reward for endeavour and zip.

Hmmm – not enough methinks.

14 - 10

Except Tom, he’s starting to show. He’s not much enjoying the balls raining down on him but he’s trying to get his catching technique right. Not quite, Tom! Not quite. But when he runs? He’s around the winger and half away down the left hand touch-line. But the cover is good and he isn’t sharp enough – too long out – to know where his support is. And maybe, just maybe his support has forgotten what he can do and isn’t close enough Dan, Scott, Bens Woods & Herring.

Still another penalty follows. Sam again – 45 metres. 14 – 13 hmmm – maybe…

But Bris ain’t done yet either!

Back they come, in waves – no really they’re pretty good! I’m starting to be glad they kicked so much ball away earlier!

Leicester’s infringement is similar to Bristol’s not so close or so obviously try stopping but Mr Garner’s card stays firmly in his pocket still – consistent perhaps.

Barnes makes it 17 – 13. Oh dear!

Varndell again – stretches his legs as he comes inside off his wing looking for work – do you hear that – looking for work. The half break – almost away. Not quite and we just imagine what might have been. Oh and now he’s on the right wing and he’s past the 2^nd row out wide and the centre can’t get back. Wing and fullie to beat. Slow it down Tom – wait for the support… Ahh the chip ahead goes wide. Still he’s keen!

It’s all Tigers now and the crowd whine some more. “Cheat! Cheat!” they cry but it isn’t clear who they think it is who’s cheating as Bris concede another penalty. Ayerza and Bonorino combine to force their opponents to drop the scrum. Three points – that’ll do. Take the 3 go back reset – come again.

But no. Your man Youngs, taps and goes – he’d tried it earlier only to be called back – and he goes; clear - a man to beat and finally Hipkiss is on the shoulder. Youngs draws his man and Danny is under the posts.

“Cheat Cheat!” they cry but I can’t fathom what or who they mean.

Oddly unsporting I think as they boo Sam’s successful conversion. 17 - 20

With little more than five to go we’re in front.

More pressure, more whining from the Bristolian sports fans and another penalty. Sam converts 23 – 17.and that should do it – time to kill the clock.

“That’s my favourite score,” Andrea tells me. “My fall-back in the PL.”

“Did you go with it?”

“No!”

“Ahhhh…but in consolation - I’m top!”

Oddly, she wasn’t impressed…

Mr Garner blows no-side.

A good contest – not a great game but a good contest.

Too many errors from Tigers and too little ambition from Bris prevented a great game from breaking out with Hamilton and Tuilagi dropping the ball on the line, a badly malfunctioning line-out, Hipkiss’ sticky fingers plaguing his return and a new slew of injuries serving to disrupt the Leicester game-plan. But on the plus side, Sam Vesty produced another accomplished game once he recovered from his early error, and took on the goalkicking with no little aplomb. Youngs was sharp on his introduction and grows with every game. Cole looked unaffected by his recent lay-off; his partner Ayerza again showed his quality; and on his long awaited return Varndell, whilst rusty, looked happy to be out there and if familiar weaknesses still impair his game his talent still shines through allowing him to find space and go through holes that others cannot.

However with a Tigers team already stripped to the bone by injury and the demands of the international rugby circus losing more players to the treatment table an undeniably, and perhaps to some, surprisingly tough opponent there still ensued a good contest. A tough game and one from which the visitors will have been glad to come out on top. And if the Bris fans didn’t like the result, for Tigers it was a difficult banana skin negotiated. Their winning streak continues with them finishing the weekend in second place and the cavalry only a fortnight away.

Oh and hey! Did I mention that I’m top in the PL?

Man of the Match: Marcos Ayerza

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