By The Webmaster
January 18 2003
Leicester ensured home advantage in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a victory over Neath at Welford Road. The Tigers avenged their 16-16 draw at The Gnoll in October after running in four tries to the visitors' one in the final pool game.
Heineken Cup: Pool One
Leicester 36-11 Neath(bbc.co.uk)
Leicester ensured home advantage in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a
victory over Neath at Welford Road.
The Tigers avenged their 16-16 draw at The Gnoll in October after running in
four tries to the visitors' one in the final pool game.
For Leicester, Geordan Murphy and Jamie Hamilton went over in the first half before Josh Kronfeld and Ben Kay added tries after the break. Tim Stimpson kicked 16 points.
Neath scored one try through winger Shane Williams but extended their away record to one win in 19 games and extinguished any chance of qualifying for the Cup's knockout stages.
Leicester were dominant, led by the rampaging Martin Johnson up front, and they took the lead in the second minute when Murphy rounded off an impressive surge.
Stimpson missed the conversion but hit back with two quick-fire penalties.
But Neath struck back with a try in the ninth minute, and a Shaun Connor drop-goal, shortly after he missed the conversion, narrowed the gap to three points.
The Tigers were unfazed and continued their domination, culminating in a well-taken, sniping try for replacement Hamilton, who had come on for injured scrum-half Harry Ellis.
Stimpson slotted the conversion and then added another three points as Leicester surged to a 21-8 half-time lead.
Stimpson and Connor traded penalties after the break as Neath enjoyed a brief period of pressure.
But the Tigers knuckled down to keep the Welsh side at bay before welcoming England flanker Lewis Moody and former All Black openside Josh Kronfeld off the bench in the 69th minute.
Kronfeld made an instant impact and barged over for a try, which Stimpson converted.
This proved the death knell for Neath, who also let in Kay to complete the rout.
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Leicester: G Murphy; S Booth, L Lloyd, R Kafer, T Stimpson;
S Vesty, H Ellis; D Jelley, D West, F Tournaire, M Johnson, B Kay, M Corry,
N Back, A Balding.
Reps: G Chuter, D Garforth, L Deacon, J Kronfeld, L Moody, J Hamilton, G Gelderbloom.
Neath: A Durston; G Morris, A Bateman, D Tiueti, S Williams;
L Jarvis, A Moore; P James, B Williams, A Jones, S Martin, G Llewellyn (capt),
A Mocelutu, S Tandy, R Phillips.
Reps: S Jones, J Storey, S Connor, P Horgan, B Sinkinson, A Newman, D Jones.
Referee: Alain Rolland (Ireland)
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