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Injury concerns for RG Snyman following Leinster beatdown
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Leicester took a huge step towards securing an end-of-season play-off spot with a hard-fought 33-19 victory over Bristol in a pulsating Gallagher Prem clash.
There was little between the sides, but Leicester crucially scored eight points in the dying stages to give them five points and Bristol none.
Joaquin Moro, Hanro Liebenberg, Izaia Perese and Gabriel Hamer-Webb scored Leicester’s tries, with Billy Searle adding two conversions and three penalties.
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Fitz Harding scored two tries for Bristol and Kalaveti Ravouvou the other, with both Sam Worsley and James Williams adding conversions.
Leicester’s win took them up to third in the table, with Bristol dropping to fifth and the visitors will reflect on their decision to rest key men Louis Rees-Zammit, Ellis Genge, and Tom Jordan against the near full-strength Tigers.
The first 15 minutes were frenetic but scoreless as both sides lacked accuracy in the opposition 22. The Tigers came closest to scoring, but Ollie Hassell-Collins was unable to take a difficult high pass with the try-line beckoning.
However, Leicester continued in the ascendancy and were rewarded with the opening score when Moro finished off a sustained period of pressure by forcing his way over.
Two minutes later the home side crossed again when a flowing move took them deep into opposition territory, from where Liebenberg crashed over.
The Bears looked set to struggle but regrouped and, with their first real attack, skipper Harding powered through tackles for their first try.
That was the spur Bristol needed and they soon scored a second when a strong run from Gabriel Oghre gave Ravouvou the opportunity to brush aside tackles from Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum for an excellent solo score.
Worsley missed the touchline conversion before former Bristol fly-half Searle succeeded with a penalty to give the Tigers a 17-12 half-time lead.
Four minutes after the restart that advantage was extended when Searle kicked another penalty after the visitors were penalised for pulling down a scrum.
Leicester brought on England scrum half Jack Poortvliet, while Bristol made a tactical switch, with Williams switching from centre to fly-half in place of Worsley, who left the field.
Bears number eight Viliame Mata also hobbled off, but his side came back into contention when Harding crossed for his second score by finishing off a line-out drive.
Bristol continued to dominate the third quarter but couldnot capitalise further and still trailed by a point going into the final 16 minutes.
A high tackle from Williams on Hamer-Webb was penalised, which saw the Tigers kick for the corner and, from the resulting passage of play, replacement Perese squeezed over.
Searle missed the conversion but added a late penalty before Hamer-Webb broke Bristol’s hearts with a last-minute breakaway try.
