Leicester Tigers maul Manu Tuilagi's Bayonne as Scarlets get Pau'ed

Leicester Tigers registered their first Investec Champions Cup win of the season with a ruthless 57-14 dismantling of Bayonne at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

The game saw the return of Manu Tuilagi to his old stomping ground but it was a homecoming to forget for the former England centre.

Geoff Parling’s men were in control from the opening whistle, striking twice inside the opening 12 minutes through Adam Radwan, the in-form winger finishing sharply on both occasions as Leicester tore holes in the Bayonne defence.

With the excellent Billy Searle pulling the strings, Leicester moved the ball at pace and repeatedly stretched a visiting side that struggled to gain anything resembling a foothold in the game.

Their third try came via the forwards. Welsh back-row Tommy Reffell powered over from close range midway through the first half before second-row Cameron Henderson crashed over to sew up a four-try bonus point.

Fixture

Investec Champions Cup

Leicester

57 - 14

Full-time

Bayonne

All Stats and Data

They went into the break 24-0 ahead.

Bayonne briefly threatened after the restart when Tom Spring crossed following a rare defensive lapse, but any hope of a comeback was quickly extinguished. Leicester responded with a flood of tries, Searle scoring twice, including a clinical interception, while Ollie Chessum added a powerful solo effort.

The Gallagher PREM outfit weren’t done. Emeka Ilione and Joseph Woodward were next to cross with a late consolation from Bayonne’s Emosi Tumania doing little to mask a comprehensive defeat.

Meanwhile, Scarlets missed out on a first win in Pool 4 after a see-saw 47-38 defeat by Pau.

The Welsh side led through a Joe Hawkins penalty but two minutes later they conceded the opening try to Toshi Butlin.

After 10 minutes Butlin had his second from a long pass out from Axel Desperes, and shortly after Clement Mondinat went over for try number three.

Home skipper Josh Macleod scored twice either side of former Scarlet Carwyn Tuipulotu barging his way over for Pau, and from 26-10 down Scarlets were just two points behind at half-time through Archie Hughes’ try.

They edged ahead moments after the restart when Taine Plumtree burst through and Hawkins increased the lead to 12.

But Pau hit back through Remi Seneca, Theo Attissogbe and Siate Tokolahi to secure the victory.

additional reporting PA