Leicester Tigers player ratings vs Northampton Saints | 2025/26 Gallagher PREM

Leicester Tigers player ratings: Leicester produced arguably their most complete performance of the season to dismantle bitter rivals and Gallagher PREM leaders Northampton Saints 41-17 at Welford Road on Saturday.

Here’s how the Leicester players rated:

15 Freddie Steward – 7
A mixed afternoon statistically, missing three tackles, but he remained hugely influential whenever Leicester attacked. His whipped wide pass to put Ollie Hassell-Collins over in the first half was delivered with real confidence and accuracy, while his carrying repeatedly bent the Saints defensive line. Finished the contest in style too, stepping through a tired Northampton defence for Leicester’s fifth try after Hassell-Collins had shredded the line. Also produced a key break in the build-up to Adam Radwan’s try just after half time. Although his 34 carrying metres was lower than some of Leicester’s other backs, his interventions came at decisive moments.

14 Adam Radwan – 8.5
An electric presence throughout and increasingly looks like a complete winger rather than just an out-and-out finisher. Won a superb turnover penalty over the ball in the opening half and was heavily involved off his wing, often carrying infield around the ruck where Saints struggled to contain him. Timed his chase perfectly for Leicester’s bonus-point score, latching onto Jack van Poortvliet’s delicate kick over the top with precision. Finished with 67 metres, five defenders beaten and only one missed tackle in another hugely influential outing.

13 Will Wand – 7
Quietly influential in the Tigers midfield. His powerful carry midway through the first half gave Leicester the front-foot ball they needed before Hassell-Collins crossed in the corner. Added 52 metres from just six carries and consistently got Leicester over the gainline. Defensively there were a couple of missed tackles, but overall he looked increasingly comfortable in attack alongside Orlando Bailey.

12 Orlando Bailey – 7
Growing into his role nicely at Leicester and this was another assured display. His clean linebreak shortly after half time piled pressure on Saints before Leicester’s maul eventually rumbled over for another score. Distribution was crisp, kicking was solid and he linked effectively with James O’Connor before taking over more responsibility later in the game. Converted Steward’s late try and beat four defenders from only six carries, while also keeping his defensive work tidy with just one missed tackle.

11 Ollie Hassell-Collins – 8.5
A nightmare for Northampton all afternoon. Had an early chip-and-chase opportunity that nearly came off before exploding into life after the opening quarter. Took his first try brilliantly, handing off George Furbank in the corner after a flowing Leicester move, then repeatedly carved huge holes in Saints’ defence with his direct running. Four linebreaks, six defenders beaten and 80 metres carried only told part of the story. His burst through the middle created the platform for Steward’s late try too. A devastating performance.

10 James O’Connor – 7
A mixed afternoon with the boot but still controlled the contest intelligently. Missed an early conversion that he would normally expect to make, yet settled into the game nicely afterwards and manipulated Northampton’s defence with delayed passes and clever distribution. Took Leicester to the right areas of the field and slotted four kicks from six before being withdrawn after 50 minutes as Tigers protected their veteran playmaker.

9 Jack van Poortvliet – 8
The tempo of Leicester’s attack was heavily driven by the scrum-half. His service was sharp and he constantly looked to attack fringes around the breakdown. Produced the moment of the match early in the second half with a perfectly weighted chip over the top for Radwan to collect and score.

1 Nicky Smith – 8
Set the tone physically. Produced a huge turnover in his own 22 at the end of the first half when Saints looked dangerous and followed that with another excellent jackal penalty shortly after the restart. Added 10 tackles and was influential at scrum time as Leicester gradually squeezed the Northampton front row.

2 Jamie Blamire – 9
Player of the match and deservedly so. Carried with aggression throughout and scored twice, first powering over from close range before adding another from the back of a driving maul in the second half. His work-rate around the park was immense, finishing with 12 carries, 27 metres and seven tackles. Three missed tackles slightly blemished the stat sheet, but he was still Leicester’s most influential forward. Lineout was perfect, which was in stark contrast to Saints’.

3 Joe Heyes – 7
After a scrappy start at scrum time, Heyes eventually imposed himself in destructive fashion. Produced a massive scrum penalty after half an hour which completely folded the Saints pack and gave Leicester serious momentum. His yellow card shortly after half time for unnecessary pushing after Blamire’s maul try was utterly needless and briefly disrupted Leicester’s rhythm, but he recovered well after returning to win another scrum penalty.

4 Ollie Chessum – 7
Excellent around the field and hugely important at the lineout. Quickly shifted the ball to put George Martin in for Leicester’s opening try and then produced a massive defensive lineout steal five metres from his own line on 35 minutes. Added a linebreak and 26 carrying metres, but five missed tackles slightly dragged his rating down despite another high-energy display, though that was due to the intensity of his defending..

5 George Martin – 8.5
His first start in more than a year and he immediately looked like he had never been away. Took his opening try with ease after excellent work from Chessum and consistently battered Northampton defenders with brutal post-contact metres.

6 Hanro Liebenberg – 6
A slightly untidy display despite some important moments. His early side entry at a maul halted Leicester momentum and he later conceded a late high tackle too. However, he also pinched a useful lineout and got through plenty of unseen work defensively with nine tackles completed. Three missed tackles and two penalties conceded summed up a frustratingly inconsistent afternoon.

7 Tommy Reffell – 7
His first Leicester appearance since March and he wasted little time reminding everyone of his breakdown brilliance. Won an early penalty after sustained Saints pressure and constantly hovered over the ball threatening turnovers. Didn’t see huge involvement as a carrier but defensively remained highly effective before departing just before the hour.

8 Joaquin Moro – 7
An abrasive display at the base of the scrum. Was held up over the line early on but continued to carry relentlessly throughout the contest, finishing with 15 carries and 11 tackles. Rarely spectacular but consistently effective in giving Leicester front-foot ball, even if a couple of missed tackles crept into his defensive work.

Replacements – 6
The bench brought plenty of impact, although not without some disciplinary problems. Cameron Henderson produced a huge lineout steal which immediately led to Freddie Steward’s late try, while Archie van der Flier hammered Fin Smith with a massive hit shortly after coming on. Solomone Kata added real punch in midfield and provided the final pass for Steward’s score. However, Charlie Clare’s yellow card for head contact and Izaia Perese’s late red card for his collision with George Furbank slightly soured an otherwise dominant afternoon from the Tigers replacements.