May brace helps Leicester down Bristol to clinch second win of season
Jonny May scored two tries as Leicester claimed only their second Gallagher Premiership win of the season with a 31-18 victory over Bristol.
Winger May scored once in each half, while his fellow England internationals Ellis Genge and George Ford also crossed the whitewash at Welford Road.
Leicester looked to be cruising as they led 21-6 at half-time but quickfire tries from flanker Dan Thomas and centre Piers O’Connor soon after the restart brought Bristol back into it.
However, May’s second score with six minutes remaining settled the match to help 11th-placed Leicester close the gap between them and the pack above.
The Tigers made an impressive start and put points on the board early thanks to Genge’s third-minute try.
A knock-on within the opening seconds put Leicester on the front foot and sustained forward pressure allowed a quick ball from scrum-half Ben Youngs to Genge and the prop powered over the line.
Ford successfully added the conversion, as he did for all four of Leicester’s tries, en route to a personal match haul of 16 points.
Bristol responded instantly when Callum Sheedy kicked a penalty following an offside against May.
The opening 10 minutes were capped off when referee JP Doyle went to the TMO and sent Bears prop Jordan Lay to the sin-bin for a high tackle on Telusa Veainu.
Despite that, Sheedy closed the lead to one point, taking advantage of a penalty after 13 minutes. However, moments after scoring Bristol were reduced to 13 men when Doyle sent Alapati Leiua to join Lay in the sin-bin following a deliberate knock-on.
Lay returned to the fray soon after but Tigers took advantage of the extra man, swiftly moving the ball from deep within their own half before Veainu broke away and found May, who easily scored.
Ford added a try of his own and his team’s third after 26 minutes, breaking through Bristol’s defence and racing away to score. His conversion extended the lead to 15 points at the interval.
The Bears roared back at the start of the second half, though, and scored twice inside the opening seven minutes.
Their opening try came through Thomas and straight from the kick-off they crossed again, O’Connor latching onto a kick from midfield and drove away from the chasing Tigers defenders.
Sheedy was only able to convert one of those tries but the Bears were suddenly within three points of their hosts.
The Tigers, after a sluggish start to the second half, gained a little more breathing space when Ford slotted over a penalty to make it 24-18.
The game was still in the balance until the closing stages, until May went over for his second try in the 74th minute.
Leicester moved the ball from left to right and the deadly combination of Veainu and May down the right wing led to the latter touching down.
With four minutes left, the Tigers introduced replacement Sam Harrison and he received a standing ovation on his final appearance before leaving for a new life in Australia.
May’s late try ensured Bristol would slump to a fourth Premiership defeat of the season and their afternoon only got worse when fullback Charles Piutau limped off in the last 30 seconds.
Press Association
Match in images:
Comments on RugbyPass
The value he brought to the crusaders as an assistant was equal to what he got out of being there. He reflected not only on the team culture but also the credit he attributed to the rugby community. Such experience shouldn’t be overlooked.
3 Go to commentsGood luck Aussie
10 Go to commentssmith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
39 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
10 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
39 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
3 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
39 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
51 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
39 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
39 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
39 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
39 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to comments