REPORT | Worcester Cavaliers 12-61 Leicester Tigers

The hosts led 12-0 early on thanks to scores for Tom Dodd and Sam Pointon but Tigers hit back through scores for Jordan Olowofela (2), Harry Simmons and Harry Mahoney to lead 28-12 at the interval.

But the hosts, led by England international Tom Croft, went on to score five second-half tries as Mahoney got his second, Olowofela grabbed a hat-trick and Charlie Thacker, Joe Maksymiw and Jonno Kitto also went over to secure a comfortable win.

Fly-half Tom Hardwick was also in impeccable form, kicking eight from nine conversions for Tigers.

Cavaliers opened the scoring early on when Dodd touched down from a driving maul and Sam Hollingsworth converted well from the angle.

The hosts soon grabbed their second when Alex Hearle opened up space down the left and scrum-half Pointon received the ball before showing his power to bash over the whitewash.

Tigers soon hit back when they had numbers out wide and paceman Olowofela touched down and he soon had his second after he sliced through the Cavaliers backline and under the posts.

Hardwick’s conversion put Tigers ahead for the first time and they added a brilliant third after the fly-half’s kick for the line was chased down by the pacey Simmons.

Hardwick then sent a lovely kick from hand towards the corner which saw his team win a lineout and from the resulting throw, Mahoney dotted down to put Tigers 28-12 up at half-time.

The break saw a welcome return for Niall Annett who returned from a hamstring injury but he and his side couldn’t stop Tigers from going over twice more in the early stages of the second period, as Mahoney touched down for his second from a driving maul and Olowofela secured his hat-trick after showing his pace and power to stampede to the tryline.

Thacker then smashed his way over, Maksymiw added another and Kitto showed tremendous pace to sprint to the line as Tigers went 61-12 up before the hour mark.

Cavaliers wing Tom Howe then found himself in the sin-bin for a deliberate knock on although the 14-man Cavs managed to shut out the hungry Tigers in the subsequent minutes and until the end of the game in what was a difficult night for the young squad.

Worcester Cavaliers | 15 Nick David (Haisila Lokotui 45), 14 Tom Howe, 13 Ollie Lawrence (Jarvis 57), 12 Ollie Allsopp, 11 Alex Hearle, 10 Sam Hollingsworth, 9 Sam Pointon (Nott 55); 1 Gareth Milasinovich (Owen 40), 2 Matti Williams (Annett 40), 3 Nick Rigby (Tyack 51), 4 Justin Clegg, 5 Christian Scotland-Williamson (Crofts 40), 6 Ted Hill (Harriott-Davis 68), 7 Huw Taylor (C), 8 Tom Dodd

Replacements | 16 Niall Annett, 17 Kai Owen, 18 Jay Tyack, 19 Aaron Crofts, 20 Owien Harriott-Davis, 21 Josh Nott, 22 Josh Jarvis, 23 Afeafe Haisila Lokotui

Timeline
06m | Dodd try 5-0
07m | Hollingsworth con 7-0
11m | Pointon try 12-0
15m | Olowofela try 12-5
16m | Hardwick con 12-7
21m | Olowofela try 12-12
22m | Hardwick con 12-14
25m | Simmons try 12-19
26m | Hardwick con 12-21
34m | Mahoney try 12-26
35m | Hardwick con 12-28
42m | Mahoney try 12-33
44m | Olowofela try 12-38
45m | Hardwick con 12-40
50m | Thacker try 12-45
51m | Hardwick con 12-47
56m | Maksymiw try 12-52
57m | Hardwick con 12-54
58m | Kitto try 12-59
59m | Hardwick con 12-61