Leicester Tigers claimed a bonus-point win over Saracens at Allianz Park on Sunday. On a bright but bitterly cold afternoon in north London, a 28-20 victory represented a first in Premiership rugby at the venue.

Tigers got off to a strong start, retaining ball and testing the Sarries defence before Manu Tuilagi scored the breakthrough try after 10 minutes. Further first-half scores followed from Greg Bateman and Telusa Veainu as the visitors led 21-6 at half-time

A score from Jonah Holmes secured a bonus point midway through the second half before Saracens claimed a try from Max Malins, but they still trailed by 15 points with just 10 minutes remaining. Malins repeated the trick in the closing stages but Sarries emerged empty-handed from the encounter.

Sarries started the weekend on top of the league table, though they were leapfrogged by Exeter Chiefs on Saturday afternoon thanks to their last-minute win over Northampton Saints. They went into the game on a run of five successive league wins and with just one defeat in their previous 22 home games in the Aviva Premiership.

Tigers, in contrast, had never won a league game at the Allianz and had not beaten Saracens in Premiership Rugby since March 2016.

In team news announced on Friday, Tigers called Tatafu Polota-Nau into the front row in the only change from the starting line-up in the win over Harlequins, while the hosts made two changes with Nathan Earle coming in on the wing and Schalk Brits back in the pack after injury.



Kick-off followed a minute’s silence in respect of former Doncaster Knights prop Ian Williams who died last week and the match was less than two minutes old when Tigers were forced into a change. Gareth Owen stayed down after being tackled on halfway and, after being helped off holding his shoulder, he was replaced by Mathew Tait.

Polota-Nau also received physio treatment in the next phase of possession, while Matt Toomua waited to kick a penalty down the left touchline from halfway. Mike Williams claimed lineout ball on the Sarries 22 but the hosts then won turnover ball and cleared.

The Tigers forwards carried impressively in the next set of phases after a break from Brendon O’Connor, but just as there appeared to be an opening on the right, Veainu knocked on as he over-ran a pass.

The reward for the visitors’ patience in possession, however, came on 10 minutes when Tuilagi picked up at a breakdown 15 metres out and ran through to score. Toomua added the kick for a seven-point lead.

Toomua put a penalty wide five minutes later after referee Craig Maxwell-Keys blew for as high tackle on the fly-half.

Saracens also had to make an early change when Calum Clark went off injured on 17 minutes, to be replaced by Sione Vailanu as the packs came together for a scrum on the home 10-metre line.

The referee spoke to Sarries captain Brad Barritt and to Schalk Burger after the flanker had been whistled at the tackle zone, but from the lineout drive at the resultant penalty Tigers turned over possession just 10 metres out from the tryline.

The first 20 minutes had been played almost exclusively in the Sarries half before they were awarded a penalty on halfway and Ben Spencer pushed play into the opposition 22. But, after resisting a drive, Tigers then won turnover ball and cleared.

Sarries had a second chance when Graham Kitchener was penalised at the next lineout and this time Spencer pointed for a shot at goal. He made no mistake with the kick and got the hosts off the mark on 26 minutes.

Vailanu’s afternoon lasted only 10 minutes as he limped off approaching the half-hour, with replacement hooker Scott Spurling joining the Sarries pack.