Leicester 56 Sharks 17

It was the result everyone expected. A Sharks team missing so many front-line players never stood much of a chance against Leicester at full strength, adding another lopsided result into the Champions Cup’s recent archive. Leicester’s attack was enjoyable to watch but was this really a contest befitting what is supposed to be Europe’s premier competition? Surely not. It all felt rather hollow.

John Plumtree, the Sharks head coach, spoke with an air of resignation about the decision to leave Siya Kolisi, Ox Nche, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi at home, the Springboks quartet all rested and not on the Sharks’ long injury/recovery list, which includes Bongi Mbonambi (fractured hand) and Eben Etzebeth (concussion). Plumtree claimed his players are currently “treated like robots”.

Plumtree said: “In a busy schedule, with the current travel arrangements and everything else that go with it, it’s not a high-performance competition. This is the reality for the SA players. They are playing in northern hemisphere rugby and southern hemisphere rugby and it’s crazy, it’s crazy. I feel sorry for them. Bloody tough, you know?”

‘We must look after these athletes – they’re not robots’

Asked if he could understand supporters’ frustrations at not seeing the Sharks at their strongest, Plumtree replied: “Absolutely. We want to bring Siya here. We want to bring our best here. We’re all competitive. But the reality is we’ve got to look after these athletes. They are not robots. They don’t front up every week. And right now, they’re treated like robots.

“This season for these boys is brutal. We were just at a stage – when they’re telling you they’re struggling to get up for a contest you know it’s mental fatigue. And when they’re not up for a contest you know it’s mental fatigue.”

Plumtree’s comments are nothing new, but they reinforce a growing sentiment about the travel from South Africa. The Sharks arrived on Wednesday having flown in two groups via Frankfurt and Dubai. As Plumtree said, how is that high performance?

Michael Cheika, Leicester’s head coach, had opted to rest a handful of starters the previous week against Bordeaux-Begles. “I’m not worried about the competition set-up. I don’t see anything wrong with the way it’s set up,” he added.

Leicester picked up a welcome bonus-point victory, having not triumphed in the Gallagher Premiership or Champions Cup since the end of October. While the Sharks missed their headline names, Leicester welcomed everyone back, including Julián Montoya, who scored twice through the maul in the first half but the best out of Leicester’s five tries before the break was scored by Ollie Hassell-Collins.

Sharks wing Eduan Keyter tried to do his best impression of Harry Brook on the boundary by flicking a kick to touch from Handre Pollard back into play, only for the Sharks winger to find Hassell-Collins ready and lurking to scoop up the ball and score.

Manu Tshituka’s score in the corner – a bit like another Manu used to do many times at this ground for Leicester – gave the Sharks hope at 10-7 ahed after an ill-disciplined start by Leicester. But Tigers had the maul and Hassell-Collins’ sharp thinking, with Solomone Kata’s acclerating through the defence to set up a score for Handre Pollard – made by a lovely pass from Olly Cracknell putting George Martin through a gap – giving Leicester that healthy half-time buffer.

Jack van Poortvliet added to Leicester’s tally with a solo snipe of his own off the back of a ruck, and while the Sharks did add to their tally with a score by Ethan Hooker, one of their better players on the night and still only 21, the result was never in doubt with further tries for Charlie Clare and Emeka Ilione.

07:26 PM GMT

FULL-TIME: Leicester 56-17 Sharks

And that’s it - Leicester finish with eight tries and the Sharks get an absolute hammering.

Match report on the way, thanks for following along.

07:25 PM GMT

TRY ILIONE! Leicester 56-17 Sharks

No luck with the maul so Leicester unleash a barrage of pick-and-gos. Can’t be more than a metre out at this point. Ilione crashes over! Too hard to stop from there at that speed and Leicester will hit the Sharks for over 50 points. Converted by Shillcock and that’s that!

07:23 PM GMT

80 mins - Leicester 49-17 Sharks

Bit of a scrappy lineout so Leicester have to abandon the maul, with Shillcock’s wide pass intercepted. Leads to a Leicester scrum and they win the penalty, sending it into the corner.

07:21 PM GMT

78 mins - Leicester 49-17 Sharks

Pollard is your player of the match. Fair enough, I would have considered Cracknell or Kata. Pollard finished with 17 points including his try.

Sharks with a scrum in their half, driven back but they get the ball away. Another good jackal penalty from Ilione though. Shillcock sends the ball into the corner.

07:19 PM GMT

76 mins - Leicester 49-17 Sharks

Will Leicester get over 50? (That’s what this has come to in terms of interest).

Excellent clearance by the home side after stealing a Sharks lineout deep in Leicester territory.

07:15 PM GMT

TRY CLARE! Leicester 49-17 Sharks

Great jackal work by Leicester to force a penalty, which they take quickly before being stopped over the line... illegally it looks like, meaning a yellow card for Mchunu.

Leicester tap and go again with Clare the replacement hooker finishing things off.

07:10 PM GMT

70 mins - Leicester 42-17 Sharks

Kata so good on those short passes, cutting back on the angle to make good ground into the Sharks 22. Leicester on the up again, five metres out, now less. Youngs with a flick out the back which doesn’t quite work, going forward. Sharks to have a scrum backed up near their line.

07:09 PM GMT

68 mins - Leicester 42-17 Sharks

Bad drop from Mavesere off the lineout, scrum for Tigers, 40 metres out. Again they attack the blindside, but the Sharks deal with Shillcock’s kick before knocking on trying to counter. Another Leicester scrum, this time on the edge of the 22.

07:06 PM GMT

65 mins - Leicester 42-17 Sharks

Clever move, doing to the short side with Shillcock sending a wide pass to Hassell-Collins, but the wing is tackled into touch by Keyter. Close.

Sharks go with a high box-kick clearance which Hassell-Collins claims well, before Leicester go off their feet.

07:04 PM GMT

63 mins - Leicester 42-17 Sharks

Sharks under pressure from the off after the restart, resulting in Masuku finding touch just outside his 22. Quick ball for Leicester at every ruck until a Youngs pass hits the referee, meaning a Leicester scrum. It’s central and on the Sharks’ 22, so an inviting starting position.

07:00 PM GMT

TRY HOOKER! Leicester 42-17 Sharks

Leicester trying to find room down the right but that’s another good jackal penalty from Venter, his second. Sharks move upfield and Leicester are penalised again for not releasing.

They find touch 10 metres out, maul well, before looking wide where Hooker cuts back on the angle to score. Masuku converts.

06:56 PM GMT

57 mins - Leicester 42-10 Sharks

Kata with a sharp run but he then gets turned over, good work from Venter the former Worcester back. Jordan Hendrikse trying to spark an attack and makes good ground, before Ilione comes in for a jackal penalty. Pollard finds touch, as Montoya and Van Poortvliet make way for Clare and Youngs.

06:53 PM GMT

54 mins - Leicester 42-10 Sharks

Another long spell on the ball for the Sharks until Leicester force a knock-on. Free-kick Leicester as the Sharks go early. It’s all a bit flat the last couple of minutes.

06:50 PM GMT

51 mins - Leicester 42-10 Sharks

Safely cleared by Leicester after that scrum. Some changes being made by the hosts as well with Cole and Ilione coming on for Heyes and Liebenberg.

06:47 PM GMT

47 mins - Leicester 42-10 Sharks

Long Sharks attack, their first for a while, ends wth a penalty for playing the scrum-half which the Sharks send to the corner.

Maul is stopped well by Leicester and they turn it over too.

06:44 PM GMT

TRY VAN POORTVLIET! Leicester 42-10 Sharks

Is that an amazing finish from the scrum-half or terrible tackling? Maybe a bit of both.

After a good run by Cracknell - Martin fed him the pass, returning the favour from the first half - Van Poortvliet snipes from the base, steps one and powers over with another hanging on to him. Try number six and conversion number six as well for Pollard.

06:41 PM GMT

42 mins - Leicester 35-10 Sharks

We do have a new referee I’m sorry to say, Filippo Russo now on the whistle. Best wishes to Andrea Piardi after that collision.

Scrappy start from both sides with some handling errors. The temperature has definitely dropped.

06:40 PM GMT

Second half underway

Not to be mean to the Sharks, but you wonder how many Leicester will get.

06:38 PM GMT

Keyter’s howler

06:21 PM GMT

HALF-TIME: Leicester 35-10 Sharks

Aside from that Tshituka score, that’s comprehensive from Leicester. Two maul tries, sharp hands for the Pollard score at the end and great opportunism by Hassell-Collins.

Will need a miracle for the Sharks to come back.

06:20 PM GMT

TRY POLLARD! Leicester 35-10 Sharks

Not this time, lineout stolen by Jenkins and the Sharks clear well, before giving away one of the more obvious offside penalties you will see.

Leicester want the killer blow now though, Martin put through a gap by Cracknell before Leicester go inside and then back out again for Pollard to score! He converts hs own try.

Our referee Andrea Piardi was caught up in that, hope he’s OK

06:16 PM GMT

38 mins - Leicester 28-10 Sharks

Unfortunately, it could get ugly from here. Tigers in possession as the first half winds down, Van Poortvliet kicking high. Leicester somehow win that back, Kata offloading well before Bassett chips ahead. All Hooker can do is fall on the ball into touch, lineout for Leicester in the corner. Montoya hat-trick?

06:13 PM GMT

TRY KATA! Leicester 28-10 Sharks

Patient attack from Leicester before Kata turns on the jets and bursts through a hole into space, Sharks can’t catch him and that’s the bonus-point. Pollard converts again.

06:12 PM GMT

34 mins - Leicester 21-10 Sharks

Rough couple of minutes for the Sharks just when they had hope. Scrums have been a good contest and Leicester now have one on their own 10-metre line, and earn a penalty but they break with the advantage, Hassell-Collins with a good run into space.

06:07 PM GMT

TRY HASSELL-COLLINS! Leicester 21-10 Sharks

Sharks lineout on halfway following Leicester’s clearance after the restart. And another breakdown penalty, Reffell again of course.

Leicester kick to touch... wait a second, Keyter has thrown it back infield to try keep the ball alive, and Hassell-Collins has raced up to grab it and score! Great thinking from the England wing. What a disaster for the Sharks. Pollard converts.

06:03 PM GMT

TRY MONTOYA! Leicester 14-10 Sharks

Make that two. Sharks were giving up another penalty as well there before Montoya splintered through. Slightly different lineout that time with Reffell claiming it at the front instead of Liebenberg. Pollard with another good conversion.

06:01 PM GMT

24 mins - Leicester 7-10 Sharks

Another penalty against Leicester for not rolling, but the Sharks miss touch. Great take int he air by Keyter but he’s isolated and turned over by Reffell, who is so good in that area. Leicester go to the corner...

05:59 PM GMT

TRY TSHITUKA! Leicester 7-10 Sharks

Sharks with another penalty after Leicester - Cracknell, I think - fail to roll away. They send it deep into Leicester’s 22...

Lineout won, crash ball off the top rather than a maul. Now back to the short side, Sharks a couple of metres out. Pick-and-gos close to the line and they’re over! Tshituka finishes it off with a powerful drive. Converted by Masuku.

05:55 PM GMT

18 mins - Leicester 7-3 Sharks

Free-kick Tigers, Sharks not leaving enough of a gap. Pollard sends up a bomb, taken by Jordan Hendrikse, before Hooker slips through a gap! Had options either side but went himself into contact, and then the Sharks kick it away. That’s a poor outcome from a bright attack.

Good catch from Hassell-Collins, beating a man, but then Leicester knock on. Perese can’t continue, so Woodward is on.

05:53 PM GMT

The tribute to Tom Voyce

05:52 PM GMT

16 mins - Leicester 7-3 Sharks

Van Poortvliet can’t bring in a pass from Pollard trying a loop move, so it’s a Sharks scrum in Leicester territory. Nyakane now with some boot issues which means a stoppage before the scrum.

05:51 PM GMT

Apologies, forgot to post the teams

Leicester: 15 Freddie Steward, 14 Josh Bassett, 13 Izaia Perese, 12 Solomone Kata, 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins, 10 Handre Pollard, 9 Jack van Poortvliet, 8 Olly Cracknell, 7 Tommy Reffell, 6 Hanro Liebenberg, 5 George Martin, 4 Harry Wells, 3 Joe Heyes, 2 Julian Montoya (captain), 1 Nicky Smith
Replacements: 16 Charlie Clare, 17 James Cronin, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Cameron Henderson, 20 Emeka Ilione, 21 Ben Youngs, 22 Jamie Shillcock, 23 Joe Woodward

Sharks: 15 Jordan Hendrikse, 14 Eduan Keyter, 13 Ethan Hooker, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Yaw Penxe, 10 Siya Masuku, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Manu Tshituka, 7 Lappies Labuschagne, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi (captain), 5 Emile van Heerden, 4 Jason Jenkins, 3 Trevor Nyakane, 2 Dylan Richardson, 1 Ntuthuko Mchunu
Replacements: 16 Ethan Bester, 17 Phatu Ganyane, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Corne’ Rahl, 20 Tino Mavesere, 21 Bradley Davids, 22 Diego Appollis, 23 Hakeem Kunene

05:49 PM GMT

14 mins - Leicester 7-3 Sharks

Jordan Hendrikse lively so far, combining with Penxe down the left, before the Sharks go right and end up passing into touch.

05:47 PM GMT

12 mins - Leicester 7-3 Sharks

Restart won by Leicester before Pollard clears very high, good take from Masuku. Penalty coming the Sharks way now after Leicester fail to roll away, but Masuku is through! Good pace but then he tries to grubber ahead for Jordan Hendrikse, the pass would have been better. It’s knocked on and Leicester have a scrum on their 22.

05:45 PM GMT

TRY MONTOYA! Leicester 7-3 Sharks

Sharks again infringe but this time there’s no stopping Montoya, the captain going over the for the game’s first try. Pollard converts from the touchline.

05:44 PM GMT

9 mins - Leicester 0-3 Sharks

Tigers get the maul going and a penalty is on the way, but they would love more. Nothing comes of sending it to the backs so back we come. Corner again.

05:43 PM GMT

8 mins - Leicester 0-3 Sharks

Leicester win the lineout back and are on the move, numbers to the left with Martin carrying hard. Penxe with a good tackle on Steward and now Leicester going backwards. Scrappy start from the hosts, so Pollard sends it to the corner and gets a good bounce. 50:22!

05:41 PM GMT

6 mins - Leicester 0-3 Sharks

Kata with an interesting chip which doesn’t quite work, but then the Sharks are almost counter-rucked off the ball in their half. Masuku with a high bomb, missed in their and Leicester are pinned back until Steward finds a huge touchfinder.

Not packed here but a large crowd.

05:39 PM GMT

PENALTY MASUKU! Leicester 0-3 Sharks

Makes that with ease. Sharks take the early lead.

05:38 PM GMT

4 mins - Leicester 0-0 Sharks

Long stoppage as Mchunu gets a boot back on, but now we scrum. Good nudge for the Sharks and now a penalty coming too for a high tackle by Perese.. Masuku to take a shot from about 45 metres out.

05:35 PM GMT

2 mins - Leicester 0-0 Sharks

Leicester into the Sharks’ half after winning a kicking exchange, but we’re coming back for a Tigers knock-on near the far touchline.

Steward with a good early run before that.

05:34 PM GMT

Kickoff!

Sharks and Masuku get us started with a deep kick.

Concern immediately for Leicester’s Perese, clutching his arm after one collision, before Leicester find touch near their own 10-metre line. It happened as Perese flicked an offload away, but he’s carrying on.

05:30 PM GMT

Here comes the teams

Tigers in their blue European strip, Sharks in white. Decent conditions, no major wind or rain.

We’ll have a moment’s silence to remember the tragic loss this week of former England wing Tom Voyce.

05:20 PM GMT

Final warm-ups for Tigers in front of me

Cheika patrolling up and down on the halfway line, before the starters hit some tackle pads. Sharks are heading in.

05:07 PM GMT

What a result earlier for Northampton

The first English side to win in South Africa in the Champions Cup, and against a strong Bulls side as well. Here’s the report from Charles Richardson.

04:57 PM GMT

Will MWWR be full?

It’s a question one colleague has already posed. Hopefully the Sharks side hasn’t put off anyone weighing up a last-minute trip to Welford Road.

04:44 PM GMT

Biltong disaster

Popped to one of the vendors for some pre-match supplies and a customer was informed that no biltong was being sold. Has the game gone? Maybe it has now.

03:44 PM GMT

Welcome

Afternoon everybody from a very fresh Mattioli Woods Welford Road stadium - perfect mention of the sponsor there, no reason to kick me out now - where we have about an hour to go until Leicester Tigers take on the Sharks from South Africa.

Last season’s Challenge Cup winners are lacking some star power compared to the side who took on Exeter Chiefs last weekend in Durban, with John Plumtree opting to leave Ox Nche, Bongi Mbonambi, Eben Etzebeth, Siya Kolisi, Grant Williams, Makazole Mapimpi, Andre Esterhuizen and Aphelele Fassi all back in South Africa. Are the logistics of this competition not great and do those players potentially need a rest after the autumn Tests? Sure. Does leaving them at home also slightly devalue the competition, given Northampton have just won in Pretoria after sending a full-strength side to face the Bulls? Absolutely. As one Sharks supporter put it when replying to the team announcement: “I bought tickets rounded a crew up and I’m driving two hours each way for this. Where are the Boks?”

Had the Sharks not cruised past Exeter last week then Plumtree’s selection may have been stronger, and while there are still some good players in this side such as Trevor Nyakane, Jaden and Jordan Hendrikse, Japan’s Lappies Labuschagne (now 35) and Scotland’s Dylan Richardson, this is such a big opportunity for Leicester to go for maximum points at home after their defeat away at Bordeaux-Begles last weekend.

Michael Cheika, the Leicester head coach, informed his squad that defeats like last Sunday’s in France are just what the club need as part of their rebuilding process, and they have made a bright start under the Australian this season. That being said, Leicester are without a win in the Premiership or Europe since winning at Saracens back at the end of October. It feels like a good week to get Julian Montoya, Handré Pollard, Nicky Smith, George Martin and Tommy Reffell back, while Cam Henderson is due to make his first appearance after a year out through injury.

Kickoff coming your way at 5.30pm local time.