Tigers wade in against Calvisano


Ellis pre-match

By Ian Birks
October 23 2004

The opening game in Leicester Tigers Heineken Cup campaign was against the Italian side, Calvisano. Having met on four occasions, Calvisano were looking for their third ever win in the competition and their first against Leicester.

The rain started as we left for the ground at mid-day andit did not stop; the prospect of a free flowing, high-scoring game looking ever more remote.

Tigers warm up

Leicester, though, dominated possession and position for much of the game. From the first kick off, Tigers established base camp in the Calvisano 22. The first scoring chance came after just 4 minutes, but Goode's penalty kick was just wide. A second chance in the 8th was converted and the home side took a 3-0 lead.

Tigers fans only had to wait another 5 minutes to see Ellis go over for the first of his two tries of the day after break from Rabeni ended with Ellis being pushed over for the score. The conversion followed from Goode's boot and the score moved on to 10-0.
210Ellis

For all of Leicester's possession, Calvisano defended well despite being out-gunned and out-classed in the scrum and line-out. Goode converted another penalty, but the visitors fought back and on one of their rare excursions into to Tigers territory, won a penalty 2 minutes from time which was eased over the bar by Gerard Fraser.

The half-time score stood at 13-3, and with the pressure that the Calvisano forwards had to soak up both in the scrum and in defence, it was looking doubtful that they would be able to keep up the pace for the second half.

One change was made by Wells in the Tigers back line for the second period; Alex Tuilagi replaced Healey.

Leicester scored their second try of the game after just 4 minutes when Rabeni received a long cut-out pass from Goode to run through the Calvisano line.

A second try from Ellis demonstrated the difference in class between the two sides. Player-coach Cockerill made his return to Welford Road when he replaced Buckland after 52 minutes. His first job: find Jonno in the line-out, it was as though he had never been away! The ensuing rolling maul moved towards the centre of the park leaving a massive undefended blind side for Ellis to exploit and charge over the line.

Calvisano came back briefly with some good attacking runs, but it was up to the boot of Fraser to add another 3 points to the visitor's total.

It was now the turn of Moody to make his mark on the score-line with two tries in three minutes, both seeing Lewis driven over for the try, and both converted by Goode to take the score to 37-6, and most importantly, a tally of 5 tries for Leicester.

Meanwhile, Leicester's old adversaries Stade Francais played Gloucester in what was to be the highest scoring game of the day; Stade 39 - Gloucester 31, with the French also scoring 5 tries.
Leicester:
Vesty, Holtby, Rabeni, Gibson, Healey, Goode, Ellis, Rowntree, Buckland, Morris, M. Johnson, Kay, B. Deacon, Moody, W. Johnson.

Replacements: Cockerill, White, H. Tuilagi, Back, Bemand, Cornwell, A. Tuilagi.

Calvisano:
Vaccari, Nitoglia, Raineri, Zanoletti, Tuta Vodo, Fraser, Canavosio, Bocca, Moretti, Perugini, Ngauamo, Purll, Mandelli, Zaffiri, Elisara.

Replacements: De Carli, Intoppa, Castrogiovanni, Bernabo, Murgier, Griffen, Mulieri.

Referee: D. Changleng - SRU


Other scores from the HEC Round 1 Friday and Saturday games:

Pool 2:
Bath 22 v. Bourgoin 12
Treviso 9 v. Leinster 25

Pool 3:
Llanelli 6 v. Toulouse 9

Pool 4:
Castres 38 v. Ospreys 17
Munster 15 v. Harlequins 9

Pool 5:
Perpignan 23 v. Edinburgh 0
Dragons 6 v. Falcons 10

Pool 6:
Ulster 21 v. Cardiff Blues 16
Stade Francais 39 v. Gloucester 31

Sunday games.
Pool 1: Wasps v. Biarritz
Pool 3: Glasgow v. Saints

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