Booth leads Tigers on feeding frenzy

It was as emphatic a rout as they come – 10 tries without reply – and Leicester, the defending European champions, finally got their Heineken Cup campaign back on the rails after coming slightly unstuck in their opening match.

But for a long while in this Pool One game there was little to smile about. Even Nigel Owens, one of Wales' full-time referees and a stand-up comic by night, might have had a hard time raising a laugh, as both sides settled into a grim rhythm of thud and blunder.

Ultimately Leicester prevailed through superiority up front and pace and panache at the back – there was a hat-trick for the enterprising left wing, Steve Booth. Calvisano shirts were so littered with logos that their progress was "logo-rhythmic", but they offered little other than tight defence during a patchy first half and the occasional sortie upfield.

Not until deep into the first half did the Tigers lose their kittenish look, finally taking Calvisano and the game by the scruff of the neck and giving both a right old shaking.

Until prop Perry Freshwater's excellently worked try just before the interval they had looked slack and lackadaisical. Passes would fly over the waiting queue of backs, a forward would allow himself a careless moment and stray a yard over the offside line; a player would break only to hang on too long.

It had taken Leicester long enough to open their account against a team that gave them a couple of hard matches last season and in early exchanges threatened similar again.

It needed a great break by Geordan Murphy – the first of many by the Ireland international – to open up the Italians and their uncompromising defence, Steve Booth benefiting with the final touch.

The lack of a recognised kicker did not help the home cause. Rookie fly-half Sam Vesty was given two shots at goal before Austin Healey took over. He landed a penalty but then missed two successive conversions.

In fact, it took Leicester until the 46th minute, after a third kicker – Murphy, who converted Back's second try and the 15th overall in this competition – that Tigers finally brought on Tim Stimpson, and by then they were well away.

Just as well since Stimpson missed his opening shot at goal, the attempted conversion of Booth's second try. He did the deed for Murphy's second though and those of Martin Corry and Booth's third.

There were some outstanding Tigers performances, notably Murphy, Freshwater, who was superb in the loose and set piece as well as flanker Josh Kronfeld, who demonstrated some delicate touches and brilliant handling, often rescuing moves.

Leicester: G Murphy; A Healey (T Stimpson, 48), L Lloyd, R Kafer (G Gelderbloom, 61), S Booth; S Vesty, T Tierney (J Hamilton, 72); P Freshwater, G Chuter, F Tournaire, L Deacon, M Corry, J Kronfeld, W Johnson (A Balding, 61), N Back (capt).

Calvisano: M Ravazzolo; P Vaccari, M Gabba, C Zanoletti, E Muliero; G Raineri, J Dragotto; D Davo, A Moretti, G De Carli (capt), L Mastrodomenico (J Purll, 61), W Boardman, C Mayherhofler (C Roux, 61), A De Rossi, R Mandelli (G Bocca, 33-40).

Referee: N Owens (Pontyberem, Wales).