Tigers touch the title

End of season lethargy affects only those for whom the end of the season cannot come quickly enough. Northampton, despite their continuing interest in two Cup competitions and the closeness of the scores yesterday, have all the appearance of a side in urgent need of a break. Leicester, on the other hand, have enough in the tank to dog it out until the final whistle blows in the final match when, on the evidence of this lively if fitful performance, they will surely in installed for the second year in succession as League champions. Their crowning may come even earlier if they can find a reliable goal kicker.

Tim Stimpson, their first choice kicker yesterday, missed six kicks at goal, at least three of which came into the falling-off-a-log category. Perversely, his successes were from the most testing angles and distances. But the value of a top-quality goal-kicker was highlighted by Paul Grayson's almost flawless display. He finished with seven penalties, five of them during the first half. Without at any stage being in the game during this period, Northampton led for most of it due to Grayson's accuracy.

Leicester, however, were always going to win with or without a kicker. They had enough of a platform in the scrum for their resourceful back-row to prosper. If Neil Back was, on the day, eclipsed by Martin Corry, it was only because the latter scored a breathtakingly good try, but Back's work, so much of it unseen, was hugely productive and he did at least play a major part in the build up to Corry's try.

It is also heartening to see Martin Johnson's continuing progress after his injury. He was back to his best yesterday, imperious in the lineout and, in concert with his back-row, crushingly effective in the loose.

Northampton badly missed Gary Pagel's solid presence in the scrum, although they did enjoy some limited success in holding Leicester's famed drives from the lineout. Once again, though, Northampton's lack of wit and invention behind the scrum was cruelly exposed by opponents who were significantly quicker in thought and deed. Geordan Murphy possesses genuine pace and gave Ben Cohen a proper roasting on the wing. Pat Howard's intelligent promptings made room where none seemed to exist and had Jamie Hamilton's decision making been of a higher order at scrum-half Leicester's victory might have been secured much earlier.

The Tigers seemed safe enough in the opening minute of the second half when Stimpson raced on to Hamilton's pass and swept through Northampton's poorly aligned defence to score close to the posts. Alas, perhaps not close enough for him to kick the conversion but at least Leicester were now more than one score ahead.

If there was an element of good fortune and even doubt about Leicester's first try scored by Leon Lloyd there was no question that it was fully deserved. After Murphy had skinned two Northampton defenders on the outside and Fritz Van Heerden had won the lineout, the ball squirted from the maul and Lloyd, who got his foot to it, followed through to score.

Northampton succeeded in crossing the half-way line just three times in the next 12 minutes but on each occasion Grayson kicked a penalty. Stimpson at last got the ball to fit between the posts with his first penalty and, after Grayson had restored Northampton's lead with his fourth, Leicester produced a glorious nugget from the dross. Austin Healey's kick-off meant for Murphy was taken instead by Cohen who made off into Leicester's 22 before being brought down.

Healey, atoning for his original sin, and Back, countered thrillingly, taking play back into the Northampton half. The ball was moved infield with Van Heerden and Dave Lougheed combining to put Corry away on the left. With a stunning surge of pace for such a hefty fellow, the No 8 fended off a couple of tackles to score in the corner. He may have been almost posthumously late with a couple of tackles earlier in the game but on this occasion he was up to speed.

Still Leicester could not put sufficient daylight between the sides and just before half-time Grayson kicked his fifth penalty. His sixth followed Stimpson's try, but Stimpson with his third penalty gave Leicester the comfort cushion which for so long had eluded them. Grayson's seventh penalty 10 minutes from the end meant further unnecessary anguish for Leicester who were nevertheless in complete control for the remainder of the match.

Leicester: T Stimpson (C Joiner, 62); G Murphy, L Lloyd, P Howard, D Lougheed; A Healey, J Hamilton; G Rowntree, R Cockerill (P Freshwater, 76), R Nebbett (J Akurangi, 80), M Johnson (capt), F Van Heerden (J Kay, 61), L Moody, M Corry, N Back.

Northampton: R Jackson; C Moir, A Northey, M Allen, B Cohen; P Grayson, M Dawson (capt); M Scelzo (S Walter, 59), F Mendez, M Stewart, A Newman (R Metcalfe, 63), J Phillips, D Mackinnon (C Allan, 58), T Rodber, S Holmes.

Referee: C White (RFU).