Tuilagi and Tigers run wild and free

Freddie Tuilagi had been storing up some serious storm damage after going 18 matches without scoring, and it was Béziers' misfortune to yesterday be on the end of a hat-trick of tries from the human whirlwind on Leicester's left wing.

The victory which resulted raised the Tigers' spirits after the Zurich Premiership defeat by Northampton here a fortnight ago, and preserved one of only three remaining unbeaten records in this season's Heineken Cup.

Tuilagi made quite a nuisance of himself in the first meeting of these teams in Béziers last Sunday, being lucky not to get a red card in addition to the yellow he did receive. Yesterday his contributions were timely and entirely legitimate.

The first blow was struck after 18 minutes, when a penalty apiece by Geordan Murphy and Gonzalo Quesada had set the early pace. Adam Balding, getting a rare start for Leicester in the absence of the injured internationals Neil Back, Lewis Moody and Josh Kronfeld, claimed a drop-out and Austin Healey explored the open side. Ollie Smith's pass, intended for Rod Kafer, missed its target but Tuilagi toe-ended the loose ball forward and scampered past the floundering Julien Laharrague for the try.

Béziers, smarting from losing the home fixture 24-12, made eight changes to their starting line-up. Leicester made two changes to the team they announced 24 hours before kick-off. European Rugby Cup Ltd are said to be monitoring this flouting of a tournament rule, which is in the interest of keeping the public informed as much as ensuring disclosure to the opposition. The Tigers would doubtless claim that the ailments which ruled out Kronfeld and Perry Freshwater were sustained some time after 2.45pm on Friday.

Perhaps sick of writing up erroneous team news, Leicester's local newspaper correspondent had dug up the intriguing fact that Simon de Montfort, founder of the modern parliament and Earl of Leicester years ago, numbered among his "achievements" the massacre of 1,200 people down Béziers way some eight centuries ago. The French side were, one hopes, steered clear of De Montfort's statue in the city centre last night.

From 10-3 in front, Leicester added another 10 points before half-time through tries by Louis Deacon and Dorian West, and had almost total domination after half-time. Deacon's score was reward for a pacy return of the ball from Murphy when Béziers weakly kicked clear, and West followed the tried-and-tested route from a line-out drive, following Martin Johnson's safe catch. Murphy, in particular, looks increasingly at home in the green No 15 jersey, even if Ireland are undecided whether to accord him the same status.

Leicester's appetite was no better illustrated than by the aggressive defence which set up Tuilagi's second try, and the Tigers' fourth, in the 47th minute. The forwards harried Béziers in their own 22, burgled the ball from a ruck and then watched with satisfaction as Rod Kafer and Smith smuggled Tuilagi in at the left-hand corner.

Kafer battered his way past four opponents for the next try, before Béziers took a leaf from the Leicester book with a catch-and-drive try by their Georgian lock, Vano Nadiradze. That was converted by Quesada, whose kicking preparation is marginally quicker than at the 1999 World Cup – in that now you can only finish half of War and Peace while he's at it. Quesada, sera, whatever will be, will be, and what it turned out to be was three more Leicester tries.

A quick-quick-slow combination of Steve Booth, Healey and Darren Garforth put Murphy over, then Tuilagi finished off Murphy's 50-metre break, aided by Leon Lloyd. The festive spirit was nicely captured in the final minute with Kafer handing Sam Vesty his first Leicester try behind the Béziers posts. Allez les Tigers.

Leicester: G Murphy; L Lloyd, O Smith (S Booth, 50), R Kafer, F Tuilagi; A Healey (S Vesty, 66), T Tierney (H Ellis, 66); G Rowntree (D Garforth, h-t), D West (G Chuter, 64), F Tournaire, M Johnson, L Deacon, M Corry (P Short, 41-53, 76), A Balding, W Johnson.

Béziers: S Bonetti (JF Dubois, h-t; N Durand, 66); J Laharrague, J-M Aue, J-P Grandclaude, T Dejardin; G Quesada, P Mignoni (capt); J-F Pedesseau (S Chobet, 48), J Selva (D Swarzewski, 48), S Bonorino, K Ghezal (F Gommard, 53), V Nadiradze, R Castel, F Martinez, F Mounier.

Referee: N Williams (Wales).