Leicester Tigers cemented their top four spot in the Gallagher PREM with a powerful performance against a spirited Sharks team at the CorpAcq Stadium.
The in-form visitors scored seven tries as they opened up a 12-47 lead with 25 minutes still remaining over a Sharks team containing fit again Tom Curry for the first time in ten weeks.
But a late rally from a Sharks side energised by the introduction of the bench saw the home team score three late tries to bring them within 14 at the final whistle.
Tigers were first on the scoreboard with just two minutes on the clock as Ollie Hassell-Collins slipped an inside ball to skipper Ollie Chessum to gallop in. Former Shark James O’Connor converted to make it 0-7.
Sharks hit back almost immediately as George Ford put Rekeiti Ma’asi-White through an outside gap. The centre fed Joe Carpenter and he shifted it wide to Tom Roebuck to dive over in the corner.
But Tigers were soon ahead again as first Jamie Blamire and then Joaquin Moro powered over from close range. Orlando Bailey converted both to take the score to 5-21.
A quick tap from a penalty from Raffi Quirke led to Jacques Vermeulen powering over to give Sharks hope, but Joe Heyes, on his 100th league start for Leicester, pushed his way over to make the half-time score 12-28.
The second half started in the same vein as the first with Tigers scoring within two minutes. This time it was Will Wand touching down after gathering his own kick through.
Ollie Hassell-Collins scored Tigers’ sixth and then Archie van der Flier found a gap to bag the seventh and both were converted to make the score 12-47.
But then the Sharks bench came to the fore, with Arron Reed, Seb Kelly and replacement front-rowers Patreece Bell and Wills Austin particularly prominent.
First Ford fed Ma’asi-White who slipped the ball to Ernst van Rhyn to crash over under the posts, and then Sam Dugdale dived over in the corner to secure the bonus point.
Reed was the next to cross and after Ford converted, Sharks were just 14 points down and sniffing a losing bonus point.
But despite making it into the Tigers 22, a knock-on brought an end to a pulsating game with Tigers sealing it 33-47.
Attendance: 7,251
