Zurich Premiership champions Leicester bounced back from their shock opening-day defeat by Leeds with a convincing win over Harlequins.

The Tigers showed they are in no mood to relinquish their title with a dominant display.

And Tim Stimpson moved to within a point of becoming the first player to reach 1,000 points in the competition.

Stimpson touched down in the final minute of a fine Tigers performance that reinforced the belief that it will take something special to beat them at Welford Road.

Full-back Stimpson contributed 15 of the Tigers points, opening with a third-minute penalty which was cancelled out three minutes later by Harlequins fly-half David Slemen.

Stimpson's second penalty put Leicester 6-3 ahead and he was on target with a conversion after 23 minutes when the Harlequins pack were outmuscled by Leicester's rolling maul and Back touched down.

Slemen reduced the deficit to seven points with a 27th-minute penalty and Harlequins came out for the second half with renewed determination.

But despite the efforts of England centre Will Greenwood to find gaps in the Leicester defence, the champions held firm.

And when they stepped up the pace midway through the second half Harlequins were unable to keep them out.

A delightful dummy by fly-half Austin Healey almost took the England star in for a try.

After he was hauled down just short of the line, replacement scrum-half Jamie Hamilton almost got over as he tried to emulate his half-back partner.

The pressure was too much for Quins' desperate defence and when Leicester moved the ball wide replacement number eight Josh Kronfeld sent Steve Booth over in the corner.

Booth had another chance when Healey found him with a cross-field kick but he was unable to grasp the opportunity.

The Quins pack succumbed again when Leicester's push took them back over their own line and Hamilton dropped on the ball to touch down.

Stimpson converted and then had the final say four minutes into injury time when another fine passing move stretched Harlequins for Booth to send the full-back over near the corner flag.

Leicester: Stimpson, Booth, Smith, Naufahu, Tuilagi, Healey, Ellis, Rowntree, West, Tournaire, M. Johnson, Kay, Corry, Back, W. Johnson.

Replacements: Freshwater, Chuter, Kronfeld, Short, J. Hamilton, Vesty, Hipkiss.

Tries: Back, Booth, J. Hamilton, Stimpson; Cons: Stimpson 2; Pens: Stimpson 2.

Harlequins: N. Williams, Moore, Greenwood, Bell, Gollings, D. Slemen, J. Powell, Leonard, Tiatia, Gomez, Rudzki, Davison, Sheriff, Sanderson, Diprose.

Replacements: Caputo, Starr, Evans, Miall, Bemand, Jewell, Satala.

Pens: D. Slemen 2.

Att: 15,387

Ref: Nigel Williams (Bryncoch).