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Last Updated: Monday, 2 January 2006, 16:50 GMT

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Leicester 34-27 Saracens

Leicester fly-half Andy Goode takes on the Saracens defence

Leicester: (21) 34
Tries: Penalty try, Morris, Varndell
Cons: Goode 2
Pens: Goode 5

Saracens: (14) 27
Tries: Johnston, Vaikona
Cons: Jackson
Pens: Jackson 4
Drop: Jackson

Leicester returned to third place in the Premiership with a disjointed victory over Saracens at Welford Road.

The visitors led 5-3 with an early Ben Johnston try but the Tigers hit back with two of their own before half-time.

A penalty try and a score from prop Darren Morris put Leicester 21-8 up but Glen Jackson kept Sarries in touch.

Andy Goode and Jackson traded penalties before wing Tom Varndell crashed over but Tevita Vaikona's late converted try earned Saracens a bonus point.

The visitors were handed a chance to get back into the match when Ben Kay and Graham Rowntree were both sin-binned inside the opening 11 minutes of the second half.

But Leicester defended their line ferociously when they came under intense pressure and drove Saracens back to the approval of a sell-out crowd.

Tiger supporters were given further reason to cheer at half-time by the presence of Matt Hampson.

The 21-year-old prop has been recuperating since suffering a serious neck injury while training with England Under-21s in March.

But Leicester were denied a bonus point after failing to score a fourth try despite plenty of chances, and are now seven points behind leaders Sale and Wasps.

Varndell, the Premiership's top try-scorer, came on as a replacement to score his seventh of the season five minutes from time, and his 13th in 17 matches overall.

Leicester head coach Pat Howard:
"It was a nice finish from Tom (Varndell) and I think he will be happy with that. It's something we've been working on and he did very well.

"He was dropped for this match on form and he proved a point when he came on, there was certainly a major improvement.

"After half-time we lost a bit of momentum and that took our focus from getting a bonus point to making sure we won the game."

Saracens director of rugby Steve Diamond:
"We can be proud of the lads. We could have capitulated when they got two tries in the first half.

"But we steadied things. If you don't win away from home you have to get a bonus point.

"And we definitely did enough to get a point."

Leicester: Vesty; Lloyd, Smith, Hipkiss, Murphy; Goode, Healey; Rowntree, Chuter, White; L Deacon, Kay; Johnson, Jennings, Corry.
Replacements: Varndell for Smith (65), Abraham for Johnson (65), Cullen for L Deacon (69).
Not Used: Buckland, Morris, Cole, Broadfoot.

Sin Bin: Kay (48), Rowntree (51).

Saracens: Scarbrough; Johnston, Sorrell, Powell, Vaikona; Jackson, Dickens; Yates, Byrne, Broster; Ryder, Chesney; Vyvyan (capt), B T Russell, Skirving.
Replacements: Seymour for Vyvyan (44), Cairns for Byrne (56), Rauluni for Dickens (72), Randell for Ryder (75), Little for Powell (77).
Not Used: Mitchell, Bartholomeusz.

Sin Bin: Vaikona (33).

Att: 16,815

Referee: Roy Maybank (Kent)

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