Round-Up: Leeds force Tigers to sweat for the top spot

Leicester Tigers moved back to the top of the Guinness Premiership but they were far from impressive against the excellent defence of Leeds Carnegie.

Craig Newby scored the game's only try shortly before the interval to help Leicester to a 14-9 win over the league's bottom club. However, for all their dominance of possession, they went into the break only five points to the good, and could only score another three in a second half they completely dominated.

Leeds' defence was outstanding, with the former Tiger Marco Wentzel and the England Saxons flanker Hendre Fourie in particular, and the losing bonus point they earned was thoroughly deserved and cuts the deficit to 11th-placed Worcester to five points.

Saracens director of rugby Brendan Venter praised his players' powers of recovery after seeing them come from behind to defeat Worcester 25-20 at Wembley on Saturday. Saracens were 20-12 behind and down to 14 men with half an hour left but they then scored 13 unanswered points.

Venter said: "We were very flat in the first half and I don't know why. And it couldn't have been going any worse when we conceded a penalty try and a yellow card. We just fought back and fought back. Even with a yellow card, we were the better team."