SARACENS' misery at Welford Road continued this afternoon as Leicester Tigers ran in three tries to two in their 36-23 triumph.

Tom Varndell's late try secured victory after Sarries had threatened to register their first victory here with tries from Dan Scarbrough and Brent Russell.

After twice coming from behind to a pair of Andy Goode penalties Sarries took a 9-13 lead into the break through Scarbrough's converted try and two Glen Jackson kicks.

It was perhaps a fortuitous lead as the Tigers produced most of the attacking play only for handling errors to usurp what would have been a healthy gap.

However, they did create one through early second half tries from Seru Rabeni and Alesana Tuilagi, only for a sublime Russell score and Jackson's boot to keep Sarries within touching distance.

Their rally counted for nothing though as Varndell's score - handed to him by a hapless Dan Scarbrough error - wrapped things up for the champions.

Saracens made one late change to the starting line up. Francisco Leonelli was given leave to attend the birth of his first child, prompting Alan Gaffney to move Dan Scarbrough to outside centre with Brent Russell coming in at full-back.

The Tigers bared their teeth from the outset. After Kameli Ratuvou had made a hash of repelling Andy Goode's touch finder the champions won their line out and swept the ball across the field with wing Varndell finding a gap. The Leicester pack heaved their way across the whitewash but Sarries held them up.

Richard Haughton was then forced off after taking a huge hit from Seru Rabeni with Rodd Penney taking his place.

Goode kicked the Tigers ahead minutes later as Sarries infringed at a scrum before Jackson levelled the score with a three pointer in front of the posts.

However, it was the hosts who were looking more threatening but, rather than going in for the kill Goode extended his side's lead to three points with a confident drop goal.

After weathering the storm Sarries got back on level terms after 30 minutes via Jackson's boot after Tigers number eight Jordan Crane was sent to the cooler for killing the ball.

The Men in Black then took the lead minutes later with the first try of the game.

Good hands from Jackson and Rodd Penney set Andy Farrell away down the inside left channel. The big centre drew the cover before putting in Dan Scarbrough for his first try of the season. Jackson added the extras for 6-13.

Goode reduced the arrears with a superb penalty struck from just inside the Tigers half before his side breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Russell picked up the ball at the breakdown on his own ten metre line and scampered through a huge hole with the Tigers flat footed. The pocket rocket turned on the afterburners but was stopped just inches of the try line by Johne Murphy, and undid all his hard work by failing the release in the tackle.

Goode then skewed a penalty wide before referee Sean Davey signalled half time.

Sarries made one change at the break with Cencus Johnston making way for experienced tighthead prop Cobus Visagie.

Leicester started the second half in the same manner as they did in the first - fast, furious and commanding.

They edged back in front when, after several phases from a scrum five, Fijian powerhouse Rabeni took Harry Ellis's pass at pace to barge over the line. Goode converted for 16-13.

The former Sarries fly half extended the gap further with another goal after 55 minutes as the hosts cranked the pressure up another notch.

Things went from bad to worse for Sarries minutes later when Tuilagi darted over in the left corner after the Tigers pulled Sarries' defence all over the place.

Don Barrell and Matt Cairns were thrown on to shore up Sarries' slip-shod pack before they lost skipper Neil de Kock with a cut above his left eye.

Despite the setback Sarries clawed they way back into the game when, from first phase ball off a lineout, Russell brilliantly galloped through several half-hearted challenges for a long overdue try. Jackson added the extras to close the gap to six points.

Jackson halved that with his third penalty of the game to leave the game delicately poised.

Goode fired over another three pointer before the Tigers sewed up victory with the aid of a catastrophic error by Scarbrough.

Tigers booted the ball upfield and just when it appeared Scarbrough had won the footrace he inexplicably spilled the ball to gift wrap five points to a greteful Varndell.

Saracens: Russell, Haughton, Scarbrough, Farrell, Ratuvou, Jackson, de Kock (cpt); Lloyd, Kyriacou, Johnston, Jack, Vyvyan, Chesney, Hill, Skirving.

Replacements: Penney for Haughton, 6; Visagie for Johnston, 40; Barrell for Hill, 58; Cairns for Kyriacou, 60; Rauluni for de Kock, 62; Johnston for Visagie, 64; Referee: Sean Davey.

Attendance: 17,071.

Scoring sequence: 3-0/3-3/6-3/6-6/6-11/6-13/9-13 HT/14-13/16-13/19-13/24-13/26-13/26-18/26-20/26-23/29-23/34-23/36-23.

4:53pm Saturday 15th March 2008

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