Leicester Tigers opened their Investec Champions Cup campaign with a brutal 41-17 defeat against French club Pau, who absolutely ripped them apart with a late surge to grab a crucial bonus point in their Pool One opener. It was a proper beatdown when it counted, leaving Leicester scrambling right from the jump.
Tigers Showed Glimmers, Then Pau Took Over
Even though Pau struck first with an early penalty, Leicester actually looked pretty decent in the initial exchanges. Their tactical kicking game was on point, pinning Pau deep and earning them some prime field position. Captain Ollie Chessum, making his first appearance of the season after bouncing back from a foot injury, capitalized on that pressure, crossing for a try to get the Tigers on the board. Billy Searle’s brilliant 50-22 kick really set that up. For a moment, it felt like Leicester might have something cooking.
Pau’s Relentless Scoring Spree Left Leicester Stunned
But man, Pau just cranked it up and showed their class. They went on a ridiculous scoring spree, nailing three tries in a 20-minute window around half-time. Sacha Zegueur had one disallowed for a knock-on, but then Portugal international Rodrigo Marta, who’s been tearing up the Top 14 as the leading try-scorer with six in five appearances, touched down. Prop Jon Zabala also got in on the action late in the first half. After the break, Marta was at it again, exploding from 30 meters to stretch Pau’s lead even further. Archie van der Flier did manage to power over for Leicester, briefly bringing them back within seven points. But that was it. That was the last time Leicester even sniffed a bonus point. Pau slammed the door shut, scoring 17 unanswered points. Fly-half Axel Desperes added another penalty, Theo Attissogbe set up Aaron Grandidier Nkanang for an unchallenged try in the corner, and Fabien Brau-Boirie sealed the deal, picking off a Leicester pass to complete the scoring. Absolutely ruthless.
This is a tough start for Leicester, no doubt. Kicking off their Champions Cup run with a 41-17 thumping and giving up a bonus point? That’s a massive hole to dig out of. They’ve got Clermont Auvergne, Glasgow Warriors, and Leinster still to come in Pool One. They’re gonna need to find some answers, and fast, if they want to make any noise in this competition.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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