mens
investec-champions-cup
Ollie Chessum tried to score after injury but Leicester The Tigers lost in their first Champions Cup clash Pau in the south of France.
Archie van der Flier gave the Tigers a glimmer of hope when his 54th-minute try brought his side within touching distance, but the hosts eventually pulled away to win 41-17 bonus points.
Leicester came into the game on the back of two straight wins in the Gallagher Prem and their confidence was evident when Chessum returned for his first appearance of the season.
But tries from Rodrigo Marta and Jon Zabala put Pau ahead at half-time, and when they extended their lead through Marta’s second early in the second half, it looked all but over for the visitors.
Van der Flier had other ideas when he crossed, Billy Searle’s strike brought them back within seven points, but a silly penalty and Aaron Grandidier Nkangan’s subsequent try sealed it all for the French side.
Pau sealed their bonus point in the dying stages when Searle’s attempted pass was intercepted and Fabien Brau-Boirie fired in to secure a nice win.
Paloise part: 15 Theo Attissogbe; 14 Clement Laporte (Quentin Valentino 75), 13 Rodrigo Marta, 12 Fabien Brau-Boirie, 11 Aaron Grandidier Nkanang; 10 Axel Desperes, 9 Thomas Souverbie (Gonzalo Garcia 63); 1 Alexandre Etchebehere (Hugo Parrou 33), 2 Youri Delhommel (Yon Caperaa 65), 3 Jon Zabala (Guram Papidze 42), 4 Thomas Jolmes (Santiago Grondona 50), 5 Mickael Capelli (Remi Picquette 57), 6F Sachauracu Locha 57, 6F Saacha 75 Credez (c), 8 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer.
Leicester Tigers: 15 Freddie Steward; 14 Adam Radwan (Gabriel Hamer-Webb 50), 13 Will Wand, 12 Orlando Bailey (Joseph Woodward 58), 11 Ollie Hassell-Collins; 10 Billy Searle, 9 Tom Whiteley (Jack van Poortvliet 50); 1 Archie van der Flier (Mako Vunipola 58), 2 Jamie Blamire (Sam Moli 58), 3 Joel Sclavi (Will Hurd 45), 4 Cameron Henderson, 5 Ollie Chessum (c) (James Thompson 50), 6 Finn 7 Carnduffly C. (Osian Thomas 74).