For that they had to thank Martin Corry, George Chuter, Ben Kay and Shane Jennings, none of whom took a backward step. They could also call upon the right boot of Andy Goode who contributed five penalties – one a monster from 60 metres – and two conversions.Saracens augmented Ben Johnston’s early try with two penalties and a dropped goal from Glen Jackson to leave it at 21-14 at the break. Goode struck twice more before Jackson added two further penalties, which heralded the introduction of Varndell, who had been dropped after the guileless defeat at Bristol. More than once as Saracens clung on tenaciously, Leicester gave the impression they might let it slip.Though they are no longer able to call upon Martin Johnson and Neil Back to dig them out of a hole, the Tigers were still able to summon sufficient reserves of traditional Leicester grit and determination to preserve an unbeaten home record in the Premiership which has survived for almost two years. They were well in control once the penalty try was awarded, followed by a second try, this time for Darren Morris, after 26 minutes, to go 21-8 ahead. “Having been at fault when he let Tom Varndell slip by him for his try, he picked himself up and scored a super try himself,” concluded Diamond.It should never have been that close for Leicester.

All we ask is some consistency from referees.”
Diamond had a point, though the point that mattered was the losing bonus point Saracens earned when Tevita Vaikona stole away for a late try which, with Glen Jackson’s conversion, brought them to within seven points of the Tigers. Having themselves conceded a penalty try at the end of the first quarter, the Saracens head coach, Steve Diamond, was disappointed not to have been awarded one when they were driving against the six-man Leicester pack. “The referee blew four times for penalties but gave us nothing,” said Diamond “We got hammered first time. While they were serving their time, Saracens camped on the home line with an outstanding chance of making something of a game, which at one stage they looked like losing heavily.

Both attributes were put to the test in an attritional second half when the Tigers were down to 13 men with Ben Kay and Graham Rowntree sent to the sin-bin within four minutes of each other. Instead of relying on a group of players who appeared as if they were uninformed invitees at an inauguration meeting of an obscure Masonic Lodge – as they did when losing to Bristol last week – Pat Howard put together a team which looked as if familiarity was second only to brotherly love. Leicester replaced bare-faced assumption with pragmatism against Saracens at Welford Road yesterday, to move up to third in the Premiership. Cardiff Blues: Try M Williams; Conversion Warren; Penalty Warren 2.Llanelli Scarlets: L Byrne; D James, M Watkins, R King, M Jones; G Bowen, D Peel; M Madden (C Dunlea, 62), M Rees, J Davies, I Afeaki, C Wyatt (A Jones, 62), D Jones, A Popham, S Easterby (capt).Cardiff Blues: R Williams (capt, T Davies, 70); C Morgan, J Robinson, M Stcherbina, J Lomu; N Robinson (R Warren, 31; W Evans, 73), R Powell; G Jenkins, R Thomas, M Jones (J Yapp, 70), C Quinnell, R Sidoli (D Jones, 57), A Powell (R Sowden- Taylor, 73), X Rush, M Williams.Referee: N Owens..

Dwayne Peel grabbed their fifth at the death, making Llanelli clear victors.Llanelli Scarlets: Tries Madden, M Jones, King, Watkins, Peel; Conversions Bowen 2; Penalty Bowen. First Alix Popham slipped through to gift Regan King the easiest of finishes before livewire wing Jones again caught Cardiff napping, chasing Bowen’s kick before handing Matthew Watkins a clear sprint to the line. Cardiff had won all four games since the former All Black’s arrival at the Arms Park following his kidney transplant, but last night the wheels of the runaway Lomu bandwagon came flying off.
Not that the Scarlets will have been complaining after they had to delay the kick-off to get all of the bumper 9,300 crowd through the gates to see the big man, although he was largely a spectator himself.Llanelli continue to blow hot and cold this season but Mark Jones scored another wonderful try as the Scarlets ran in five tries, thus picking up a bonus point that lifts them above Cardiff to fifth in the Celtic League.Jones, whose solo try sent Wasps crashing out of Europe, left his opposite number Craig Morgan grasping air before racing to touch down his own kick over Rhys Williams in front of the on-looking Wales coach, Mike Ruddock.Prop Martyn Madden, back in regional rugby after two years grazing at club level, set the Scarlets on their way when he crashed over inside two minutes after Cardiff had twice failed to clear the danger following a bungled kick-off.Martyn Williams briefly gave Cardiff hope when he was shoved over early in the second half after Dafydd Jones had been yellow carded for his team’s indiscipline.But the Scarlets responded in style with two tries in three minutes. Jonah Lomu experienced defeat for the first time in almost three years as Cardiff Blues went down to Welsh rivals Llanelli Scarlets at Stradey Park.