Premiership: Leicester Tigers 37-44 Worcester Warriors

Debutant matchwinner Ted Hill leads the Worcester Warriors side off through the traditional guard of honour at Welford Road
Debutant matchwinner Ted Hill led the Worcester Warriors side off through the traditional guard of honour at Welford Road
Gallagher Premiership
Leicester (11) 37
Tries: Thompson, May, Denton, Kalamafoni, Ford Cons: Ford 3 Pens: Ford 2
Worcester (30) 44
Tries: Weir 2, Hill 2, Singleton, Pennell Cons: Weir 3, Pennell Pens: Weir 2

Worcester won their first Premiership match of the season as they let slip a 37-11 lead, then sensationally scored in the last minute to beat Leicester on home soil for the second year running.

Duncan Weir converted his own two tries in the first seven minutes.

Jack Singleton, Chris Pennell and debutant Ted Hill then also crossed.

In a bizarre game of 11 tries, Tigers hit back with four second-half efforts to briefly level at 37-37 before Hill won it late on with his second try.

Guy Thompson got the home side's only first-half try, his first for Leicester following his summer signing from Wasps.

The reeling Tigers then responded well to the first of young Worcester replacement forward Hill's two tries just after the break as England winger Jonny May, Warriors old boy David Denton, Sione Kalamafoni and George Ford all crossed.

But, in a breathtaking finish to a great game of rugby at Welford Road, Warriors had the final word when Hill got over in the corner - and Weir kicked his third successful conversion.

With two penalties to his name, the Scotland international fly-half ended with a 22-point haul - half of his side's tally.

Duncan Weir was Worcester's other two-try scorer at Welford Road, also kicking three conversions and two penalties for a 22-point haul
Duncan Weir was Worcester's other two-try scorer, also kicking three conversions and two penalties for a 22-point haul

That just shaded England fly-half Ford, who delivered 17 points with a try, two penalties and three conversions.

Warriors produced one of their finest performances of last season when they ran in five tries to win 31-27 for their first win at Welford Road in a century of trying.

Leicester then turned the tables in the return to win 34-5 in the return at Sixways, but that was forgotten as, after starting this season with three successive defeats, Worcester translated all their early-season promise into maximum points to climb off the bottom of the Premiership table.

Leicester interim head coach Geordan Murphy:

"It's disappointing, but we were very poor. We gave Worcester too much of a start. We weren't good enough to win.

"We were still in the changing room and found ourselves three scores down at half-time.

"We're talking the talk, but we're just not walking the walk. It doesn't get any easier. Our squad is being tested early in the season."

Warriors director of rugby Alan Solomons told BBC Hereford & Worcester:

"It was absolutely unbelievable. An incredible performance from the players. They deserved it. There's a never-say-die attitude about us.

"Before the game we spoke about playing to our potential and being the best we can be. We have some talented players but haven't finished our chances in the first three games. This time we did that and finished well.

"It has been difficult as we've been so close, but now we've crossed that divide. We know it's about fine margins. Things have been tough but this lifts the mood."

Leicester Tigers: Olowofela; Holmes, Tuilagi, Owen, May; Ford, B Youngs; Bateman, T Youngs (capt), Cole, Williams, Kitchener, Denton, Thompson, Kalamafoni.

Replacements: Eastmond for Owen (45), White for B Youngs (58), Wells for Kitchener (64), Lewis for Thompson (77), J Ford for Tuilagi (77).

Not used: Stevens, Feao, Cortes.

Worcester Warriors: Pennell; Heem, Venter, Mills, Adams; Weir, Hougaard; Black, Singleton, Schonert, Bresler, Phillips, Mama, Lewis, van Velze (capt).

Replacements: Hill for Lewis (26), Barry for Phillips (41), Lance for Weir (53), Milasinovich for Schonert (54), Bower for Black (62), Taufete'e for Singleton (64),

Not used: Heaney, Beck.

Referee: Luke Pearce.