Pollard steers Leicester to narrow Stormers win

Handre Pollard scored his first Investec Champions Cup try to seal the win

Leicester: (10) 35
Tries: Kata 2, Pollard, Bassett; Pens: Pollard 3; Cons: Pollard 3;
Stormers: (17) 26
Tries: Morabe, Skosan; Pens: Matthee 3; Cons: Matthee 2; Drop-goal: Matthee

Handre Pollard scored 20 points as Leicester came from behind to edge South African side Stormers in their Investec Champions Cup opener.

Solomone Kata put Leicester ahead but Keke Morabe and Courtnall Skosan crossed to put the visitors in front.

Kata, Pollard and Josh Bassett then scored after the break to secure the bonus-point win for the hosts.

Stormers left a raft of first-team players at home but played superbly in the first 40 minutes to deservedly lead.

But 10 unanswered points in the first 10 minutes of the second half turned the game in Leicester's favour before Pollard's try while the visitors were down to 14.

Another penalty from Stormers debutant Jurie Matthee - who was immaculate from the tee - cut the lead to four points but the South Africans could not break through at the end, with Bassett going in at the corner in the final seconds to secure a vital bonus point.

With a stacked Pool D handing Leicester trips to Stade Francais and La Rochelle next before they finish the group against four-time winners Leinster, an opening win was essential.

A scrappy first-half performance in tricky, windy conditions left them up against it but coach Dan McKellar will be pleased with their response.

More to follow.

Line-ups

Leicester: Steward, Bassett, Scott, Kata, Hassell-Collins; Pollard, Youngs; Van Wyk, Montoya, Cole, Chessum, Henderson, Liebenberg, Reffell, Wiese

Replacements: Vanes, Cronin, Heyes, Wells, Hatherell, Whiteley, Shillcock, Kelly

Stormers: Blommetjies, Skosan, Hartzenberg, Du Plessis, Loader; Matthee, De Wet; Sithole, Ntubeni, Harris, Stassen, Evans, Xaba, Engelbrecht, Morabe

Replacements: Kotze, Blose, Mazibuko, Sjoblom, Pokomela, Theunissen, Ungerer, Smit

Referee: Tual Trainini

Sin bin: Mazibuko (64)

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