Premiership: Wasps 16-13 Leicester Tigers - Leaders finally beaten after 11 straight wins

Ellis Genge had a 100th game to forget as he was sin-binned late in the first-half

Leicester Tigers' perfect record in the Premiership this season was ended by Wasps, who kept the leaders scoreless in a much-improved second-half display.

However, Wasps showed much more adventure after the break and Jimmy Gopperth's boot edged them ahead.

With time ticking down, Tigers mounted a late surge, but the hosts stood firm.

Steve Borthwick's Tigers turned up at the CBS Arena knowing a win would merit a 16th in all competitions this season, equalling a club record set in 1983-84.

Their opening 40 minutes suggested they would have no issues in matching that feat, despite the sin-binnings of Tommy Reffell and skipper Ellis Genge - the former for the off-the-ball tackle which brought Wasps a penalty try and the latter for a strike to the face of Francois Hougaard.

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Wasps barely got out of their own half in that period as stand-off Ford kicked the visitors about smartly, although the England international's two misses from the tee would eventually prove costly.

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett knew a second-half improvement was necessary and a tactical switch provided it.

Gopperth's work at inside centre complemented the halves work of Sam Wolstenholme and Charlie Atkinson as Wasps took the ball to the line and forced Tigers back.

Former Junior All Black Gopperth's boot did enough to whittle away the deficit and, once the lead had been taken, Wasps survived numerous scrum resets and a pounding of their line to squeeze out a huge victory - a perfect tonic to their New Year's Day slump at Sale.

Wasps head coach Lee Blackett told BBC CWR:

"It wasn't perfect, far from it, but after the game it was emotional. It was pretty hard to speak. You don't get carried away but we're in the game to celebrate big wins like this.

"It was built on a lot of emotion and a lot of energy, it was gritty, you had to scrap and fight and I thought our young half-backs the way they managed the game, which you have to do against Leicester, did really well.

"Probably it was the built up emotion of the last five minutes, when you go to the scrum and you've got young Zac [Nearchou] coming in. We know what happened against Harlequins, I think he's worked so hard on his game and it was great to see. That's when you see young guys come of age."

Wasps: Crossdale; Hougaard, Spink, Gopperth, Bassett; Atkinson, Wolstenholme; Hislop, Cruse, Toomaga-Allen, Cardall, Stooke, Barbeary, Shields (capt), Willis.

Replacements: Frost, Nearchou, Alo, Gaskell, Young, W Porter, Mills, Miller.

Leicester: Steward; Potter, Scott, Kelly, G Porter; Ford, Van Poortvliet; Genge (capt), Montoya, Cole, Green, Snyman, Wells, Reffell, Chessum.

Replacements: Clare, Whitcombe, Heyes, Murimurivalu, Dolly, B Youngs, Burns, Moroni.

Referee: Tom Foley (RFU).

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