Falcons dragged into battle

The match was over by half-time after the Tigers ran in four converted tries in the first half hour against injury-hit Newcastle.

The Falcons, missing their first-choice front row including captain Carl Hayman, now face a crucial relegation battle at Sale next Friday night while Leeds take on Worcester on Sunday at Headingley Carnegie which could well settle who goes down if the Warriors lose.

"We want to finish top of the table," said Cockerill. "We did that last year and we want to retain it. It's a tough league week in, week out and we want to finish top of it again.

"We're a good side and if we play well, we will cause any side problems, but the focus has to be on doing the simple things well which we did today and that bodes well for the semi-finals.

"I thought the first half today was some of the best rugby we have played for some time, but when you're 28-0 up, the bonus point is assured, it's difficult to turn round and face the wind and rain in the second half and repeat that. We knew the second half was going to be a real battle.

"We're delighted with the five points and we played with a good tempo to get those points and stay up there in the top two."

Leicester were content to run their bench in the second half and the Falcons conceded just one more score, Jeremy Staunton's penalty, as well as scoring a try themselves, and the Falcons remain in the relegation scrap after Leeds's victory over London Irish.

"We now have to go to Sale next weekend and try to get something from that, but the Leeds-Worcester game also assumes massive significance," said Steve Bates, Falcons' director of rugby.

"It was certainly a game of two halves today and we shot ourselves in the foot a couple of times in that first half."