Leeds Carnegie 9 Leicester Tigers 14: Back demands more after pitch battle with old club

Resilient Leeds took only a losing bonus point from a game in which they battled manfully for 80 minutes, winning the set-piece and forwards battle against the reigning champions.

But Leicester prevailed and returned to the top of the league, while Leeds continue to prop up the Premiership, the deficit back down to five points thanks to the three penalties kicked by Wales fly-half Ceiron Thomas.

Despite a near-heroic defensive stand, Leeds lacked any attacking punch, and it was their impotency, rather than their potency up front, that Back chose to focus on afterwards.

A World Cup winner with England, Back won every honour in the game in 18 years at Welford Road, as try-scoring and bulldozing flanker, and then as a coach.

He said: "I am disappointed by the result and by the way we managed our game in the first half. We did things better in the second half and it was a game we could have won.

"I was proud of the effort the team put in and the changes in the second half gave us more impact. We got on top in the scrum and it gave us a good platform. We have been competitive against Saracens, Wasps and Leicester and I've told the players that if they play like that for the remaining nine games we'll achieve our objective.

"But we have got to improve our game management."

He was also forced onto the defensive himself in the wake of criticism of the pitch from his opposite number Richard Cockerill, who labelled the Headingley Carnegie surface as the worst in the Premiership.

The pair have not seen eye to eye for many a year and Back was clearly irked that Cockerill was using the pitch – which was named as the groundsman's institute's pitch of the year in 2009 – as the reason for his side's poor performance.

Cockerill described it as 'horrendous' and the worst he had seen for a decade, challenging the Rugby Football Union to pass judgment on it.

But Back countered: "We can all look for excuses but at the end of the day it was the same for both teams. I've played on worse pitches and in worse conditions. The referee deemed it playable. I walked the pitch beforehand wearing a new pair of trainers and they weren't that dirty."

Leicester, who overcame stubborn resistance to inflict a 39-6 defeat on Leeds when the sides met in the league at Welford Road, were without five internationals who were representing Italy and England in the Six Nations encounter in Rome.

Leeds had the full compliment and raced into a 6-0 lead thanks to penalties from Thomas from 10 metres and 40 metres, the former after an intelligent kick to touch from Andy Gomarsall followed by a stolen lineout.

Rhys Oakley then superbly saved a Leicester try with a diving tackle that forced former Tyke Jordan Crane to knock-on as he attempted to touch down.

Leeds were fortunate Jeremy Staunton was errant with his kicking, as he slotted only two of five in the first half. His final miss was a conversion attempt to the game's only try, scored by Craig Newby who burst down the left wing after the visitors had stolen an Andy Titterrell lineout.

Leeds's forwards were a match for their much-vaunted opponents with their ferocious tackling and impressive scrum which at times had the better of the Tigers' pack. The lineout was particularly strong, Marco Wentzel against his former club proving a constant menace, and Hendre Fourie as destructive as always.

Leeds threatened at the start of the second half when Thomas beat four men on a run into opposition territory. His offload found Wentzel and although the Springbok's kick to the wing found Rhys Oakley, Leeds were eventually forced backwards.

Thomas cut the deficit with a penalty for a collapsed scrum on 46 minutes but moments later he missed the chance to give Leeds the lead from 40 metres.

The home defence continued to withstand long periods of pressure, and even when Wentzel stole a lineout in his own 22, the Leicester pack drove the Leeds captain all the way to his own line before thye pressure was alleviated.

While never really threatening to snatch victory late on, Leeds at least held on for a bonus point that could prove vital come May.

Leeds: Hinton, Fa'afili, Rabeni, Barrow, Blackett (Welding 77), Thomas, Gomarsall (Mathie 56); MacDonald (Hardy 73), Titterrell (Ma'asi 73), Gomez (Swainston 60), Lund, Wentzel, Clark (Myall 56), Fourie, Oakley (To'oala 60). Unused replacements: Ford.

Leicester: Hamilton, Tuilaga (Murphy 62), Hipkiss, Twelvetrees (Allen 53), Tuqiri, Staunton, Youngs (Grindal 67); Ayerza, Chuter (Davies 52), Harris (Stankovich 77), Parling, Kay (Green 40), Newby, Woods, Crane. Unused replacements: Bower, Deacon.

Referee: C White.