World Cup call-ups put weakened Leicester in trouble

With 12 players on World Cup duty, the makeshift Tigers line-up was exposed by Saracens during a crucial period just before and after half-time.

“There’s no getting away with it, you’ve got to make your tackles. It hurts you,” said Cockerill, of the slack defending which allowed Ernst Joubert, Owen Farrell and Jamie George to cross for tries in that devastating 20-minute spell.

Those scores turned a 16-6 deficit into a 35-11 margin and killed the match.

“The second try they scored and the ones just after half-time; you’ve got to make your tackles. If you don’t then you get punished and they get away from you.”

Cockerill is looking for good news from the World Cup soon, with some players returning as their nations are eliminated from the tournament and the England management due to make a decision on Thomas Waldrom’s immediate future.

London Irish head coach Toby Booth praised young match-winners Jonathan Joseph and Tom Homer after the 46-29 home victory over bottom club Newcastle.

Twenty-year-old centre Joseph scored two tries, while 21-year-old full-back Homer kicked 10 goals from 10 attempts – six penalties and four conversions – to finish with 26 points.

“These boys are the future – and they are the present as well,” said Booth.

Head coach Bryan Redpath described the performance of his Gloucester forwards as “outstanding” after their efforts laid the foundations for a 23-6 win over local rivals Bath at Kingsholm.

Two Sam Vesty penalties gave the visitors a 6-0 lead, but Gloucester’s scrum dominance and punishing driving line-out took its toll with hooker Darren Dawidiuk and wing Charlie Sharples claiming tries and fly-half Tim Taylor kicking 11 points.

Redpath said: “I thought our pack were outstanding. There were some great performances across the board from the pack and that set a platform for the game.”

Harlequins came back from the brink of defeat to maintain their unbeaten Premiership record with a narrow 17-15 win over Worcester at Sixways.

They were 15-3 down with 20 minutes remaining before scoring two converted tries.