Segun double lifts Saracens past Leicester despite Isiekwe red card

Saracens beat Leicester Tigers 40-38 at Welford Road to open Brendan Venter’s second spell in charge, with Rotimi Segun scoring two tries while the visitors were a player short. According to BBC Sport’s match report, Saracens overcame Nick Isiekwe’s second-half red card in a contest featuring six tries for each side. Gabriel Hamer-Webb scored three of Leicester’s tries but finished on the losing side.

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Saracens established an early advantage through Juan Martin Gonzalez and Tobias Elliott, whose tries were both converted inside the opening 10 minutes. Gonzalez was making his 50th league appearance. Leicester responded through Solomone Kata and Hamer-Webb, with Freddie Steward providing the pass for the winger’s first score. Elliot Daly then crossed on the left to help Saracens take a 21-12 lead into half-time.

The visitors also had to reorganise their backline. Centre Olly Hartley left early with an arm injury, while Elliott temporarily went off for a head injury assessment. With Saracens having selected six forwards and two backs among their replacements, Ben Earl initially came on at centre. He returned to the back row after Alfie Barbeary was withdrawn at half-time and scored following a flat pass from scrum-half Tomos Williams.

Hamer-Webb added two further tries after the interval, with Aaron Wainwright involved in the build-up to both. Leicester subsequently moved ahead for the first time when Jack van Poortvliet chipped through for Adam Radwan to score. While Billy Searle prepared the conversion, referee Ian Tempest showed Isiekwe a 20-minute red card for a high tackle on Steward during the preceding play. The dismissal came in the 54th minute.

Segun then put Saracens back in front by finishing a cross-kick from Daly. Leicester replacement James Thompson answered with a try to give the home side another lead, but Segun scored again on the left with seven minutes remaining. Both of his tries came before Saracens could restore their full complement, making his contribution decisive during the period following Isiekwe’s dismissal.

Eoghan Clarke eventually entered as Isiekwe’s replacement once the 20-minute sanction had elapsed, and Saracens held on. Fergus Burke finished with five conversions to Searle’s four, the difference between teams level on tries. BBC Sport named Williams man of the match as Saracens secured the fourth away victory from the five matches on the opening weekend of the league season.