Leicester Tigers ensured that South Africa got their European tour off to the worst possible start after they recorded a 22-17 win over a Springbok XV at Welford Road in Leicester on Friday.

What a lesson the Leicester Tigers gave a team called the Springboks! after the late withdrawal of two strong and powerful forwards, Ben Kay and Carlos Ayerza, the patchwork Tigers pack thrashed the Springboks in every department of the game.

They were better in the line-outs, better in the mauls and much, much better at the tackles, but it was in the scrums that the Tigers destroyed the Springboks and humiliated a nation once famed for its scrumming as it has never been humiliated before.

That the match ended a try apiece did not tell the story of Tigers' courage and resolve. Once they sniffed victory there was no way they were going to let their lead slip. No passeron - they will not pass. They did not let them pass, not even when the Springboks bashed at them for nearly four minutes in a frantic last effort to win a game they did not deserve to win.

Leicester taught the Springboks a rugby lesson. They also taught them an attitude lesson.  There was much purring in recent times about the healthy state, the great depth, the wealth of talent in the Springboks side. That may all be true but it does not entitle you to send against a determined side like the Tigers players who have hardly played any rugby for most of the year.  It is not possible to pick any 22 South African rugby players, pull a jersey over their heads and baptise them into world-beaters. The jersey was a white one, which South African supporters would perhaps regard as a mercy. The warning is  - there is no room for complacency on this tour.

When the much-injured captain goes off injured after 19 minutes, it does not do much for leadership and morale.

But it was the scrums over and over. The Tigers either destroyed them on the Springboks' ball or marched down on their own. Gürthro Steenkamp, who had scrumming problems a week ago in the Currie Cup Final, was destroyed by Martín Castrogiovanni and conceded three penalties at scrum time. He was replaced early in the second half by Heinke van der Merwe, who has not played for months and months, and he, too, caved in under Castrogiovanni and was penalised.

It was not all the props' fault as the starting loose trio made little contribution to the scrumming.

The Tigers did their basics well and then won three Springbok line-outs and umpteen turnover at the tackle while protecting their own ball in determined numbers.

It was not an expansive game in the wet. The Tigers got by far the most possession and kicked lots of it. The Springboks also kicked, sometimes injudiciously. Three times Ruan Pienaar kicked the ball dead and a particularly bad clearance of his led to the Tigers' try.  He did not have a good game behind a beaten pack though his newcomer scrumhalf Heini Adams managed to do remarkably well. Those 24 000 eager fans in the cold would no doubt have swapped a match of limited appeal for a match won any day of the week.

The new stand on the north was opened, anthems  were sung and Aaron Mauger kicked off. The Springboks got an early lead. First Pienaar kicked a penalty for a tackle infringement and then Earl Rose, who had a good match, had two good moments, first a high kick that bounced and then, when the Springboks won a turnover off Lucas Amorosino, Rose flicked  the most delicate of grubbers behind the defence for a try by Jongi Nokwe. 8-0.

A minute later, Nick Youngs, who had missed a penalty, goaled one when Jannie du Plessis was penalised at a tackle, the first of three penalties at tackles which he conceded. 8-3.

From a tackle/ruck Youngs gave a quick dummy and broke down the middle of the field. The Springboks survived by when Pienaar cleared meaninglessly the Tigers counterattacked. Sturdy Manu Tuilagi worked a switch on the left with Amorosino who cut inside , beat Ashley Johnson and scored under the posts. 10-8 after 22 minutes. The Tigers were on their way to victory.

Adams and Bandise Maku launched a counterattack and Pienaar had a clean break before passing to Dan Hemingway. But the Tigers went further ahead at the second scrum penalty against Steenkamp. 13-8 and then 16-87 when Du Plessis was again penalised at tackle. From the kickoff for that penalty Mauger obstructed and Pienaar made the half-time score 16-11.

When Heinke van der Merwe was penalised at a scrum, Youngs made it 19-11 after 45 minutes.

The Springboks kicked a penalty out five metres from the Tigers' line but flank Geoff Parling got up in front of Danie Rossouw and saved the situation.

When Van der Merwe was again penalised at a scrum, Youngs made it 22-11 but then Pienaar kicked a penalty with 15 minutes to go and a last one when Dan Cole was penalised at a scrum with three minutes to go.

Man of the Match: Nick Youngs, 20 years of age, was brilliant but our Man of the Match is the player who had most impact on the result - Martín Castrogiovanni with his pulverising scrummaging.

Moment of the Match: The first South African scrum which set the tone for all the scrums to come.

Villain of the Match: There were niggles but generally it was honourable. If there was a villain it was the South African pack at the scrums.


The Scorers:

For Leicester
Try: Amorosino
Con: Youngs
Pens: Youngs 5

For South Africa
Try: Nokwe
Pens: Pienaar 4

Teams:

Leicester Tigers: 15 Scott Hamilton, 14 Lucas Amorosino, 13 Andy Forsyth, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Johne Murphy, 10 Aaron Mauger (captain), 9 Ben Youngs, 8 Brett Deacon, 7 Ben Pienaar, 6 Dan Hemingway, 5  Geoff Parling, 4 Calum Green, 3 Martin Castrogiovanni, 2 Mefin Davies, 1 Boris Stankovich.
Replacements: 16 George Chuter, 17 Dan Cole, 18 Tom Armes, 19 Craig Hammond, 20 James Grindal, 21 Greig Tonks, 22 Lote Tuqiri.

South Africa: 15 Earl Rose, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Juan de Jongh, 12 Wynand Olivier, 11 Jongi Nokwe, 10 Ruan Pienaar, 9 Heini Adams, 8 Ashley Johnson, 7 Dewald Potgieter, 6 Davon Raubenheimer, 5 Andries Bekker, 4 Danie Rossouw, 3 Jannie du Plessis, 2 Chiliboy Ralepelle (captain), 1 Gürthro Steenkamp.
Replacements: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Heinke van der Merwe, 18 Alistair Hargreaves, 19 Jean Deysel, 20 François Hougaard, 21 Meyer Bosman, 22 Riaan Viljoen.

Referee: Stuart Dickinson (Australia)

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