The Prem

Leicester (12) 38

Tries: Kata, Hamer-Webb 3, Radwan, Thompson Cons: Searle 4

Saracens (21) 40

Tries: Gonzalez, Elliott, Daly, Earl, Segun 2 Cons: Burke 5

Saracens overcame a second-half red card for Nick Isiekwe to begin the Brendan Venter era with a seesaw 40-38 win at Leicester Tigers.

Two tries from wing Rotimi Segun with Sarries short-handed saw the visitors prevail in a breathless 12-try affair at Welford Road.

Gabriel Hamer-Webb scored a hat-trick for Leicester, but it was to no avail as Venter’s second stint in charge at Saracens got away to the perfect start.

Venter’s colourful first spell in charge brought a series of disciplinary run-ins, but set the foundations for the success that followed under Mark McCall.

The loss of Isiekwe in the 54th minute for a 20-minute high tackle on Freddie Steward looked like it could be crucial as the Tigers took the lead for the first time through Adam Radwan’s try.

Sarries were back up to 15 when Eoghan Clarke replaced Isiekwe after his 20-minute punishment was up, but by this time Segun had already restored their lead and they held on to win.

It was the fourth away win out of five on the opening weekend of The Prem season and the resilience Saracens showed in clinching it bodes well for the campaign ahead.

They have not made the play-offs for the past two seasons but they have made some smart signings over the summer, including Wales scrum-half Tomos Williams, who was man of the match.

Saracens got out of the blocks fast with two converted tries in the opening 10 minutes from Argentina flanker Juan Martin Gonzalez – making his 50th league appearance – and Tobias Elliott.

Leicester hit back with two of their own from the powerful Solomone Kata, who shrugged off Elliott’s attempted tackle, and Hamer-Webb after a lovely ball by Steward.

With Saracens employing a 6-2 bench split, the loss of centre Olly Hartley early on to an arm injury and the temporary removal of Tobias Elliott to an HIA, meant England flanker Ben Earl was sent on as a centre.

But it made little difference to Saracens’ fluid attack with Elliot Daly, back after a broken arm, crossing out on the left after some lovely interplay.

Leicester responded in the second half with two more tries from Hamer-Webb, both involving impressive new signing Aaron Wainwright in the build-up.

In between Earl, in a more familiar back row role after the withdrawal of Alfie Barbeary at half-time, thundered over for Saracens from Williams’ flat pass.

Leicester took the lead after a nice piece of vision from scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet with a deft chip through for Radwan to score. And as Billy Searle was lining up the conversion, referee Ian Tempest reached for a 20-minute red card after Isiekwe’s shot on Steward in the build-up.

But 14-man Saracens regained the lead with a try from wing Segun after a pinpoint cross-kick by Daly, and after Leicester replacement James Thompson had burrowed over to restore the Tigers lead, Segun struck again wide out on the left with seven minutes left.

Leicester Tigers head coach Geoff Parling told BBC Radio Leicester:

“I thought we did some good things, I thought we worked hard, but essentially we were too inaccurate and we failed to back up pressure moments when we had other opportunities.

“I think we turned over the ball 17 times to their 11 and in the end I think that told.

“The attack was good when we went hard and went through them first. We carried hard and cleaned out and did the basics well and that opened up gaps for Jack (van Poortvliet) and opened up gaps on the edges.

“But on the same side I thought in attack we gave the ball up too cheaply and too early and that actually hurt us.”

Saracens head coach Joe Shaw:

“The boys very calmly worked out what to do – Elliot Daly played four positions today and did very well in all of them.

“Then you get hit with the 20-minute red card at a place like this, where it’s been tit-for-tat.

“If you want to be in the top four, you’ve got to be able to keep your cool, work things out and I think in the last six or seven minutes – where we had 15 men and they had 14 men – were crucial.

“The adversity bit would be front and centre of what we’re pleased with.”

Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Kata, Woodward, Hamer-Webb; Searle, van Poortvliet (capt); Vunipola, Moli, Heyes, Carnduff, Henderson, Wainwright, Reffell, Cracknell.

Replacements: Thunder, Haffar, Hurd, Thompson, Moro, Whiteley, Bailey, Hassell-Collins.

Saracens: Daly; Elliott, Tompkins, Hartley, Segun; Burke, Williams; Mawi, Dan, Street, Itoje (capt), Tizard, Isiekwe, Gonzalez, Barbeary.

Replacements: Clarke, Brantingham, Clarey, Sodeke, Michelow, Earl, C Bracken, Malins.

Referee: Ian Tempest