Player ratings from Leicester Tigers' emphatic 28-7 victory over Northampton Saints in the East Midlands derby at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
Leicester Tigers claimed East Midlands bragging rights with a stunning second-half demolition of Northampton Saints.
James Pater opened the scoring after Billy Searle failed to gather Fin Smith's clever kick.
Freddie Steward landed a long-range penalty, but Saints led 7-3 at half-time.
Then came the fireworks.
Henry Pollock and Ollie Chessum were among those involved in a huge brawl as both teams headed down the tunnel.
Whatever Geoff Parling said at half-time clearly worked.
Jamie Blamire, Cameron Henderson and Emeka Carnduff all crossed before Steward grabbed the bonus-point try.
Northampton had no answer as Leicester ran out 28-7 winners.
Leicester Tigers player ratings
15. Freddie Steward – 8/10
Landed a monster penalty from 50 metres before dancing past Fin Smith for Leicester's fourth try. One poor first-half spill, but more than made up for it. A classy finish from the England full-back.
14. Adam Radwan – 5.5/10
Had little room to show his pace. Bundled into touch before half-time, sparking a huge confrontation. Briefly shown yellow before the TMO reversed the decision.
13. Will Wand – 6/10
A hard-working display in difficult conditions. Few chances to make his mark in attack, but did produce a dominant tackle as Leicester took control.
12. Solomone Kata – 7/10
One of Leicester's better ball carriers. His powerful running helped create Henderson's try. Also chipped in with a dominant tackle. A proper handful when he got moving.
11. Gabriel Hamer-Webb – 7.5/10
Chased kicks with real intent and helped create Henderson's score. Also produced a thunderous tackle on Tommy Freeman. Lost possession three times, but his positive contributions outweighed the mistakes.
10. Billy Searle – 5.5/10
A difficult afternoon from the tee, although he eventually found his range. His early mistake gifted Saints their opening try. Improved after the break but will want to forget that first-half howler.
9. Jack van Poortvliet – 6.5/10
Kept things moving and played a key role in Leicester's improved second-half attack. Sharp service helped the Tigers find another gear, although three turnovers lost took the shine off his display.
1. Archie van der Flier – 8/10
What a shift. Made 22 tackles and won two turnovers, both game-high figures. A relentless defensive display from the Leicester prop. His early scrum struggles were soon forgotten.
2. Jamie Blamire – 7/10
A nightmare first half at the lineout, but made amends with a driving-maul try. Added 10 carries and a turnover won as Leicester's set-piece improved hugely after the break.
3. Joe Heyes – 8.5/10 – PLAYER OF THE MATCH
An absolute monster after half-time. Helped demolish Northampton's scrum and produced a lovely pass for Carnduff's try. Led the celebrations as Leicester's forwards bullied their rivals. Outstanding.
4. Cameron Henderson – 8/10
Finished a superb team try and made 15 tackles. Also broke the line once and gave Leicester a strong presence at the lineout. Excellent all-round display.
5. Ollie Chessum – 7/10
A mixed bag with the ball, losing three turnovers. But his defensive work was superb, including two dominant tackles. Also had a few choice words for Henry Pollock.
6. Sam Wainwright – 7/10
Worked hard in the tight exchanges and showed some lovely footwork out wide. Also got involved when tempers boiled over. A solid afternoon.
7. Emeka Carnduff – 7.5/10
Made some strong carries and finished Leicester's third try. A fine reward for his work. Looks increasingly comfortable at this level.
8. Olly Cracknell – 7.5/10
An absolute workhorse. Completed 22 tackles as Leicester's defence shut Saints down. Did the dirty work while others grabbed the headlines.
Leicester Tigers replacements – 7/10
Leicester's bench helped maintain their grip on the contest. The Tigers kept their intensity high and continued to dominate the physical battle. A solid collective contribution as the hosts closed out an impressive derby win.
Northampton Saints player ratings
15. James Pater – 7.5/10
Scored Northampton's only try and made a game-high two line breaks. One of the few Saints players who looked capable of causing Leicester problems.
14. Tommy Freeman – 6/10
Northampton's busiest ball carrier with 12 carries. Kept trying to make things happen, but Leicester's defence gave him little room. Not his best afternoon, but far from their worst.
13. Rory Hutchinson – 6/10
A lively contest with Hamer-Webb and showed flashes of attacking threat. Produced a fine defensive effort to deny Blamire late on.
12. Fraser Dingwall – 5/10
Led a strong defensive effort early on, but Northampton completely lost their grip after the break. A frustrating afternoon for the Saints captain.
11. George Hendy – 6.5/10
One of Northampton's brighter performers. Won two turnovers, helped force Radwan into touch and made a strong break after a clever Fin Smith kick.
10. Fin Smith – 5.5/10
His clever chip created Northampton's opening try. Produced some excellent kicks but struggled to turn pressure into points. Beaten far too easily by Steward for Leicester's fourth.
9. Alex Mitchell – 5.5/10
Sharp enough to take a quick free kick in the build-up to the opening try. Became increasingly frustrated as Leicester took control. Never found his usual rhythm.
1. Emmanuel Iyogun – 4.5/10
A difficult second half as Leicester began to dominate the scrum. Northampton's pack went backwards at an alarming rate. A tough afternoon at the office.
2. Curtis Langdon – 5/10
Part of a solid early defensive effort, but Northampton struggled to cope with Leicester's forward pressure. The set-piece became a major problem.
3. Cleopas Kundiona – 4/10 – BIGGEST FLOP
A day to forget. Penalised for a high tackle before Leicester's first try and struggled as the Tigers took control up front. The scrum became a nightmare.
4. Alex Coles – 5/10
Worked hard in defence, but Northampton's pack struggled to match Leicester after the break. Couldn't stop the Tigers building momentum.
5. Ed Prowse – 4.5/10
Conceded a penalty near Leicester's line and found himself on the back foot as the hosts took charge. A difficult afternoon against a fired-up pack.
6. Josh Kemeny – 7/10
A proper nuisance at the breakdown and lineout. Made life miserable for Leicester's forwards in the first half. One of the few Saints players who could hold his head high.
7. Tom Pearson – 5.5/10
Part of a strong defensive effort early on, but Northampton struggled to slow Leicester's momentum. Worked hard without making a major impact.
8. Henry Pollock – 5/10
Plenty of noise, not enough impact. Wound up Welford Road, sparked a half-time confrontation and showed flashes of his usual aggression. But Saints needed more from him. Hooked after 54 minutes as Leicester took control. A day to forget.
Northampton Saints replacements – 4/10
Callum Chick replaced Henry Pollock after 54 minutes as Saints searched for more muscle. It made little difference. Tom Lockett then picked up a yellow card for a high tackle on Gabriel Hamer-Webb. The visitors' bench couldn't stop Leicester's charge.
Player of the Match: Joe Heyes
Joe Heyes – Leicester Tigers – 8.5/10
What a performance from the England prop.
Leicester's scrum went from second best to completely dominant, with Heyes leading the charge.
He also produced a clever pass for Emeka Carnduff's try and seemed to enjoy every scrum penalty.
Northampton simply couldn't handle him after the break.
Archie van der Flier also deserves huge credit after making 22 tackles and winning two turnovers.
Biggest flop: Cleopas Kundiona
Cleopas Kundiona – Northampton Saints – 4/10
A miserable afternoon for the Saints prop.
His high tackle handed Leicester a chance to score, and things only got worse.
As Leicester's scrum took control, Northampton's forwards found themselves going backwards.
Not one he'll be rushing to watch again.
