Away fans purring as Lions are hit for 50

The sometimes lugubrious head coach had only one question for the Bees supporters gathered in the bar - "What do you think about that then?"

It was clear from Wappett's grin that he was very pleased with his side's efforts and was not expecting anything except a very positive response from the 30 or so Bees supporters who had journeyed to the East Midlands.

"Running in eight tries away from home is a pretty exceptional feat in anyone's book, as is keeping a side to nil on their own patch." Wappett commented.

"I don't want to be churlish or even disrespectful to the Leicester Lions, but if we had put away every chance we created, I don't even want to guess what the score could have been".

Indeed the home side were only in the Bees 22 and in a position to score in the opening quarter of the game, but once their big pack tired they were very much on the back foot throughout.

They didn't help themselves by a poor kicking game, where they seemed only too willing to chip the ball straight at the livewire Bradford & Bingley back three of Benny Greaves, Joe Simpson and Mark Kirkby, and the trio all enjoyed long-range runs at the home defence to set up attacking positions throughout.

Their elusive running was also complimented by the rather more direct running style of centres Phil Greaves and Jonny Leota, who both battered their way through the opposition and always seemed to drive four or five metres past the gain line, usually carrying a Lions defender or two with them.

Seven of the Bees tries were improved by the ever-reliable Tom Rhodes.

Strangely for the visitors, not all of their scores were the result of elaborate handling moves; four came from good old-fashioned shunts over the line, with a collection of Bees shirts ending in a heap underneath a pile of Lions defenders.

The first score after three minutes was one such move, where Steve Burns followed up a catch and drive from a lineout to plough over under the posts.

Eight minutes later it was 12-0 as winger Kirkby was put away by Barry Jacobsz up the left touchline. As the Bees player hared towards the line, the final defenders seemed to back-pedal and he glided round them to score out wide.

Fly half Rhodes was unsuccessful with a difficult conversion, and the Lions held firm for the next 20 minutes.

But after Simpson had returned a poor clearance kick with a dazzling run, the ball was slipped to Leota, who simply stepped back inside the last two defenders to power under the posts.

A Rhodes penalty right on half-time meant the sides turned round at 22-0. Six minutes into the second half, following concerted pressure in the right-hand

corner, the Bees opted for a catch and drive from a line-out five metres out.

After setting themselves for the shunt towards the line, Ronnie Kelly emerged from the pile as the gleeful try-scorer.

Bradford & Bingley spent another ten minutes camped in the home 22 before they scored again. This time they opted for a tap penalty under the posts and Jacobsz was able to reach out for the try.

Right on the hour, Benny Greaves burst through from a midfield maul to drive the ball 30 metres into Leicester territory.

Just as he looked to be stretching clear of the final defender, Greaves was hauled down by a last-gasp tackle, but was able to pop the ball to Jacobsz, following up on his left, to jog the final few metres for his second of the day.

It was the elder Greaves brother Phil who was next to score - a try that was a fitting reward for all the hard yards he had made throughout the game and, taking route one yet again, he was able to bully his way over from five metres out.

Rhodes' conversion brought up 50 points for the third time in four weeks, but with fully ten minutes remaining at least one more score looked on the cards.

That duly arrived after 76 minutes as Leota burst through, supported by Ben Greaves. He was again held up short, but his slick pass to the supporting Kirkby rounded off the Bees try-scoring for the day.