LEICESTER BEAT NORTHAMPTON AFTER HALF-TIME CONFRONTATION

Leicester beat Northampton 28-7 at Welford Road after players from both sides confronted one another at half-time. Henry Pollock and Ollie Chessum squared up as the teams headed towards the tunnel, with about 30 players involved. Chessum grabbed Pollock near the collar, and Freddie Steward also became involved. Pollock stopped to tie his laces on the stairs before an opposing player shoved him in the back. Northampton led 7-3 at the interval.

James Pater collected Fin Smith’s chip to score Northampton’s try, and Smith added the conversion. Steward kicked a long-range penalty for Leicester before the break. Leicester scored 25 points in the second half to overturn the deficit. Aaron Wainwright grounded the ball from a driving maul. The result put Leicester second in the Prem Rugby table and left Northampton fifth.

Pollock and Chessum are due to join England on international duty in a few weeks. Leicester prop Joe Heyes said the confrontation affected the mood in the changing room. “We had to calm ourselves down a bit, but it added a bit of fuel to the fire,” he said. Heyes said the fixture meant a lot locally and called it “the best derby in the country”. Pollock had recently appeared on a Tatler cover featuring 200 of Britain’s most eligible people.