There may be a grassroots rebellion soon descending on Twickenham, torches and pitchforks in tow, but here was some festive fun before the bonfire begins. Ultimately, it ended honours even – thanks to Dan Cole’s last-gasp try and Handré Pollard’s conversion via a post – and with a slight sense of anticlimax for the sellout crowd. There can be no mistaking they got their money’s worth, however, a nail-biting encounter after a weekend of whitewashes.
This was the third time Leicester were the opponents for this annual festive fixture and remarkably, the two previous clashes, in 2008 and 2019, also ended in draws. All the more astonishing is that it was Cole who scored the try to force the draw. It was no less than Leicester deserved, with Michael Cheika unapologetic his side chose to kick the ball out in the dying seconds rather than push for victory.
