Jasper Wiese scored the game’s only try on a wet night at Mattioli Woods Welford Road as Leicester Tigers reached the quarter-finals of the Heineken Champions Cup with a 16-6 win over Edinburgh.
The South African replacement’s individual effort came at a time when the visitors had momentarily turned the game on its head through two penalties from Emiliano Boffelli.
The conditions led to the game becoming something of an arm wrestle, and not much of a spectacle, but that will not bother the Tigers as their sixth successive win in all competitions booked them a last-eight tie against either Leinster or Ulster next week.
Leicester began on the front foot and had the first points of the game after five minutes through a Handrè Pollard penalty, slotted without fuss from in front of the posts.
The hosts then pressed for the opening try, only for a series of pick-and-goes from their forwards close to the try line to come to an end when the ball was knocked forward. A creaking line-out also prevented the Tigers from capitalising on their early territorial dominance, with Edinburgh’s struggles under the high ball repeatedly gifting them possession.
The visitors were also conceding too many penalties, although Pollard was unable to extend Leicester’s lead off the back of their indiscipline as he sent a kick from around 40 metres wide.
Edinburgh grew into the contest the longer the first half wore on and Darcy Graham almost made the most of a rare Freddie Steward mistake under a high kick, but his hack on ran dead.
It was the final half-chance of a scrappy first half as Leicester retained their 3-0 lead going into the break, but this was quickly cancelled out as the visitors flew out of the traps in the second half.
Advantage was being played as Hamish Watson was held up in-goal, giving Boffelli the chance to level the game with the simplest of penalties. The Argentina full-back then put Edinburgh ahead after 50 minutes with another kick at goal after Pollard was penalised for offside.
Leicester, having been under the cosh, responded quickly as Wiese picked up the pieces from a messy line-out and bulldozed his way through down the right to touch down in the corner.
Pollard added the extras from out wide for a four-point lead that Boffelli could not narrow shortly after as another penalty from him bounced off the left-hand upright.
Edinburgh being penalised at a scrum in the shadow of their own posts then gave Pollard the straightforward task of extending the Tigers’ advantage on the hour mark.
The Springbok then effectively put the hosts out of reach with his third penalty with nine minutes left, as Richard Wigglesworth’s side came through this battle of attrition.
