There is a sense of deja vu about Leicester's start to the new campaign and if that persists it will be depressing news for Premiership rivals and those neutrals who want to see someone not wearing a Tigers shirt hoisting the important silverware this season.
Last season the Tigers' opening match saw a reverse against Newcastle. This time it was Leeds who inflicted first-day ignominy and prompted the questions of whether Leicester's hegemony might be on the wane. Don't bank on it. The air-punching delight apparently shown by the England manager - and former Tiger - Clive Woodward after that first-day defeat is likely to prove seriously premature as far as any change in rugby's pecking order is concerned.
Woodward's supposed gesture, highlighted by the Leicester manager Dean Richards in Saturday's match programme as particularly annoying, would have been one of many motivational aids in a week of preparation that he described as "reasonably intense".
Richards added: "Everybody who played against Leeds would have been disappointed with their own performance and would realise nobody's place is secure. The boys came out and produced a reasonable performance but there is still room for improvement."
Four tries and five league points was not a bad day at the office for a side that, though not firing on all cylinders, did enough to ensure a comfortable victory against a Harlequins side who again look set to be dogging it out at the wrong end of the table this campaign.
Last season Leicester topped the table and retained their European title and many of the key components of that achievement are functioning. The defence was solid, the pack menacing with the Lions Martin Johnson and Neil Back to the fore and Austin Healey is settling nicely into the fly-half role.
The opening try was textbook Leicester with Johnson catching at the lineout, the forwards driving and Back claiming the score. With a conversion and two penalties Tim Stimpson, who finished the game just one short of 1,000 Premiership points,ensured a 13-6 half-time lead.
On the hour the contest was effectively ended when Healey dummied and beat players to establish a platform from which the ball was worked wide to Steve Booth. A five-metre scrum saw the home pack shunt their opposite numbers over the line for the replacement scrum-half Jamie Hamilton to score the simplest of tries. The bonus point was ensured deep into extra-time when Stimpson scored close to the corner.
Leicester: Stimpson; Booth, Smith, Naufahu, Tuilagi; Healey, Ellis (Hamilton, h-t); Rowntree (Freshwater, 49), West (Chuter, h-t), Tournaire, M Johnson (capt), Kay, Corry (Short, 75), Back, W Johnson (Kronfeld, 34).
Tries: Back, Booth, Hamilton, Stimpson. Cons: Stimpson 2. Pens: Stimpson 2.
Harlequins: Williams; Moore, Greenwood, Bell (Satala, 43), Gollings; Slemen, Powell (Bemand, 38); Leonard (capt), Tiatia (Caputo, 71), Gomez, Rudzki, Davison, Sheriff, Sanderson, Diprose (Evans, 71).
Pens: Slemen 2.
Referee: Nigel Williams (Wales).
