Martin Johnson and Neil Back, two great servants of England and Leicester, will appropriately end their club careers at Twickenham on 14 May after the Tigers finished the regular season on top of the league and clinched their place in the Premiership final with an outstanding victory.
In brilliant sunshine Leicester put the disappointment of last week's European Cup defeat by Toulouse behind them with a superb team performance that produced five tries to one and 20 points from the boot of Andy Goode.
The relegation battle may have been the focus of attention, but these two sides needed six minutes to show why they are the top two in the Premiership.
Josh Lewsey was denied a first-minute try by the fingertips of Henry Tuilagi, after a clearance kick from Geordan Murphy was charged down. Then Daryl Gibson and Murphy carved holes in the Wasps defence, before a frenetic start ended with a Goode penalty.
He and Mark Van Gisbergen exchanged further penalties before a bullocking run by Tuilagi set up the first try for Harry Ellis, with Goode converting.
Tuilagi was then denied a try of his own by a superb tackle by Tom Voyce, in which the Samoan was injured and had to be carried off on a stretcher.
The Tigers were rampant though and a flowing move saw Gibson score wide out on the left. Goode again added the extra points and stretched Leicester's half-time lead to 20 points with a dropped goal.
Second-half tries from Murphy, Back and Dan Hipkiss completed the rout and left Wasps, whose consolation try came from Voyce, facing a play-off with Sale on Saturday for the right to take on Leicester again at Twickenham.
LEICESTER Vesty; Murphy (Bemand 69), Smith (Gibson 69), Gibson (Hipkiss 63), Healey (A Tuilagi 60); Goode, Ellis; Morris (Holford 60), Chuter (Buckland 60), White, M Johnson (capt), Kay, H Tuilagi (W Johnson 30), Back, L Deacon (B Deacon 78).
Martin Johnson and Neil Back, two great servants of England and Leicester, will appropriately end their club careers at Twickenham on 14 May after the Tigers finished the regular season on top of the league and clinched their place in the Premiership final with an outstanding victory.
In brilliant sunshine Leicester put the disappointment of last week's European Cup defeat by Toulouse behind them with a superb team performance that produced five tries to one and 20 points from the boot of Andy Goode.
The relegation battle may have been the focus of attention, but these two sides needed six minutes to show why they are the top two in the Premiership.
Josh Lewsey was denied a first-minute try by the fingertips of Henry Tuilagi, after a clearance kick from Geordan Murphy was charged down. Then Daryl Gibson and Murphy carved holes in the Wasps defence, before a frenetic start ended with a Goode penalty.
He and Mark Van Gisbergen exchanged further penalties before a bullocking run by Tuilagi set up the first try for Harry Ellis, with Goode converting.
Tuilagi was then denied a try of his own by a superb tackle by Tom Voyce, in which the Samoan was injured and had to be carried off on a stretcher.
The Tigers were rampant though and a flowing move saw Gibson score wide out on the left. Goode again added the extra points and stretched Leicester's half-time lead to 20 points with a dropped goal.
Second-half tries from Murphy, Back and Dan Hipkiss completed the rout and left Wasps, whose consolation try came from Voyce, facing a play-off with Sale on Saturday for the right to take on Leicester again at Twickenham.
LEICESTER Vesty; Murphy (Bemand 69), Smith (Gibson 69), Gibson (Hipkiss 63), Healey (A Tuilagi 60); Goode, Ellis; Morris (Holford 60), Chuter (Buckland 60), White, M Johnson (capt), Kay, H Tuilagi (W Johnson 30), Back, L Deacon (B Deacon 78).
Tries: Ellis, Gibson, Murphy, Back, Hipkiss Cons: Goode 4 Pens: Goode 3 Drop: Goode
WASPS Van Gisbergen; Sackey, Erinle, Lewsey (Mbu 70), Voyce; King (Brooks 55), Dawson (Fury 70); Payne, Greening (Leota 58), Green (McKenzie 70), Shaw, Birkett (Purdy 55), Worsley (Hart), Rees, Dallaglio (capt).
Try: Voyce Con: Van Gisbergen Pen: Van Gisbergen
Referee: T Spreadbury.
Attendance: 16, 815
