Leicester Tigers: Winning is all that counts, says Richard Cockerill

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill's immediate reaction to Saturday's 28-12 victory over London Welsh at Welford Road was brief and to the point.

"It's about winning," said Cockerill in the aftermath of a success which took his side top of the Aviva Premiership.

"When you look at their results this season, London Welsh are a very difficult side to beat. They make you work hard. They were dogged and that is exactly what you expect from them.

"These are the weekends, when you have players missing, when you have to win. The sides around us have been getting beaten so we have to keep winning."

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Wings Adam Thompstone and Niall Morris both added to their try count this season with scores on Saturday, while fly-half Dan Bowden claimed his first in Tigers' colours.

"We have to be pleased," said Cockerill. "We would have liked to have scored more tries to get the five points. But, at the start of the day, if you had given me four points and no significant injuries I would have taken that.

"We did some good things. But we didn't have the ball enough in the second half to put them under pressure.

"We never got far enough ahead for them to give up the ghost."

Tigers fans would have been delighted to see Tom Croft starting in the back row once again and the England man put in a dynamic performance around the field.

"He is a quality player," said Cockerill. "We know his ability at the line-out and in the loose. He hasn't played much in the last eight months but he will get there."

Cockerill said he was still talking "all the time" to medical staff about Croft's progress as the 27-year-old continues his comeback from the neck injury which required surgery last April.

Croft figured for 74 minutes against the Exiles before Brett Deacon took his place and having a player of his calibre available for games against Harlequins, Saracens and Sale Sharks in the coming weeks would be a major plus for Tigers.

"There is every chance he will be available for this weekend," said Cockerill, "but we will take medical advice on that."