Leicester Tigers dish out a harsh lesson to Aviva Premiership new boys London Welsh

Leicester Tigers gave Aviva Premiership new boys London Welsh a rude awakening to life in the top flight with a 25-point drubbing on their debut at the Kassam Stadium.

A brace from Thomas Waldrom in the opening 23 minutes got the visitors off to a dream start as they quickly opened up a 17-0 lead.

But Welsh came back in the final 10 minutes of the half and scores from Tom Arscott and Hudson Tonga'uhia cut the deficit to just seven points at the break.

Any doubts about favourites Leicester's dominance were soon dispelled, however, as Geoff Parling and Julian Salvi went over in the opening 10 minutes of the second period.

The Exiles were spritely in the backs and held their own in the scrum but Leicester's defence stifled their intentions for much of the game.

In attack, Leicester were not at their best, but were patient and clinical when it mattered most.

Both kickers had already missed a shot at goal when Toby Flood scored his side's first points of the season after eight minutes.

The home side were soon showcasing a series of intricate backs moves, but Tigers were damping them down before any danger emerged.

With ball in hand, Leicester began to take control in the contact area and scored their first try after some real pressure.

Tom Youngs broke the line on the end of a flat Flood pass and fed Geoff Parling. His quick hands found Anthony Allen and the England centre passed to Waldrom on the wing, who slid into the corner.

Flood made the conversion and Tigers led 10-0 after 13 minutes.

That became 17-0 soon after as a 30-metre maul made ground before another line-out maul drove over the line and Waldrom touched down.

With Tigers' physicality looking immense, it seemed like things could get nasty for the Premiership new boys.

But Arscott got them on the board on 28 minutes after they snapped up turnover ball on Leicester's 22.

The Exiles scored their second try on the stroke of half-time when Tonga'uhia broke clean through the middle of a ruck and dived over in the corner to make it 17-10.

Tigers were superb in the opening 10 minutes of the second half to quash any hopes Welsh may have had of getting back into the game.

Parling scored on the overlap in the opening 90 seconds and then Julian Salvi went over from close range after good work from Flood and Youngs.

Not only did those scores secure Tigers a try-bonus point, they also knocked the stuffing out of the Exiles, and they rarely threatened for the rest of the game.

Leicester's experience and fitness showed more as the game went on and it just became a matter of how many they would win by.

Their fifth try arrived when Scott Hamilton did brilliantly to offload to Vereniki Goneva under pressure, and the new signing from Fiji was given a free run in from 30 metres for his fifth try for the club in just four appearances.

Flood's conversion to make it 38-13 was his last act of the game as he was replaced by George Ford.

And a raft of Leicester subs saw the likes of Martin Castrogiovanni, Jordan Crane and Brett Deacon all get action as the game ran down to its conclusion.

Leicester will play better this season but this potential banana skin was clinically dealt with and director of rugby Richard Cockerill will be happy with his afternoon in Oxford.

London Welsh: Arscott, Mackenzie, Parker (Scott 79), Tonga'uiha, Ajuwa, Ross (Jewell 71), Holmes (Runciman 45), Montanella (Bateman 58), Briggs, Ion (Jolly 76), Mills, Kulemin (Bristow 58), Williamson (To'oala 45), Beach (Purdy 58), Brown.

Leicester: Murphy, Hamilton, Tuilagi, Allen, Goneva, Flood (Ford 67), Young (Harrison 23), Mulipola (Castrogiovanni 54), T. Youngs (Chuter 61), Cole (Stankovich 54), Andrew, Parling, Mafi (Deacon 67), Salvi, Waldrom (Crane 56).

Att: 6,850