Henry Pollock was at the centre of an East Midlands derby flare-up that sparked a second-half Leicester onslaught as Northampton were overpowered at a sodden Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

The England back row, never knowingly far from controversy, escalated a brawl at the end of the first half that Leicester prop Joe Heyes revealed “added fuel to the fire” of a Tigers side who roared impressively when they returned after the break.

The incident fired up a sell-out crowd and Leicester brought what had up to that point been a drab game to life with a storming second-half performance.

Three tries in a pulverising 13-minute spell overturned a half-time deficit and put the hosts on course for a bonus-point win over their arch-rivals that took them to second place in the Prem table.

Pollock, withdrawn after 52 minutes, may wish to reflect on the wisdom of riling the Tigers in their own lair.

The flare-up involving Pollock fired up Leicester

Credit : Getty Images/David Rogers

“That was a proper Tigers second…