Tag: Leicester

Richard Cockerill, the Director of Rugby of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the Leicester Tigers has ruled out the signing of any journeyman players ahead of the new season just to make up the numbers. The Tigers announced a deal to sign young fly half Owen Williams just a few weeks back from the Welsh side the Llaneli Scarlets. He mentioned that the reality is such that even the reserves in several key positions will have to play a lot of rugby, and as a result, not any and every player will do.

Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Cockerill stated that the team needs to cover all the bases. Even the second or third choice players in any position in the squad have to very good and they cannot just be a journeyman player brought in to just make up the numbers in the squad. The Leicester Tigers boss went on to state that they need players who can play at the very top level week in and week out, both in the Heineken Cup as well as the Aviva Premiership.

The club announced a couple of month back that Graham Ford, the club’s fly half would not be at the club in the new season and he has agreed a new deal with Bath Rugby and have already brought in the likes of Williams as well as Ryan Lamb, the number 10 from the Northampton Saints as his replacements for the new season at Welford Road.

Cockerill mentioned they wanted someone with the caliber of Ford, but only younger and Williams has all the attributes one requires to succeed at the very top level of rugby being a brilliant goal kicker and with the time he will have at the Leicester Tigers, he will develop really quickly.

Tom Youngs showered praise on an amazing Welford Road crowd in their Heineken Cup match against French power house club Toulouse over the weekend and stated that their roar was enough for the Leicester Tigers to push into the quarter finals of the prestigious tournament. The Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club overcame a strong opposition in the form of the French club in their last pool match of the biggest club competition for rugby clubs in Europe in a pulsating match in which, three penalties from Toby Flood saw them win 9-5 and creep into the quarter finals stages.

There was a packed crowd present in sub zero temperatures with incessant snowfall, one of the biggest recorded in the history of England and Youngs stated that the constant roar of the home crowd was inspiration enough for the players to give it their all in the match. Toulouse had around 100 fans making the trip across the English Channel which left Welford Road with more than 24,000 Leicester Tigers fans and the roar of the crowd after the match with The Tigers qualifying for the knockout stages was deafening to the ears.

The Tigers and England international hooker stated that he doesn’t think he has heard the crowd shout so loudly and added that the crowd had been absolutely fantastic. He also hailed a masterstroke from Richard Cockerill, the Director of Rugby of the club who called on the fans over the previous weekend to come out in numbers and support the team.

The win against the French champions means the Leicester Tigers will take on the big spending Toulon side in the quarter finals of the Heineken Cup away from home in what is set to be the tie of the knockout stages with a place in the last four at stake.