However, while I can understand Tigers supporters being unhappy at being in eighth place in the Premiership, because it doesn’t look great, it’s about six times better than the disappointment suffered by Bath fans in recent years. What Leicester fans are going through is nothing by comparison!
Results in the league have not been great for Leicester either before or after Steve Borthwick’s shortlived stint as coach leading to them winning the Premiership title in 2022. That achievement raised expectations massively. However, what it did not take into account is the size of the upheaval that followed, with the entire coaching team of Borthwick, Richard Wigglesworth, Kevin Sinfield and Aled Walters transplanted to Twickenham after signing England contracts.
Add to that the departures of captain Ellis Genge to Bristol, fly-half linchpin George Ford to Sale, Premiership final drop-goal super-sub Freddie Burns heading for Japan, and Jack van Poortvliet suffering a long-term injury, and there was always a chance that the progress might grind to a halt.
Set against that, with international players like Springbok world champion fly-half Handre Pollard and No.8 Jasper Wiese, Argentina captain and hooker Julian Montoya, England’s George Martin, Ollie Chessum, Freddie Steward, and Van Poortvliet, as well as Wales flanker Tommy Reffell, there’s enough quality for Leicester fans to be thinking that they should be up there contending for the title again.
The only problem with that simple explanation is that it excludes the time it takes for players and coaches moving into a new environment to bed in. Added to that, the new man in charge, Australian coach Dan McKellar arrived from a completely different rugby union culture, and inherited a squad of the players he did not know a great deal about.
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Denne historien er fra May 12, 2024-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
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England show who's No.1
ENGLAND women’s head coach John Mitchell says his side will take valuable lessons from the 24-12 win over world champions New Zealand as they build towards their WXV1 title defence.
Skivington: We're going to roll dice and go for it
THE Cherry and Whites are the enigmas of the Premiership.
Looking to go one step beyond this time around
NE small step is what it will take for Bath to go one better than last season and secure the Premiership for the first time, but it would be one of the biggest taken by the club in the professional era.
Four-try England make it 17 wins on the spin
ENGLAND women opened the Allianz Stadium era at HQ with a victory over New Zealand to make it 17 wins on the bounce before their WXV title defence.
Time for Borthwick to prove his worth
HONEYMOON periods are not set in stone and in my estimation Steve Borthwick’s ends this summer. Don’t get me wrong, he’s still in good shape.
Barrington ready to power up the Mob
RICHARD Barrington has signed up to the Ampthill “Mob” reassured that he’ll still have a target on his back most weeks.
Skivington keen to build identity
GLOUCESTER won their first trophy for nine years last season and reached the Challenge Cup final, but when George Skivington went on holiday the day after the campaign ended the words in his head were never again.
Roebuck targets England success
WINNING a maiden England Test cap to top the best season of his career will not be enough for Sale winger Tom Roebuck.
Booth: Tough telling players I was leaving
TOBY Booth admits telling his Ospreys players that he would be leaving at the end of the season was one of the hardest things he has had to do in his career.
Stephens' debut try sees off old rivals
DORKING had to dig deep in another tight game between two old rivals, with the lead changing hands twice and result in doubt right up to the final whistle.
