Team: Leicester Tigers
Coach: Richard Cockerill
Home ground: Welford Road
Players In:
Horacio Agulla (winger, Brive), Peter Bucknall (prop, Leeds), Rob Hawkins (hooker, Bath), Lee Robinson (winger, Bristol), George Skivington (lock, Wasps), Thomas Waldrom (number eight, Crusaders)
Players Out:
Mefin Davies (hooker, Ospreys), Brett Deacon (back-row, Gloucester), Harry Ellis (scrum-half, retired), Robbie Harris (prop, released), Ben Kay (lock, retired), Aaron Mauger (centre, retired), Lewis Moody (flanker, Bath), Johne Murphy (wing, Munster), Greig Tonks (full-back, Northampton), Sam Vesty (utility back, Bath)
Strengths:
Every season, Leicester manage to couple European rugby with a strong domestic showing and plenty of opportunities for trophies as the season draws to a close. Squad management, long-term succession planning and an eye for a marquee player are traits handed down through generations of coaches and this season looks set to follow the same path.
Weaknesses:
That said, the Tigers’ aura of invincibility seems to be dissipating slightly, and home defeats to Saracens and Northampton towards the end of last season will give hope to the rest of the teams. And they’ve lost Lewis Moody who certainly won’t be easy to replace.
One to watch:
Thomas Waldrom is an incredible signing given that he shone for the Crusaders last season and has been unlucky not to be in the All Black reckoning recently. His style of play will suit the Premiership perfectly and he’ll slot perfectly into a back row of Tom Croft and one of Ben Woods or Craig Newby.
Last season:
1st
Prediction:
I think Bath and Saracens will kick on from last season and may well finish above the Tigers in the league, but when it comes down to the play-offs, Leicester will be involved and it will take an immense effort to stop them. 3rd
Thought it was interesting how Tigers beat Northampton 29-15 at home last season but apprently there has obviously been a change in the rules of rugby where you now win by securing the least number of points! Also the one game they lost all season they didnt’t play Toby Flood and they had nothing to play for whatsover so suggesting that is a sign of weakness is comical.
Apologies Mark, you are right. Just one home defeat to Sarries.
In terms of the ‘nothing to play for’, are you suggesting that a proud team like the Tigers didn’t care whether they won that game at Welford Road, just before the knockout stages?
Brett Deacon has signed for Gloucester; not Harlequins.
http://www.gloucesterrugby.co.uk/news/5778.php
Thanks! Amended. Got it right on the Gloucester profile…http://www.therugbyblog.co.uk/aviva-premiership-club-by-club-gloucester-rugby
The saracens game at welford road was a blip. The tries they scored were ‘give aways’ – more gifts than created by the saracens.
The performance at Twickenham was a different league. Credit to Saracens for a great match but they were just never going to win that.
As to Tigers finishing 3rd I very much doubt it. Ok a few key players have left but those coming up and into the squad will replace them very well. Can’t wait to see Manu playing first team as an example.
The youngsters are mainly products of the academy and already have the Leicester ethos embedded.
Well I was at the “Ventergate” match and whilst everyone bloody well did mind, it was with a weakened team and certainly not “full on” from us.
Was Greid Tonks actually at tigers last season? He only played a couple LV games, if that, and wasn’t part of the squad list last year, if you include him you might as well include every Nottingham player seeing as thier captained (Craig Hammond) played almost as many games for us last year!
There has been much made of the players who have left Tigers this season but of all those who left only Moody made any significant contribution last season. Sam Vesty and Brett Deacon were not selected based on form. Aaron Mauger, Harry Ellis and Ben Kay were largely injured so only Lewis Moody made a significant contribution – he was also the only one in the squad for the final. The only other ‘losses’ who played partial roles through last season were Johne Murphy and Mefin Davies and we will not be wanting in either of those departments.
So to replace Lewis’s contribution with the new recruits and add to that some new talent coming through – Callum Green, Billy Twelvetrees, Sam Harrison, George Ford, Will Hurrell etc I believe Tigers have a stronger squad than last season.
But with early injuries to Parling and Crane and lingering injuries to Deacon and Blaze the first part of the season will be critical.
Looking forward to seeing the Tigers in action, and particularly some of the younger guys. Whilst it’s true that players like Kay and Mauger weren’t so prominent on the field last season, having their experience around the club and in training shouldn’t be underestimated, and there’s a lot of experience that has gone out of the door.
Still, Tigers are one of the teams to beat as always.