Last season:
Leicester will feel there was much to be disappointed about last season. An early season thrashing at Bath with an injury ravaged squad triggered a poor run of form that was always going to be difficult to recover from entirely. Injury troubles continued to hamper the season, with Manu Tuilagi, Anthony Allen and Owen Williams to name but three missing a significant chunk of the season to various ailments.
The style of play adopted by the Tigers was heavily criticised, with backs coach Paul Burke paying the price for some rather one dimensional play when he was dismissed early on in the season. Too often Leicester struggled to find the try line, struggling with creativity behind the scrum. The European Champions Cup campaign also never recovered from a disappointing early defeat at the Scarlets, despite a morale-boosting win at home to Toulon.
And yet despite all their difficulties and the shortcomings in the style of play, Leicester finished third in the Premiership. Whilst there were disappointing defeats on the road to the likes of Bath, Gloucester, Northampton and Saracens, picking up wins away from home against Exeter, Sale, London Irish and Wasps that could have gone either way was key to earning their play-off berth.
Alas, a second heavy defeat of the season at the Rec in the semi final saw out the season for Richard Cockerill’s men, who will know that they should have done much better last season.
2015/16 Season Preview: Leicester Tigers
Players In:
Opeti Fonua (Back Row, London Welsh)
Mike Williams (Back Row/Lock, Worcester Warriors)
Brendan O’Connor (Back Row, Hawke’s Bay/Blues)
Peter Betham (Utility Back, NSW Waratahs)
Mike Fitzgerald (Lock, Manawatu/Chiefs)
Lachlan McCaffrey (Back Row, London Welsh)
Jono Kitto (Scrum half, Bay of Plenty/Chiefs)
Greg Bateman (Hooker, Exeter Chiefs)
Dom Barrow (Lock, Newcastle Falcons)
Tigers fans who have been watching early morning rugby from New Zealand will be very excited about the arrival of back rower O’Connor, who was voted Blues’ most valuable player at the end of the Super Rugby campaign and has been delivering some commanding performances in the ITM Cup too. His arrival forms part of a back row that will not be lacking for depth and quality with further new arrivals Fonua, Williams and McCaffrey competing alongside the likes of Jordan Crane and Tom Croft for starting positions.
Elsewhere, Betham has shone in pre-season fixtures already, adding pace, power and finishing that the backline looked to be lacking last season. And with Tom Youngs and Leonardo Ghiraldini away with their countries for the World Cup and Six Nations, the arrival of Bateman could be a shrewd piece of business.
Players Out:
Jamie Gibson (Back Row, Northampton Saints)
Geoff Parling (Lock, Exeter Chiefs)
Neil Briggs (Hooker, Sale Sharks)
Pablo Matera (Back Row, Pampas XV)
Louis Deacon (Lock, Retired)
Blaine Scully (Wing, Cardiff Blues)
Tom Price (Lock, Scarlets)
Brad Thorn (Lock, Retired)
Javiah Pohe (Centre, Carcassone)
Scott Hamilton (Wing/Full back, Coventry)
Robert Barbieri (Back Row, Benetton Treviso)
Greg Peterson (Lock, Glasgow Warriors)
Julian Salvi (Back Row, Exeter Chiefs)
Tom Bristow (Prop, Wasps)
Jack Whetton (Lock, US Nevers)
David Mele (Scrum half, Toulouse)
Rhys Williams (Winger, Moseley)
Anthony Allen (Centre, Retired)
Terence Hepetema (Centre, Bay of Plenty)
A large number of departures from Welford Road has led to some concerns from their following. The biggest loss is that of Salvi, perhaps the Premiership’s best out and out openside flanker, with Parling and Gibson also big losses too Premiership rivals.
Allen’s untimely retirement through injury leaves a big hole at inside centre, whilst the more expected retirement of veteran All Black Thorn deprives the side of some invaluable experience.
Key Man:
Upon his return from the Rugby Championship, the impact of Argentine prop forward Marcos Ayerza was immediate and obvious. He shored up a struggling pack and stood up as a vital leader. Having recently enjoyed his testimonial at the club, Ayerza’s importance is only set to increase. He is arguably one of the best loosehead props in world rugby and very rarely comes off second best at scrum time. His work in the loose is not to be under-estimated either. Whilst his participation in the Rugby World Cup will delay his arrival again, Cockerill will have Ayerza at his disposal for much more of the season than usual with the lack of Autumn International games and the later start to the Premiership.
Whilst not an obvious choice as key man given his less that glamorous position, he is more greatly missed than any other player when he doesn’t play and he will once again be vital to his side’s hopes of success.
Hopes and Fears:
There is much change at Welford Road this season. All Blacks legend and former Tigers centre Aaron Mauger has been appointed as head coach, with a view to a complete overhaul of the style of play that was much criticised as being one dimensional and ineffective last time out. There are signs from pre-season that Mauger has already invoked a much more exciting mindset amongst his backs.
The Tigers cannot afford to write this year off as a transitional season, yet this is a distinct possibility, with the departure of several first team players. Recruitment has been good, with replacements for those leaving seemingly of a high standard. Unfortunately though, Leicester still seem short of a top quality number twelve despite an apparent willingness to spend money on that position. Director of Rugby Cockerill has been quoted in the local press as saying that the club is in negotiations with at least one back currently at the Rugby World Cup, which surely everyone attached to the club will hope bears fruit. Otherwise, with Manu Tuilagi still expected to be absent until around Christmas time, Leicester look a little light in midfield.
A good start to the season will blow away some lingering fears from supporters, but the Rugby World Cup has shorn the side of their first six available front row forwards. This would complicate matters for any side.
What should excite Tigers fans is that there was clear capacity to improve on last season’s subpar efforts. Changes have been made to make those gains, and any improvement will come having finished third last season. They cannot be written off.
LWOS Prediction:
The Tigers have never been closer to breaking their run of play off appearances than they were last season, and with the ever increasing quality around them along with the need to bed in a number of new players, Leicester will face a battle to cling on to the top four. But as ever, they will be there or thereabouts.
“Main Photo”
