Those who follow rugby will be very aware of who Leicester are and just how big a club they have been over a large number of years. Unlike most clubs they have continuously maintained their standards remaining at the top of the table over 3 or 4 generations. But interestingly they aren’t the same team they were 5 to 10 years ago when they were a star studded squad, full to the brim of grafters. 15 great players who knew that if they did their job well then the team would win.
Interestingly the team is still full of grafters, from 1 to 15, every single player is prepared to roll up their sleeves to do the hard dirty work, yes they have 1 or 2 stars, but they are a long way short of the all-star team they once had. But herein lies their secret, as a team their philosophy has always been based on 15 individuals doing their tasks well and adding up the parts to make the team play well.
Anybody watching them play today wouldn’t be surprised that it looks oh so familiar to the way they were playing in the 90s. Their legend lies in what happens on the training pitch, and the stories of constant brawls between team mates pushing each other to maintain the hard-nosed edge that has defined them for so many years.
But when you start to look deeper into the squad and the starting 15, you start to look at whether they actually do have some of the best players in the league? Without considering injuries and just analysing what I believe is their strongest side here is a breakdown of each of those players and who may be a better solution:
1. Marcus Ayerza.
Marcus is a talented tighthead who dominates his opposite numbers in the scrum. His added value comes in his work rate around the pitch and he is regularly carrying the ball forward. But then there are other really good looseheads in the premiership at the moment, such as a fit Corbisero or even a rampaging Marler. It took him a long time to nail down a starting berth in the Argentinian side and that was more down to retirements. Take nothing away from him, it is a massive achievement to be a starting prop in that International side. Ayerza struggles against the more technical scrummagers, those who’s technique is able to get the better of those who rely more of their physical strength.
2. Tom Youngs.
Having become a winning Lion during the year, this Youngs brother is certainly in the ascendancy. His game is so complete in so many ways, that his achilles heal is so infuriating because if he could sort that bit out he really could be a serious contender for one of the greatest hooker of his generation. But he struggles under pressure with his throwing in and there have been times where it runs the risk of putting matches at risk. Until he resolves it he will find more often than not he will be starting behind Hartley.
3. Dan Cole.
Dan came through in to the International scene so early for a prop. His star has been on an upward trajectory ever since, and he really is one of the true stars of this team. Given that most props don’t come into their prime until the are in their late 20s, at 26 he still has massive capacity to still be better. He is one of the ones that I truly believe to be pretty much the best in the business in the northern hemisphere.
4. Louis Deacon.
I really don’t understand how he ended up with an England cap, if ever there was a person who had been so heavily underrated it is him, I am picking him ahead of Parling because of how I like the balance of my pack, but the fact that Parling doesn’t make my team demonstrates how bad I think he is. But then starting in the Leicester pack has always been a sure fire way of getting into the England pack. How Robson or any other second row in the premiership doesn’t have more caps than him is beyond me.
5. Graham Kitchener.
Kitchener is an interesting one. On one hand he really fits the mold of the hard working 2nd row doing the job he is in there for. But when you put him up against Launchbury or Lawes. He just doesn’t seem to have anything extra to give that would make him a more interesting proposition.
6. Tom Croft.
World Class. I wish and pray he overcomes his injuries because he is a real joy to watch and is probably a bit of anomaly given his size and shape but he is simply outstanding.
7. Julian Salvi.
Highly rated in certain circles as is a natural 7 but he isn’t in the same league as Richie Macaw or David Pocock. I am not a fan of his and his penalty count is far to high for my liking, and it is only a matter of time before the referees work out how he cheats. Looking at how well Tom Wood is performing at the moment again, Salvi wouldn’t be my first choice.
8. Thomas Waldron.
I am absolutely certain he only gets into the team because the alternative is Jordan Crane. He wasn’t good enough to make it as a an 8 In New Zealand and why he thought being overweight and having limited talent who fare him better in England is just senseless. With Morgan, Vunipola and the one I really want to see Sam Dickinson of Northampton, I can’t see Waldron ever getting into the team.
9. Ben Youngs.
On his day Ben is up there with the best in the world. But more recently his game has begun to look stifled in a way that some many other talented players at Leicester end up. My gut instinct tells me he would be better of served plying his trade in a less rigid system. The safety blanket that their structure provides I think is also the same thing holding him back. It may just be me but he is looking a little bit lethargic at International level?
10. Toby Flood.
He excels in a system which is created to make life easy. The forwards always deliver such a solid platform it rarely exposes his flaws of which there are many. His decision making is poor and for a player supposedly of international standard his passing has a lot to be desired. Add into the cauldron a proven ability to under perform in pressure games. I think he knows that he only held on to his England place at a time when there weren’t many other options and the then management were afraid to put an 18 year old in to that shirt. Management has changed and now you see Burns, O’Farrell, Ford and even Myler really stepping up to the plate. And if Cipriani can hold it together surely he has got to be given a chance sooner rather than later.
11. Adam Thompstone.
When he first appeared on the scene I thought he was really going to be someone to watch, his injury has really held him back but it is so nice to see him back playing and who knows given time he might be able to break into the England team. But Leicester aren’t known for developing wingers and I can’t help feel he would be better suited going somewhere a little more interesting like Gloucester. Either way getting ahead of Yarde and Wade is going to be very difficult when they a`re back fit.
12. Anthony Allen.
So much potential when he first appeared on the scene and is definitely the type of centre they like at Leicester. But he has never managed to make the next step successfully, but how he kept Billy Twelvetrees out is just staggering.
13. Manu Tuilagi.
A wrecking ball, but his basic skills so often let him down and I don’t know whether it is the skills or the mindset he has that prevents him from offloading the ball more regularly but he definitely doesn’t have that killer touch to put others away, and so much of his game is about him. He is almost the enigma with the team as a result. The current form of Burrell at Saints would make him my first choice. Size wise he is another wrecking ball but Burrell is proving that he has that touch to bring others into the game, just look at his offload for North’s try against Leinster in the 4th round of the Heineken Cup. And then there is the Henry Trinder debate.
14. Niki Goneva.
Again offers so much and in this case it comes down to choice, and for me, he has matches where he just doesn’t seem to feature, but in his defence those days seem to be less and less recently. Again you have the Wade, Yarde debate, but then you have Simpson-Daniel or Jonny May, Matt Cueto and so on.
15. Scott Hamilton.
Was there star man for so long but it appears that now that he doesn’t have any competition for the 15 shirt his standards this season have been below his normal par. Very physical but not necessarily as creative as Foden or as powerful as Brown.
Irrespective of your thoughts on playing staff, Leicester’s one abiding strength is the ability to continue to deliver the same standard week on week as a team, they aren’t breathtaking to watch and yet they are always there at the end of the season as the team to beat, and generally if any team does manage to do that, they are normally crowned champions as a result.
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