Where it all went right for Tigers in first match of the season...
LEICESTER Tigers got their Gallagher Premiership campaign off to the best possible start on Saturday with a 38-15 win over Gloucester, write Bobby Bridge and Harry Morgan.
The odds were stacked against Steve Borthwick’s side after a dramatic few weeks which saw the departure of director of rugby Geordan Murphy as well as a two-week closure of the Oval Park training ground due to a Covid outbreak.
However, this had little effect on the Tigers as they raced into a 22-8 lead at half-time before wrapping up the try-scoring bonus point in the second half in a dominant performance.
It was the perfect start to the season for Leicester. Here are six things which we learned from Saturday’s win…
1. WIGGLESWORTH COULD BE THE DIFFERENCE
The signing of 37-year-old Richard Wigglesworth was perhaps unexpected given his age but, after just one game, it is already starting to make so much sense.
The experienced scrum-half scored one try and set up another in an influential performance on his club debut.
His game knowledge and control is arguably better than any scrumhalf in the country at the moment, which is perfect for the brand of rugby that Borthwick is trying to implement.
Suddenly, the kicks are starting to be contestable and the accuracy of them gives people a chance to chase them and apply pressure to the opposition.
Having a nine that assumes responsibility in this department takes a lot of pressure from Zack Henry and means the fly-half can focus on other parts of his game.
With Ben Youngs still to come back and the likes of Ben White and Jack Van Poortvliet coming through, it could be argued that Tigers have one of the best groups of scrumhalves in the league.
2. JACO TAUTE – A MAN REJUVENATED
There was much anticipation when
Jaco Taute signed for Tigers last season after three years at Munster.
However, the South African struggled to impress in his first year and went slightly under the radar in games last season, with his mid-season injury seeming to affect his form in the second half of the campaign.
Against Gloucester, he looked like a different player and was everywhere for Steve Borthwick’s side.
The centre was a significant presence in defence and was heavily involved in Kobus Van Wyk’s and Wigglesworth’s first half tries.
The telling moment though came with just 16 minutes remaining when, after winning a key turnover, he celebrated as if he’d just scored the winning try.
He looked like a man who was out to prove his doubters wrong. He’s a defensive leader for Tigers and will likely go from strength to strength with so many of his fellow countrymen now within the ranks.
3. DISCIPLINE HAS IMPROVED MASSIVELY
It is no secret that the number of penalties a team concedes has a huge bearing on the outcome of a match.
Last season Tigers were going through periods where they were constantly getting on the wrong side of the referee and allowing the opposition to keep them pinned back in their half. It allowed pressure and the scoreboard to build.
The difference in round one was clear with only five penalties conceded to Gloucester’s 17.
This allowed Tigers to play their territory-based game plan and Wigglesworth and Henry made sure the match was played in Gloucester’s half.
4. AN ABUNDANCE OF BACK ROW OPTIONS
Even last season Tigers had a great balance to their back row, largely because of the emergence of Tommy Reffell as a first-choice seven.
The Welshman had another great game with a key turnover five metres from his line when Tigers were 12-0 up
However, the real story was the debut performance of number eight Jasper Wiese, who was dominant in both attack and defence.
The South African was constantly getting over the gain line and also made a thundering tackle on former Tiger Ed Slater.
Cyle Brink also made his debut from the bench and made a strong impression in defence, making several big tackles as well as being a presence at the breakdown.
With so many options in the backrow, it seems the injury to Jordan Taufua will not leave as big of an impact as first thought.
5. TIGERS AVOIDED A SECOND HALF COLLAPSE
A major hindrance of Tigers’ showings last season was the awful second half performances where the opposition managed to dominate them on the scoreboard.
They conceded an average of 28 points per game last season and the second half collapses were a key contributing factor in this haunting figure.
When Gloucester scored early after the half-time interval, Tigers fans must have been getting a sense of deja vu.
But they managed to ride the wave and withstand the constant pressure from the Cherry and Whites and ended up extending their lead thanks to the boot of Henry and a late Charlie Clare try, which secured the bonus-point win.
6. CAPTAIN’S HUNGER FOR THE FIGHT
From our vantage point in the Holland and Barrett Stand we’re some distance away from the Tigers changing. rooms in the bowels of the Breedon Stand.
But in the empty Mattioli Woods Welford Road, there was the roar and clattering of studs stomping on the floor. You know captain Tom Youngs was at the heart of it.
It built to a crescendo before they came flying out to the pitch. Twentytwo minutes later, they were three tries to the good.
Given all they’ve had to contend with, Tigers just needed a game of rugby to let off some steam. And boy did they do that.
There is so much that is new about this Tigers team and set-up but Youngs, at 33, remains firmly within the camp and answered questions in the midweek media conference and after the match.
He put himself in the firing line. And he delivered on the pitch too, rumbling over for a trademark try.