Tigers should feel so proud to have Genge as captain
BUT LET’S ACKNOWLEDGE ROLE OF PREDECESSOR
LEICESTER Tigers have a new leadership team on the matchday and playing side.
Ellis Genge and Hanro Liebenberg have been appointed captain and vice-captain respectively to lead the next phase of Steve Borthwick’s rebuild of the Tigers reputation and, if social media is anything to go by, the appointments are absolutely spot on.
First of all, and perhaps most importantly, it would be wrong not to acknowledge the job done by outgoing club captain Tom Youngs, who has led the team through perhaps the most difficult period in the professional era, and perhaps in the club’s entire history.
A revolving door of coaching staff, a board that quick draw hired and fired with each change leading to different types of players being required and two seasons when relegation was not just flirted with, but almost courted!
Tom played his role with absolute dignity and held a sinking ship above the waterline by sheer force of will.
By all accounts the decision for him to stand down was, if not entirely then at least partly, his own.
It’s a decision that may well give him a few extra years at the top playing for his beloved club and every one associated with the organisation owes him a huge debt of gratitude.
Hanro Liebenberg is the ideal vice-captain. Unlikely to be away during internationals and a true leader and standard setter on and off the pitch, the fact that he’s tremendously popular (Supporters’ Player of the Year) doesn’t hurt either.
However, the most exciting decision is the appointment of Ellis Genge.
A man who has matured massively since joining Leicester from Bristol.
Any talk of him being “wound up” by the opposition has slowly ebbed away as his combative but good humoured control has come to the fore.
Try sledging and it’s been obvious that he has been happy to let his play do the talking (with a little extra chat after the event to do a bit of winding up of his own).
His auditions (for presumably that’s what they were) for captain last season were nigh on faultless, cajoling and encouraging his colleagues at the right time and, most importantly, handling the referee perfectly.
Given the premium on interpretations now, it really pays to have the referee on side, and it appears that Ellis has that happy knack.
He brings a diversity of background that is still rare in rugby union, and the Tigers should be very proud to have him in this leadership role.