World Cup year is no great excuse for a poor season

LET’S be frank, there is genuine concern that Leicester will go to the end of the Premiership season without another win.

And it’s quite possible that such a run in would leave Leicester outside the Champions Cup and dropping into the second tier European competition next season.

Currently Leicester are safe in the last qualifying position in the league – 12 points ahead of Gloucester - but bear in mind that the Kingsholm club could qualify as winners of the Challenge Cup and take that last English place in the main competition.

Bristol arrive at Welford Road today in good form – five wins from five – and have entered the play-off places.

They are fresh from an 85–14, 13-try demolition of Newcastle – yes, that’s the same Newcastle that took Leicester to the 18th minute of added time as Tigers desperately held on for a win at Kingston Park. That isn’t an encouraging form line.

Meanwhile, Leicester face the reality of what will be seen, rightly or wrongly, as a poor season.

The World Cup year really isn’t a great excuse, it was a World Cup year for all the clubs, and Saracens (who lost more players and who might also be having a poor season by their standards) are lying third.

More relevant is perhaps the coaching changes, but pretty much this same squad made the play-offs last year, and might well have made Twickenham with a fit Handre Pollard in the semi-final.

While some metrics are encouraging – lowest points and tries conceded, third best discipline (even after last week!) and decent positions in the set-piece battle – Leicester are where they are.

The return of George Martin is, of course, a huge positive, as is the fact that Tommy Reffell has completed his return to play protocols after his withdrawal last week.

Solomona Kata’s suspension is a bad thing overall, but the return of Dan Kelly to inside centre, which also brings the best 13 in the club, Matt Scott, back should be another good thing for the team as a whole.

Whether those changes will be enough to deal with an in-form Bristol is open to question.

A good performance would be great, a positive result remarkable, but any sort of improvement and a suggestion that there is a plan in place for a better season next time would be desirable.