Borthwick takes Tigers back to basics to become a top-flight force again
How a side built on power, fitness and control – plus the skills of George Ford – have returned Leicester to summit
The world’s best front-foot fly-half
Scott Baldwin, the 34-cap Wales hooker, spent last season spearheading Harlequins’ set-piece operation so that Marcus Smith could weave his magic.
Last Saturday afternoon, after his Worcester side were demolished 48-3, he had high praise for another fly-half. “George Ford is one of the best in the world at playing on top of you,” said Baldwin after Leicester Tigers had laid siege to Sixways.
Ford had been imperious. A deft, try-scoring pass to Matias Moroni was one highlight. After a summer off to rest a nagging Achilles injury, the 28-year-old had the entire preseason to co-ordinate Leicester’s patterns with attack coaches Matt Smith and Richard Wigglesworth.
His latest England exclusion means Tigers will be able to field Ford at Northampton next Saturday and at home to Bath on Nov 5. Should he miss out on the Six Nations, too, Ford will have seven further Premiership games to influence. It is a season-shaping prospect.
Power game as a platform
After five rounds of Premiership fixtures, only Wasps boast a greater percentage of carries over the gain line than Leicester. Tigers are loaded with brawny runners, but use them cleverly. Ellis Genge is often launched in midfield from shortened line-outs. When more forwards are tied up in the set-piece, Nemani Nadolo comes in off his wing and becomes a hole-punching centre. Marco van Staden and Jasper Wiese bullied Worcester. Julian Montoya is a handful. George Martin has made vast improvements in this area as well.
Test-match tactics
Jonathan Thomas, the Worcester head coach, admitted that his team were “steamrollered”. He saluted a “complete performance” from Tigers and likened their constricting approach to a Test-match template. It makes sense. Steve Borthwick, the head coach, comes up against an old Saracens ally, Alex Sanderson, today. “The ability to squeeze teams and play in the right areas is the one factor that dictates the win-loss ratio of Test-match rugby,” said Sanderson ahead of Sale’s visit.
Fit enough to fulfil a game plan
During Leicester’s slump between 2018 and 2020, Tigers often ran out of puff. More cohesive opponents would pick them off.
Aled Walters arrived from his time as South Africa’s head conditioner with a big reputation and a World Cup winner’s medal. He is delivering on the optimism surrounding his appointment.
Dan Cole is one of three men to have started all five of Leicester’s victories. Let him explain the benefits of more sophisticated training methods, necessary with a streamlined squad: “Once upon a time,
Lifted: Leicester Tigers’ Harry Wells wins a line-out in the 13-12 victory over Saracens
we’d play on a Saturday, then bash each other in units on a Tuesday morning and a Tuesday afternoon, and then do the same thing on Thursday afternoon. We were a very physical team because we had great depth and great players,” he said.
“Now, we don’t have that depth and sports science has evolved. You can’t be playing three games a week, as we used to joke. You’ve got to look after your body, and the teams that do that best are the teams who keep their best players on the field.”
The f-word
Spend two minutes listening to anyone from Leicester speak this season and you will hear the f-word, “fight”. This is evidently the message they want to convey.
Determination is an intangible quality, but statistics back up Borthwick’s assertion that Tigers have rediscovered their steeliness. No club have allowed opponents fewer points per visit to their own 22.
Leicester’s tackle completion rate (85.1 per cent) is the best in the Premiership and their average number of what Opta categorises as “dominant tackles” also leads the league.
In Tommy Reffell, Van Staden, Hanro Liebenberg, Montoya, Nadolo, Nephi Leatigaga and Harry Wells, Tigers boast a phalanx of effective jackallers.
Borthwick takes control
The clarity instilled by Borthwick extends to recruitment. Nic Dolly, whose meteoric rise has extended to an England call-up, and Ollie Chessum have been canny pick-ups from the Championship. The capture of Wiese would have looked even better had he not attracted the attention of the South Africa selectors. He and Van Staden, as well as Pumas Montoya and Moroni, will be around during the Six Nations, though.
In-game poise and proactivity are traits that mark out the very best coaches. Borthwick timed his replacements in the 13-12 win against Saracens perfectly. Another, more senior job with England may well materialise one day.