Brady revelling in Leicester’s ruthless culture and discipline
LEICESTER wing Tom Brady reckons he is being inspired rather than daunted by mixing it alongside rugby royalty such as Matt Toomua and JP Pietersen.
Brady, a summer signing from Sale, says joining Leicester has been a step up from anything he has experienced before and that notching his first Tigers try against Worcester last weekend fully justified his decision to move.
Mancunian Brady, 25, told The Rugby Paper: “I’ve not been daunted at all, to be honest. I joined Leicester because I knew there was going to be class throughout the squad and that I’d have to prove myself regardless of who was coming in.
“You’ve got far bigger depth here right the way through the team and on the wing alone we’ve got JP Pietersen, Adam Thompstone, Telusa Veainu and Peter Betham, so there are world-class players surrounding you day-in, day-out in training.
“It’s another level to what I experienced at Sale and now Matt Toomua’s come in, he’s a bloody good player as well. He’s a class athlete, really knowledgeable and is very switched on, so I’m really looking forward to playing alongside him.
“It’s exactly why I joined Leicester and it was pretty cool hearing the Tigers fans cheering when I got over the line last week. I had good moments at Sale, scoring important tries, but the crowd volume at Welford Road is completely different.”
Brady is relishing a ruthless winning culture, too – one that saw defence coach Scott Hansen dismissed after Tigers conceded 15 tries in five Premiership games.
He said: “I felt for Scott because he brought a lot of energy and enthusiasm, but it’s a results-driven business and if things aren’t going to plan, it’s accepted things will change here.
“When you play at Welford Road you’re expected to win and I remember it was an awful atmosphere in the changing room after we lost at home to Wasps.
“It’s something I’d never experienced before but that’s how hard it is at this club when you lose – it’s a pretty special place when it comes to that sort of thing.”
Brady explains: “The biggest difference from Sale is the professionalism and expectation to win every game you play – the attention to detail, taking notes in meetings, meetings starting bang on time and the discipline that surrounds that.
“You go into every game challenging to win fixtures, not just to compete and have a go, or get a bonus point, or be within seven points with 20 minutes to go. It’s all about winning at Leicester but that’s something I find to be very inspiring.”
Leicester host French champions Racing 92 at Welford Road next week – another reason why Brady opted to head from Sale to the East Midlands.
He said: “I was loyal to Sale, but it wasn’t hard to leave and a lot of boys I grew up with – Rob Miller, James Gaskell, Tommy Taylor and Henry Thomas – have moved on.
“I’ve got a lot to thank Sale for, but to have the opportunity to be at the best club in Europe was something I just couldn’t turn down. To play against Racing 92 at Welford Road in front of 25,000 – that’s why people want to come
here.”