Denton ditches Warriors after one season

LEICESTER Tigers have signed 36-cap Scotland back rower David Denton for next season.

Denton, 28, will join from Worcester, for whom he has made 14 appearances so far during what will be a single season at Sixways.

“He is a top-quality player with a lot of experience at the highest level,” Tigers head coach Matt O’Connor said.

“He has a useful skill set in possession, he is a physical player, he is a good age profile for us and is just the kind of player we’ve been looking for to add to our options in the pack.”

Denton – who won his first Scotland cap for 18 months when he came off the bench in Sunday’s win over France – joins Warriors team-mate Will Spencer and Wasps forward Guy Thompson at Tigers next season.

Leicester have also appointed Mark Bakewell as new forwards coach.

Bakewell has joined the club from Bristol, with whom he has been since February 2016, and replaces Richard Blaze who resigned in September.

The New Zealander has had a 23-year coaching career including spells with Biarritz, Brive, Melbourne Rebels and Tonga, and was Bath’s forwards coach between 2006 and 2009.

“We’re incredibly pleased that a highly experienced, successful guy has decided to join the environment,” O’Connor said.

“He’s incredibly detailed, got a wealth of knowledge across several competitions and I think he’ll add a very methodical, detailed and aggressive approach to what we’re trying to do up front.”

His arrival sees a reshuffle in O’Connor’s backroom staff, with development coach Brett Deacon, who had been in temporary charge of the forwards, now tasked with assisting Bakewell.

O’Connor added: “Mark has coached in Australia, France, and England with Bath and Bristol. He is exactly the kind of experienced voice we’ve been looking for and I’ve been impressed by his approach to the game. We look forward to welcoming his input as part of the coaching team here.”