Tigers will claw back into title race - Holmes
FORGET the fear of relegation, Jonah Holmes predicts Leicester Tigers can still make a charge for the title.
The newly-capped Wales wing is hoping to continue his try-scoring exploits at Bath today and help Geordan Murphy’s permanent role as head coach gain more momentum.
Holmes raced over for a brace of tries in the win over Harlequins last week which ended a miserable eight-game losing streak.
Now, the Stockport-born back, who made his Wales debut against Tonga in November, insists it is time to push on and claw their way into the Premiership title race.
Holmes told TRP: “I think we can do it. It’s going to be difficult because of the number of other clubs who also believe they can get into the play-offs and competition is fierce, but it is certainly our target.
“We had to remain positive and believe that eventually it would be ok. If you get too down on things or worry then it could become a downward spiral.
“The table before the game with Quins was not nice to see. We were three points from the bottom and needed to start dragging ourselves in the right direction.
“We spoke in the dressing room after the game that this result will mean nothing unless we back it up with some more good performances – and wins. We need to step up again on what we did in that game, but we will go to Bath with confidence and believing we can get the job done there.
“When you look at the squad we have there’s no way we should have been struggling the way we have. It was just about stopping the rot, turning things round and then getting some consistency in performance and form on the field.”
Victory last weekend moved Tigers into the top six again, in shooting distance of the top four but also just a few points out of trouble.
Holmes adds: “The points difference between eight or nine of the clubs is so small that every match is so important. We’ve shown that just one win can move you from the depths to near the top. So two or three wins would make a massive change to how the season is looking.
“Any team in this league can beat the other on any given day. It’s the most competitive Premiership in terms of the number of clubs challenging for the top four in years.”
Holmes has every reason to stroll out at the Rec with a spring in his stride after his two fine supporting tries that put the smiles back on the Tigers’ fans eight days ago.
The 26-year-old, who qualified to play for the Red Dragons via his Welsh grandmother, said: “I love crossing that line and enjoyed the two against Quins. Fortunately, I've got some great people inside me to help me get those tries. Having Manu Tuilagi fit and having a good run in the side is a huge thing for us.
“If we can keep all the guys fit we can be up there challenging and it’s going to be an exciting second half of the season, starting at Bath. If we don’t turn up there we lose. They are a fine side and have hit some form in recent weeks so we know what kind of challenge we will face.”