Teamwork and graft the key as U18s look for third title in a row
FIVE WINS FROM SIX SETS UP PREMIERSHIP FINAL THIS WEEKEND
FIVE wins from six matches have seen Leicester Tigers academy players earn a third straight Premiership Under 18 final appearance.
Although they lost their final conference game, the academy’s first defeat in three seasons, it has been another year of progress.
The squad will look to round that off at Worcester on Sunday, when they face London Irish’s young crop, and where victory would make it three titles in a row for Tigers.
However, academy manager Dave Wilks has always stated that, as much as the coaches and players want to win games, the main target is to ensure that players develop – on and off the pitch.
Wilks believes achieved.
“We are really pleased with how they have come on,” he said. “We have put a lot into the programme and they have been great.
“The players have worked really hard, probably harder than previous years in terms of I don’t think there are any superstars in this team, or loads of stand-outs. It is a really hardworking team.”
That has seen them work out issues faced in group matches. that is being
“They have stuck together and found it difficult at times,” Wilks said.
“Although we have got the wins eventually, they haven’t been easy but we have found ways to win, which is massive.”
The academy boss believes that, in the long run, players benefit when the going is tough.
“We are always trying to challenge the boys, there is no point having it easy,” Wilks continued.
“We had a couple of tough games in the summer that we learned a lot from and that has been the pleasing thing, that they have found ways to dig out wins. We’ve not really pulled a full performance together or outclassed teams, we have just stuck at it in games and it has been different in every match, so the players have developed a lot.”
Part of that development has meant coping with defeat, with Tigers finally losing 34-20 at Wasps last Saturday.
“It is disappointing to lose any game,” Wilks said, “but I still think they gave a really good account of themselves.
“We knew we would be up against it, like we are in every game. I think we learned loads from the game and some of the younger players stepped up and will learn more from that game than if we had put all our strongest players out, when we might not have learned much at all.
“You learn from your losses but we will take it on the chin and will be better for it.”
■ Tigers prop forward Facundo Gigena has left the UK on a temporary basis, due to the conclusion of his working visa.
The Argentina international remains a member of the Tigers 2019/20 squad and is expected to rejoin his Leicester teammates after obtaining a new visa.
Harry Morgan.
The full-back missed six months of last season with a foot injury, and Veainu said that he struggled a lot to deal with the mental side.
“With my foot I had to learn how to walk again and the frustrating thing for me was not seeing the progress,” he said. “Looking back at it now every day I was getting better, I just didn’t see it straight away.
“I struggled mentally as well to see the boys go out there and I felt so helpless, but I managed to get out of it in the end and I’m just happy to be out there playing again.”
His bad luck continued when he suffered a broken nose against Gloucester on his return this season. It got worse towards the end of the week when he had to return to hospital with a broken blood vessel, which affected his vision.
“I was so depressed for those three or four days that I was in hospital, and I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone,” he said. “I broke my nose, it bled for a little bit and then during that whole week it was fine until Friday when it started bleeding and I couldn’t stop it.
“I tried everything and eventually went to hospital. They put a blocker in, and I thought it’s all done now but then I started losing my vision and the doctor said ‘it’s alright, you’re just bleeding through your eyes!’
“When it stopped I was praying I didn’t have to have an operation. Luckily, I came out alright.”
The Tongan has now fully recovered and is starting to regain some confidence.
“Last season was a bit horrendous but I’m starting to get my confidence now and I feel like I’m in a good space,” he said.