Steward and Nadolo were shining lights in campaign of gloom for the Tigers
SECOND PART OF A FAN’S LOOK BACK AT THE SEASON
SO, the awards for the season! Sadly, no one is going to claim that this has been a good season for Leicester Tigers.
Given the Covid crisis it probably hasn’t been a good season for anyone outside the clubs with owners who are so obscenely rich that a completely destroyed revenue scheme is of no consequence.
On that basis the first award has to be given to the reporting team from the Daily Mail that discovered the truly rotten state of the club game and went at least some way to restoring a semblance of integrity to the Premiership.
On the domestic front, there has been plenty of opportunity for youth to progress in the Tigers ranks, and thankfully there are young players who have shown that they can play rugby at the highest level.
Jack van Poortvliet may have overtaken the developing Ben White in the pecking order at scrum-half, while George Martin, in only a game and a bit before injury, suggested the comparisons with Maro Itoje were not out of line.
But the award for most improved player goes to Freddie Steward, who came into the difficult fullback position and made it his own. There have been some excellent signings this year (and it may be that Jan McGinity in charge of recruitment deserves his own award for being Leicester’s best signing) but the best player by far has been the remarkable Nemani Nadolo.
With little service from inside, he has lit up the pitch and his defensive and turnover work has also been exemplary.
Tigers’ performances are such that there are plenty of candidates for the worst!
Surprisingly, a strong contender is the last game of the season where the full strength available Leicester team contrived to lose 32-26 to a weakened Harlequins side, but worryingly the winner is the previous game where the, admittedly second choice, Tigers were bullied by the mobile Bristol pack to lose 40-3 at Ashton Gate. Best performance is an easier choice, as a weakened Leicester went to Cardiff on a cold Friday night and grabbed a last minute 14-11 victory to set up an unlikely appearance in the knockout phase of the European Challenge Cup.
Hopefully, Tigers’ fans will have more to celebrate in the fast approaching next season!
Leicester City (4-3-3): Kirstie Levell; Sophie Barker, Sophie Howard, Ash Plumptre, Esmee De Graaf; Charlie Devlin, Remi Allen, Sam Tierney, Libby Smith, Paige Bailey-Gayle, Lachante Paul
Substitutes: Mille Farrow for Smith (63), Aimee Everett for Tierney (71), Tash Flint for Devlin (90+4) Annabel Blanchard for Paul (90+4)
Substitutes not used: Lia Cataldo, Demi Lambourne, Olivia Ferguson, Reusha Littlejohn
Goals: Bailey-Gayle 23, Paul 56 Bookings: Devlin 21, Blanchard 90+8
Liverpool (4-3-3): Rachael Laws, Rhiannon Roberts, Leighanne Robe, Niamh Fahey, Taylor Hinds; Kirsty Linnett, Jade Bailey, Rachel Furness; Jess Clarke, Amalie Thestrup, Melissa Lawley
Substitutes: Rinsola Babajide for Thestup (46), Meikayla Moore for Linnett (64), Becky Jane for Clarke (68), Lucy Parry for Hinds (88)
Substitutes not used: Rylee Foster, Missy Bo Kearns
Goals: Clarke 58
Bookings: Linnett 63, Fahey 90
Referee: Lucy-Ann Briggs