Why shouldn’t we dream big at this moment in time?
MUCH-CHANGED SIDE SEES TIGERS THROUGH TO LAST EIGHT IN CHALLENGE CUP
IT would be an exaggeration to say there was a twinkle in Steve Borthwick’s eye as he assessed Leicester Tigers’ victory over Connacht.
But there was definitely positivity and pride shining through the head coach as his side secured a 48-32 victory to secure safe passage to the European Challenge Cup quarter-final, where Newcastle Falcons await them.
The head coach’s usual default into talk of “building blocks” and areas to improve were largely done away with. Why? Because the Mattioli Woods Welford Road last-16 encounter saw Borthwick execute a plan which both secured a result and had a nod to the future of the club.
It was a bold move to leave the likes of Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, George Ford, Hanro Liebenberg and Ellis Genge out of the squad for a knock-out game. Lose, and the squad selection would immediately be placed under scrutiny.
But they didn’t lose. A Connacht side brimming with experience conceded seven tries and while they managed to make a game of it and pulled close on a couple of occasions, there was a sense throughout that there would only be one winner.
Not so long ago, a heavilyrotated selection such as the one made to face the Irish province would have led to the rolling of eyes and fans fearing the worst. Memories of the culmination of last season still linger.
However, it’s a sign of the progress of this group that despite leaving out a number of key players, there was very little criticism of Borthwick’s choices and, ultimately, they proved to be the right calls.
In a short period of time, seeing Cameron Henderson selected in the second row feels normal and perfectly acceptable. Yet this was only his 11th Tigers appearance, only his second in Europe. George Martin may now be an England international, but he is also a teenager. Not that it showed as he made an eye-rubbing 24 tackles across the match - which was only his ninth in Tigers colours.
It wasn’t perfect. Kieran Marmion’s sixth-minute try exposed a hole in the Tigers defence but that was soon cancelled out when Charlie Clare rumbled over for the first of his two tries. Ferocious defence was yielding results as Matt Scott’s hunger at the breakdown allowed Guy Porter to runaway for a long-distance try - his first for the club.
Even when Clare saw yellow for a late shoulder block, Tigers would respond to win the 10-minute period by 12 points to nil as Matias Moroni and Zack Henry also registered their first Tigers tries - profiting from good work from Porter and Harry Potter respectively.
Then came a gutsy defensive set in the closing minutes of the first half which eventually saw Connacht give in and Jack Carty opted for three points to cut the deficit to 13.
Unguarded rucks were pounced upon after the break as Eoghan
Masterson and Alex Wootton landed similar tries to get Connacht within two points.
A Johnny McPhillips penalty and Clare’s second try, again from a rolling maul, kept Connacht at arm’s length but back they came as the impressive Paul Boyle once more caught Tigers sleeping at the breakdown.
But Tigers responded by tightening up their game as Harry Wells and Jasper Wiese scored late on to put the game beyond doubt.
By the time the final whistle sounded, Tigers had two 21-yearold debutants in the front row in the form of hooker Nic Dolly and Will Hurd. James Whitcombe, aged 20, completed the trio as he made Tigers appearance number five.
Rarely can a head coach set his sights on the future without suffering some shorter-term hardship. This was a match of meaning, a game Connacht came to win and threw everything at.
But those hard yards endured at the end of the 2019/20 season are now yielding their fruits. Tigers’ spirited displays in defeats to Bristol Bears and Exeter Chiefs with a similarly rotated squad were steps in the right direction.
Borthwick is trimming the fat from his squad and giving opportunities for hungry, motivated players to take their chance. No player can be sure of their place in any given matchday squad which is driving standards upwards, whether it is rookies like Martin or a veteran nearly double his age in Richard Wigglesworth.
Tigers enter the final months of the season competing on two fronts, with the possibility of three European games and plenty to play for domestically as just eight points separate them from the top four with seven rounds remaining. Why shouldn’t supporters be dreaming big at this moment in time?
Those tantalising scenarios alone are a measure of how far this group has come in a short period of time under Borthwick’s guidance.