Lessons to be learnt, but plenty of positives
IT’S a testament to the progress Leicester have made this season that there was a degree of surprise the team were comprehensively put to the sword by a more experienced London Irish side in Brentford on Tuesday night.
In the context of the result alone there isn’t a good way to spin what was a true pounding for the Tigers, with the match being effectively over half an hour into the contest. Given the discrepancy between the teams, particularly the forwards (and remember the cliché, forwards win matches), it is hardly a shock that shorn of go-forward ball and unable to prevent London Irish recycling rapidly, Leicester as a unit were largely unable to trouble the hosts.
Fans wil be disappointed after such riches all season, but will reflect that this result was always on the cards.
It was heartening to see that even with the game lost and staring down the barrel of an even bigger defeat (at one point 80 points would not have been a surprise), the team continued to defend and to attempt to do the right things. Two spectacular tries, both collectors’ items, were scored. The first with Sam Edwards – another accomplished night for the latest graduate of the Leicester scrum-half factory – touching down after a scintillating break from Bryce Hegarty, the second a remarkable individual effort by Hosea Saumaki, beating four defenders with pace and power and displaying all the skills of a gymnast to avoid going into touch.
Tomiwa Agbongbon, on early for the luckless and hugely promising Emeka Ilione, demonstrated a lineout ability that, along with his undoubted athleticism and developing skills, could quite possibly move him up the pecking order in the forwards.
What will provide some comfort is that Leicester were beaten away week after week in a pretty similar fashion when Steve Borthwick first took over, and from the ashes of those defeats came the current strong squad that is still in two major competitions.
Throughout this Premiership Cup campaign, the selection has been about development and the fact that this penultimate hurdle was too much for the players shouldn’t detract from the positives of unlikely victories that got them to this stage against, on paper, stronger opposition.
The season won’t be defined by the Premiership Cup, but lessons learnt might just better prepare the squad for the future.
Meanwhile, Tom Youngs has announced his retirement from rugby. While not unexpected, the news brings to an official end the marvellous career of one of the finest men to have played for Leicester Tigers.
His leadership during truly difficult times has been exemplary and everyone will hope he can have a long period with his beloved family. Thank you, Tom.