Tigers title hunt looking good in Joe’s safe hands
LEICESTER TIGERS star Joe Heyes says swapping football for rugby was not only the best decision of his life but one of the hardest.
Had things worked out differently the 22-year-old could have been keeping goal for Nottingham Forest rather than propping for English rugby’s runaway leaders.
Joe started his sporting life as a goalkeeper for
Forest – following in the footsteps of dad Darren and grandad George, who both played professional football as keepers.
George, indeed, played for Leicester at a time when Gordon Banks and Peter Shilton were also on their books.
Joe duly took the same route into football but did not enjoy it, quitting Forest when he was 14 for the rugby club across the road.
His decision paid off handsomely as last summer he was capped twice by England.
Heyes said: “At the time football was an incredibly competitive environment and it was actually quite brutal at Forest, players coming in and out, and I just wasn’t enjoying the atmosphere.
“My dad and my grandad were probably a little disappointed
I’d given it up that quickly. But it’s possibly the best decision I’ve ever made. I’ve never looked back.”
Heyes today makes his 86th Tigers firstteam appearance off the bench at
Wasps, aiming to finish the job Dan
Cole has been picked to start. Looking back he is sure his time was not wasted as a goalkeeper as it sharpened his footwork and hand-eye co-ordination.
“It got me used to training in a real professional environment from the age of 11,” he said.
“And it has hugely helped my rugby in terms of catching, passing and general co-ordination.”
Victory for Leicester today would see them tie three significant records.
A 16th straight win would equal the club’s best ever start to a campaign, set 38 years ago.
A 10th consecutive away win would draw them level with the Tigers side of 1995.
And a 12th successive Premiership triumph would match the league’s best ever start – made by Newcastle in 1997-98.
In today’s other topflight match Bath, who have lost all 10 games so far, will have hooker Tom Doughty making his full Premiership debut as they bid to score their first win when they host Worcester Warriors.
Covid cases and injuries have meant Bath have not played since Boxing Day, and director of rugby Stuart Hooper said: “The way the players get their energy is to get out there and perform so it’s been tough not to play.’’
Rory Sutherland starts for Worcester at prop after recovering from a dead leg.