Leicester fans give their verdict on new head coach Steve Borthwick after first game
New Leicester Tigers head coach Steve Borthwick took the embattled club into their first game of the Premiership restart, a daunting away trip against the league leaders Exeter Chiefs
Borthwick has taken over a Leicester squad that has seen 26 players depart, including the England pair of Jonny May and Manu Tuilagi, while a pay row attracted plenty of negative headlines.
The club has been on a downward spiral in recent years running through coaches Aaron Mauger, Matt O’Connor and Geordan Murphy over the last few seasons and narrowly escaped Premiership relegation last season. In a re-shuffle, Murphy has been elevated into the Director of Rugby role with Borthwick filling his old head coaching role.
The former England captain has been assisting Eddie Jones with the national side coaching during that time, seeing the side reach the World Cup final last year. On his arrival at Welford Road, the coach took his players to the stands of the famous ground to give an inspired speech about turning around the club’s fortunes by re-finding the ‘DNA’ of old.
Yesterday’s clash against Exeter was the first test of Borthwick’s side mettle and whether they would respond to Borthwick’s challenge, and many Leicester fans were happy with the toughness their side showed, claimng the ‘old gnarliness’ is back under Borthwick’s influence.
If this is Steve Borthwick’s Tigers I really like it! Ben Young’s making tackles and tapping. Turnovers left right and centre. And a drop goal no less!!! ???
— James King (@jkfig) August 15, 2020
Leicester seemed to have a bit of the old gnarliness back in them, no doubt Borthwick’s influence. Started physically and aggressively, but without ever firing too many shots. Discipline let them down and didn’t allow them to regain a foothold #EXEvLEI
— The Travelling Reserve (@TravelReserve) August 15, 2020
Plenty of positives for Leicester Tigers in that match. Steve Borthwick has changed that side and I thought they played well bar five minutes before and after half time. Don't think they rolled over. Exeter Chiefs picked up where they left off. Look good for the title. #EXEvLEI
— Ross Barnett (@rbarnett08) August 15, 2020
Exeter pick up where they left off with BP win. However, Leicester already look a tougher team to play against under Borthwick. Expect them to push for the top six. Chiefs still favourites for the title #EXEvLEI
— Matt Cassidy (@Cass_maitias) August 15, 2020
Can see what Borthwick is trying to do with Tigers. They were definitely more solid than they were pre lockdown and with all their new players it’ll take time to gel. Can’t afford to take 15 minutes off against Exeter though and they were punished. #EXEvLEI
— Rob Sutton (@RobSutton97) August 15, 2020
Can see the impact of Borthwick already. Tigers look much more organised and their line speed has been great so far.
Ford is playing well and slotted a nice drop goal. Never understand why teams don’t go for points more often. It’s all about building a lead! #EXEvLEI
— Mana Rugby (@mana_rugby) August 15, 2020
Wonder if the Borthwick effect is instantaneous? #EXEvLEI #RugbyRestart
— Rhys Knott (@buck_mitchell) August 15, 2020
@SammDoubleu @Tigersultras huge improvement from where we were, I super excited about the future, the inclusion of Steve Borthwick and the other new coaches is definitely pushing us in the right direction, the club is moving forward with a new DNA
— Tom (@BigLadTom) August 15, 2020
The response online was overwhelming positive by the club’s supporters, who have had little to cheer about with lifeless performances leading to more questions and off field turmoil embroiling the upper levels of management. The last time they had visited Sandy Park, Exeter had piled 52 points on them.
One fan claimed they will be pushing for ‘top six’ from their current position of 11th, only behind Saracens.
Borthwick was overall pleased with the effort of his players, calling their attitude ‘outstanding’ but stopped short of hyperbole by adding some realism by saying ‘the team isn’t in the position it is in for no reason’/
“We made mistakes and there are things to learn, but the effort and the attitude of the players was outstanding.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do because the team isn’t in the position it is in the league for no reason.”
Comments on RugbyPass
We’re building a bridge but can't agree where the river is.
2 Go to commentsfirst no arms shoulder or helmet tackle into his rib cage is going to be so very painful even to watch. go back to RU mate.
1 Go to commentsBulls by 5. Plus another 50.
3 Go to commentsJohan Goosen avatar. Cute. Surely someone at RP knows how to do a google image search?
3 Go to commentsCan’t these games play a little earlier? Asking for a friend.
3 Go to commentsIt’s impressive that we can see huge stadiums with attendance in the 40 000 to 50 000 region. It shows how popular this competition is becoming. What is even more impressive is the massive growth in broadcast viewership. The URC is one of the two best leagues in the World, the other being the Top14.
7 Go to commentsChristie is not Sottish, like the majority of the Scotland team.
2 Go to commentsHold the phone, decline over-rated. Is it a one game, dead cat bounce or the real thing? Has the Penney dropped? Stay tuned.
45 Go to commentsTotally deserved win for the Crusaders Far smarter than the Chiefs who seem to be avoiding the basics when it matters Hotham showed them what was missing and Hannah seems a real find - a tad light but that can be fixed over time
8 Go to commentsGreat insight into the performance culture with Sarries and I predict Christie will be a fixture in the Scotland team now for some time to come. However, he is slightly missing his own point around Scotland “being soft” when he cites physicality examples in defence of that slight. The issue is much closer to the example he referenced around feeling off before a game but being told “it doesn’t matter, you can still play well” by Farrell. Until Scotland can get their psyche in that square, they will carry on folding under extreme pressure…
2 Go to comments> We are having to adapt, evolve and innovate more than when we were in Super Rugby where there was only really one style that everybody had to play to gain the most success. Have = able to? Interesting what that one style might be? I thought SA sides still had bad tours now, or at least bad schedule, months away? Those extra few hours flights have to be a killer though, no surprise to see their sides doing so badly at the start of the season each year. I wouldn’t enjoy that unfairness as a supporter.
7 Go to commentsThe problem for NZ, and Aus, is they ripped up the SR model and lost a massive chunk of revenue that hasn’t been replaced. Don’t forget SA clubs went North because they were left with no choice, Argy unceremoniously binned and Japan cast adrift. Now SR wasn’t perfect, far from it, but they’ve jumped into something without an effective plan, so far, to replace what they’ve lost. The biggest revenue potential now lies in Japan but it won’t be easy or quick to unlock, they are incredibly insular in culture as a nation. In the meantime, there is a serious time bomb sitting under SH rugby and if it happens then the current financial challenges will look like a picnic. IF the Boks follow their provincial teams and head north then it’s revenue meltdown. Not guaranteed to happen but the status quo is a very odd hybrid, with the Boks pointing one way and the clubs pointing the other way. And for as long as that remains then the threat is real.
45 Go to commentsI think Etene has had some good tuition, likely while at the Warriors to be a professional that helped his rugby jump, but he was certainly thrown in the deep end way too early. Should have arguably 20 less SR caps, and therefor a way better record that he does at his age, but his development would have been fast tracked by the need to satiate his signing away from league. Again, credit to him and others that he has done it so well. Easy to fall over under that pressure in the big leagues like that but he kept at it when I myself wasn’t sure he was good enough.
1 Go to commentsAwesome story. I wonder what a bigger American (SA) scene might have mean for Brex.
1 Go to comments“Johnny McNicholl and the Crusaders” save a Penney. Who has been in camp this week and showed them how to play?
8 Go to commentsSo, reports of the Crusaders’ demise / terminal decline are perhaps just - slightly - premature/exaggerated…? 🤔 Will we see a deep-dive into that by the estimable Rugbypass scribes, and maybe one or two mea culpas? Thought not.
8 Go to comments1. The Chiefs are rudderless without DMac, which enhances his AB chances 2. Chiefs pack are powderpuffs. The hard men arent there anymore 3. They had their golden title chance last yr and wont threaten this yr. Gone in second round of playoffs.
8 Go to commentsHonestly, why did you have to publish such a foolish article the day they play us? 😂
45 Go to comments> They are not standalone entities. They are linked to an amateur association which holds the FFR licence that allows the professional side to compete in the league. That’s a great rule. This looks like the chicken or egg professional scenario. How long is it going to be before the club can break even (if that is even a thing in French rugby)? If the locals aren’t into well it would be good to se them drop to amateur level (is it that far?). Hope they can reset from this level and be more practical, there will be a time when they can rebuild (if France has there setup right).
1 Go to commentsWhat about changing the ball? To something heavier and more pointed that bounces unpredictably. Not this almost round football used these days.
35 Go to comments