Leicester Tigers lack identity but there is a man who could give it to them
Stuart Lancaster to Bath?
Ok, that makes sense, if he could be persuaded to leave Leinster. Ex-Yorkshire Carnegie player Stuart Hooper is set to become Director of Rugby and ex-Yorkshire Carnegie academy manager Andy Rock is set to be promoted to Performance Director. Adding Lancaster to that mix gives you a very adept coach and someone that is likely to be singing from the hymn sheet as those two members of the Bath hierarchy.
He has certainly added to the clinical attacking game of Leinster, helping them build a ruthless identity over the last couple of years. He has experience coaching at the very highest level with England and has a good track record developing talent, both as a performance coach and in his previous role of Head of Elite Player Development at the RFU.
Paul Gustard to Leicester Tigers?
Well, it’s unlikely to happen unless Tigers genuinely do write Quins and Gustard two blank cheques, but you can understand Leicester’s interest. Gustard is an ex-Tiger who knows and understands the club, how it operates and the passion that the fans have for the side.
Like Lancaster, he has experience coaching at the international level and the uncompromising defensive identity that he helped instil at Saracens, and is now beginning to develop with Harlequins, is one that Leicester are in dire need of. They have a soft underbelly that continues to be exposed at Gallagher Premiership and European levels and if there is one thing that you can say with certainty about any Gustard-coached side, it’s that they don’t have soft underbellies.
Warren Gatland to England? Steve Hansen to England?!
Again, two proven performers at the highest level of coaching, with Gatland having frequently had Wales punching above their weight when you take into consideration the resources and player pool at the WRU’s disposal, not to mention an abundance of success with the British and Irish Lions, whilst Hansen has moulded an All Blacks side that have been dominant in international rugby for most of his tenure, including winning two Rugby World Cups whilst he has been in the set-up.
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Watch: Exceptional Stories: Ian McKinley
Finding the right coach is half the battle.
If you look again at Leicester, they have been the perfect example of a team that’s been held back by coaches that didn’t necessarily ‘fit’ and, as a result, the club has stagnated on the pitch.
Under Richard Cockerill, they had a hard edge and a man that understood what was in the DNA of the club, and what the fans would expect from the side every time that they took to the pitch. As Saracens continued their dominance and both Exeter Chiefs and Wasps began to rise, Leicester’s results under Cockerill began to tail off and ultimately the decision was made to part ways with the long-serving director of rugby and Aaron Mauger took interim charge.
Mauger didn’t last long. He was made interim head coach in January of 2017 but was gone by March, as the club brought in Matt O’Connor. Whether the club didn’t feel Mauger was the right fit, that he wasn’t ready for the position or simply that O’Connor would be a better hire, it hasn’t stopped Mauger finding a head coaching gig with the Highlanders and establishing his identity there.
O’Connor managed to see out the entire 2017/18 season with the club but was then let go just one match into the 2018/19 season, with Geordan Murphy the current interim head coach. He’s already outlasted Mauger in that role, so that’s something.
It comes back to identity, though. If you had a gun to your head right now and were asked what are Leicester Tigers, what traits embody a Leicester player and what is the primary way they go about winning a rugby match, could you honestly give an accurate response?
If there is an answer, it’s far from clear.
The physicality of Cockerill’s reign seems to have been eroded and the leftovers from the tenures of Mauger and O’Connor seem to simply be one of a team that doesn’t really know what it is. At a push, they currently look a bit like Wasps, in that they’re a team whose defence is porous and that if they want to win games, it’s a case of having to score more points and, more often than not, more tries than their opponents.
Putting aside the defensive issues for a second, Tigers averaged over 42 points per game in Murphy’s first three matches in charge and you thought that maybe this was a viable approach, but the points have not come as easily since. Only their 45-27 win over the Scarlets in October has seen them pass that number since and they are currently on an 8-match losing streak that has seen them average 16.4 points scored per game and whopping 31.5 points conceded per game.
That reported interest in Gustard makes sense now, right? Regardless of how realistic of a proposition that is, the club are actively looking for a defence coach, so they will be hoping they can bring someone in and try to move out of the relegation battle in the new year, but it still leaves plenty of questions in the air about the Tigers’ identity moving forward.
Every Premiership side that is currently competing at the top of the table, or has in recent seasons, has, in their development, committed to a preferred style of rugby.
Saracens built their side on a formidable defence and unrelenting pack. That is how they got to the top and since being there, they have diversified and become one of the most versatile and clinical attacking sides in European rugby. They can concede three or four tries in a game and still easily outscore opponents.
Where would Exeter be without that iconic driving maul of theirs? It was borderline unplayable for over a season and then they, like Saracens, have developed into a more multi-faceted side to stay relevant at the top and see off the challenges of sides who game-planned to negate that formidable lineout foundation.
Even Wasps, who have not quite risen to the heights of Saracens or Exeter, developed an identity of high-tempo rugby that would stretch defences, create mismatches and had a capability to score regularly from distance that was unmatched in Europe at the time. Unfortunately for Wasps, that has diminished of late and they haven’t been able to broaden their portfolio in the same way Saracens or Exeter have, but it brought them very close to success. It was a solid building block before recruitment and player retention issues and decisions cost the club.
Now, if you look at two of the more prominent risers this season, Gloucester and Harlequins, they are rapidly developing their own identities under Johan Ackermann and Gustard respectively. Ackermann is bringing plenty of the elements shown by his successful Lions side in Super Rugby to Kingsholm, with arguably a tad more restraint as you would expect in the Premiership, whilst the improvements in line-speed, defensive decision-making and set-piece efficiency at Quins have all the hallmarks of Saracens a few years ago.
The question for Leicester is, what do you want to be and how do you plan on getting there?
There is no overnight fix, Saracens and Exeter are just too good relative to the rest of the Premiership at the moment. You could recruit excellently for a couple of seasons, retain all your key players and transition a number of the very promising youngsters in the club’s academy to the seniors and probably still be playing catch up. It’s a long-term project and they need to commit to the right person, or they risk wasted years and regressions, just as the last two seasons have proven to be.
One name that is rarely mentioned in terms of these vacancies but who could well warrant a blank cheque is Saracens’ Alex Sanderson.
Whilst the likes of Andy Farrell and Gustard have gone on to enjoy international roles, Sanderson has stayed at Saracens, taking on both forwards and defence roles, and evolved into one of the most effective and highly-respected coaches in the English game. He has taken those traditionally strong areas of Saracens and added his own touches, whilst also having to compensate for the more offensively-gifted playing squad, that is given perhaps a little more freedom on the pitch than they were during Gustard’s or Farrell’s time at the club.
He is a performance coach, but one who has a knack for developing players. Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe are two of the best lineout forwards in world rugby, let alone the Premiership, and both have continued to develop as players once breaking through into the regular senior side. There is clearly not just a focus on preparing players to be at their best for the 80 minutes at the weekend, there is an active goal of improving players over the long-term to make the team better overall, rather than just to deal with the challenge of an upcoming opponent.
The list doesn’t end with those two, either, with Jamie George, Mako Vunipola, Joel Kpoku, George Kruis, Billy Vunipola, Ben Earl, Jackson Wray and a host of others having benefitted from working with Sanderson.
Saracens can offer Sanderson financial security, a realistic shot at multiple trophies each season and a working environment that allows him to thrive, but the one thing they can’t offer him is the top job, with Mark McCall the incumbent director of rugby. Given McCall’s record of success, what motivation would there be for the Saracens board to move in a different direction?
Sanderson signed a contract extension with Saracens earlier this year but if a club, such as Leicester, is keen to find a director of rugby or a head of rugby who can implement a philosophy, coach as well as anyone and establish an identity which can be built around for years to come, then maybe Sanderson is the man they need to get on the phone.
Watch: Alex Sanderson talks to RugbyPass in preseason about the reasons the club couldn’t bring back Chris Ashton.
Comments on RugbyPass
Thanks for the write up. Great to see the Rebs winning, I am a little interested in how they will go against the remaining kiwi teams, I think they’ve only played Hurricanes and Highlanders but how great to see these players performing!! I also see Parling has a job beyond June 30! A good move by RA? Also how do you fix the Rebels previously scratchy defence?
81 Go to commentsbe smart - go black
13 Go to commentsNext week the Crusaders hopefully have Scott Barrett back. Will be great to have the captain back. Hopefully he will be the All Black captain as well.
12 Go to commentsExciting place to be for the young fella. I expected he was French Polynesian when I saw him included in the France 6N squad (after seeing him in NZs), and therefor be strong grounds we might loose him to rugby down here. Good, in that he is good enough to warrant such a profile, and from a journalism’s fan interaction aspect, to finally get a back ground story on the fella. Hope he has settled into NZ OK and that at least one rugby country will fit with him to help his development, which, if so, he should surely continue for a few years, and then that he can experience France to it’s fullest with a bit more maturity and less reliance on family than you would have at his current age. A good 3 or 4 years before he would be ready for International duty if he wanted to wait. Of course he already sounds good enough to accept a call up, and to cap himself, in the more immediate future (he’d have to be very very good in the case of the ABs), and he’ll get a great taste of that being with the Canes who have a bunch who are just a few years further into their career and looking likely Internationals themselves.
13 Go to commentsI remember towards the end of the original broadcasting deal for Super rugby with Newscorp that there was talk about the competition expanding to improve negotiations for more money - more content, more cash. Professional rugby was still in its infancy then and I held an opposing view that if Super rugby was a truly valuable competition then it should attract more broadcasters to bid for the rights, thereby increasing the value without needing to add more teams and games. Unfortunately since the game turned professional, the tension between club, talent and country has only grown further. I would argue we’re already at a point in time where the present is the future. The only international competitions that matter are 6N, RC and RWC. The inter-hemisphere tours are only developmental for those competitions. The games that increasingly matter more to fans, sponsors and broadcasters are between the clubs. Particularly for European fans, there are multiple competitions to follow your teams fortunes every week. SA is not Europe but competes in a single continental competition, so the travel component will always be an impediment. It was worse in the bloated days of Super rugby when teams traversed between four continents - Africa, America, Asia and Australia. The percentage of players who represent their country is less than 5% of the professional player base, so the sense of sacrifice isn’t as strong a motivation for the rest who are more focused on playing professional rugby and earning as much from their body as they can. Rugby like cricket created the conundrum it’s constantly fighting a losing battle with.
3 Go to commentsOh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
3 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
3 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
13 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to comments