Saturday’s defeat to Northampton Saints will go down as one of the most disappointing defeats of the season. Not only because the loss was at the hands of local rivals Northampton but the manner of the defeat as well. In addition, with the returning Julian Montoya, Jasper Wiese, Guy Porter and Anthony Watson alongside their marquee Fly-Half Handre Pollard, Leicester were able to pick a team with plenty of firepower to get the job done. To not have done so, with the game being at home, gives extra reason why this defeat was so painful to take.
Previous defeats this season have been via very fine margins, where the result could have gone either way. However, this weekend was not the case. Leicester put in a very underwhelming performance, and a victory would have been possibly undeserved, despite the margin of defeat being by a sole point.
Bright Start, Poor Finish
What makes this weekend extra frustrating is that Tigers started the game very well. The opening quarter saw the Champions close to their best as they took the game to the opposition. They came out of the traps with an energy and an intensity that put Saints under immediate pressure and allowed Leicester to come away with points to build a score. Whilst it was not as many points as maybe their play deserved; it was clear Leicester had established an early advantage over their neighbours.
Where the frustration comes in is that the side stopped playing with that same fire and energy. It almost seemed that the side’s confidence was visibly drained by only scoring those ten points and self-doubt was allowed to come in. It is hard to believe that these instructions would have come from the coaching box; especially when witnessing Head Coach Richard Wigglesworth’s comments in the video posted on Tigers’ social media feeds, where he praised the quality of the play in the first 20 minutes. Either way, by not continuing their good start, Leicester allowed Northampton to come off the canvas and start throwing sme shots of their own and find their feet in the game.
Half-time and the resulting second half points towards showing the inexperience of Wigglesworth as a coach, and a question mark over the leadership of Captain Hanro Liebenberg. The performance in the second half was more of the same, with little intensity, very little in the way of creativity and an insistence of kicking all and every possession away. It meant Tigers never got any momentum or foothold in the game, especially when combined with their own errors. It also meant Leicester become utterly predictable for Saints to defend against and played into their own hands. Northampton’ strength lies in their backline; by giving them so much ball to use they could not believe their luck and used it to their advantage to put the pressure back on Leicester.
Game Plan Issues
That Leicester kept on with this tactic meant either Wigglesworth was encouraging it, or Liebenberg was not able to get his team to stop when it became obvious it was not working. To keep on persisting with a game plan that had become clear it had stopped working, is not a good look for either Coach or Captain.
It becomes even more frustrating when looking at the previous games under Wigglesworth and the successes and positives seen under his tenure. Under new leadership Leicester have been more ambitious in their play, more willing to get the ball wide and have been utilising more clever moves in their backline. It has been an approach that has looked good on them. By doing so it has given Tigers more attacking options to utilise, has allowed them to utilise the talent they have in the backs and also give their opposition something different to think about. For the team to revert backwards is incredibly disappointing and undoes all the good work from the previous weeks. It also shows the inexperience of Wigglesworth in keeping a game plan that was owned by his predecessor rather than developing his own and sticking by it.
In fairness to Wigglesworth, these are issues that have been prevalent under his predecessor Steve Borthwick. Tigers have been guilty all season of being a tribute act to last season rather than evolving their game forward. The second half against Gloucester where Leicester looked to move the ball wide quicker, was the first sign all season of a team that wanted to do something new with their game. Tigers have been worked out more often by opposition teams who are aware that Leicester wish to kick often. As a result they are better prepared to negate that and adapt to it. Teams have to evolve and move forward to be better. By not adapting as much as other teams it has meant Leicester have been caught up and playing tunes that are now dated.
Not learning lessons
An addiction to kicking is not the only previous strength that is now a weakness. The departure of Borthwick has meant Leicester’s driving maul, especially from close quarters has gone backwards. It is now no longer the effective weapon it once was. In many ways this is to be expected, Tigers have just lost one of the best Forwards technicians in Europe, so a drop off is not unusual. It is however disappointing to see how far it has dropped back in recent weeks. Danny Wilson was brought into the club to oversee this area; he has a lot of work to do to return the maul back to a position of strength for Leicester.
On its own this is not a big deal; however the added frustration comes from Leicester not learning lessons. The previous fixture at home to Ospreys saw Tigers turn down a kickable penalty before half-time to go for the corner and be unsuccessful. Something that proved pivotal in a single point defeat. To then repeat the same trick a week later is extremely disappointing. With Pollard on the pitch, Leicester almost have a cheat code. Pollard is a player with an incredible boot and a very strong record off the tee. As a result, this should be utilised on almost every kickable penalty Tigers get, especially with their maul misfiring so much. Given they are a side low on confidence, taking the points would be an ideal way to build a score, put pressure on the opposition and gradually regain some confidence as the game wears on.
Positives
Despite the disappointing result and performance, there were some positives to take away from Saturday’s game. Handre Pollard at fly-half continued to impress dictating the play, with a good range of passing and kicking on display. Tom West off the bench impressed at scrum-time and caused Northampton issues. Olly Cracknell and George Martin off the bench provided physicality and big hits in defence. The defence overall was also a positive, in holding one of the best attacking teams in the league to a solitary try, and one that was very impressive in itself. Jasper Wiese returned to the side and carried more than any other player across the weekend, with 32m gained.
Leicester also recorded a Premiership debut for young scrum-half Sam Edwards. Whilst his distribution was a touch too slow for this level, his passing height was consistent, and his kicking was also solid throughout. He probably played ten minutes too long, however that is not his fault, and returned a solid debut under testing circumstances.
What Happens Next?
The club now have three weeks without a game, with the next fixture at home at Saracens on February 19th. In that time the coaches and players can recharge their batteries and get to work on the improvements needed to climb the table. Despite Leicester sitting eighth currently, they are still only three points off Saints in fourth and four off Exeter in third. Both coaches and players know that despite many improvements required, their fate is still largely in their own hands. The remaining fixtures are against teams either below them in the table or fellow play-off chasers. As a result, putting a run together would see Leicester climb up the table quickly and get into the top four. The next few weeks needs a strategy to be put together as to how this can be achieved, because it is still very much possible.
Wigglesworth is an inexperienced coach who is having to learn the ropes at an elite level. He is doing so whilst many of his charges have lost their mentor and inspiration in both Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield. He also has a squad that is high on talent, but still trying to find their way in professional rugby with many only 21 and 22 years old, as well as coming to terms with the fact they are Premiership champions already. These are difficult waters to be navigated, and whilst they do not excuse recent events, they do offer an explanation as to why things are more difficult currently.
Wigglesworth possesses a sharp rugby brain and a lot of playing experience. He needs to use both qualities to restore lost confidence and implement a game plan that benefits the players at his disposal. Difficult, but still perfectly achievable.