Leicester Tigers

Club Details

Welford Road
Leicester
LE2 7TR
 
Stadium Capacity: 16,000 (11,600 seated)
Website: www.leicestertigers.com  
Founded: 1880

- 2006/7 Season Preview -

Last time around: The Tigers must still be reeling from their 45-20 loss to Sale at the Twickenham final last season. It was another chance gone begging as the club's trophy cabinet shelf was left to collect nothing but dust for another season. Their Heineken Cup campaign didn't even go as far as their domestic season did - Bath making sure of that in the quarter-finals. Once known in the past as tournament bullies by the way they pushed past anyone that stood in their path, it seems that Leicester have lost the knack of knocking a team out when it counts.

This time? It has been four seasons since Leicester last won a trophy (the Heineken Cup in 2002 adding to the Premiership title of the same year). Since then, Leicester have been runners-up in the Premiership final twice - in the last two seasons - while they have watched arch-rivals Wasps storm to three successive titles and Sale emerge to claim their first crown last season. The Tigers are hungry to put the trophy drought behind them this season. They have enough players with the experience and the talent to do so - Martin Corry, Ben Kay, Graham Rowntree, Julian White and Lewis Moody offer the forwards over 200 English caps between them. The club's backline flows with English and Irish flair, add to that a drop of All Black experience and some South Pacific Island spice and you got yourself a mouth-watering combination. The Tigers have a chance to not only upset their domestic challengers, but to wreak havoc in Europe as well when they face up against holders and old adversaries Munster, Bourgoin and Cardiff Blues in the Heineken Cup.

Coach: Former Australia centre Pat Howard can be pleased with his side's performance last year - minus the hammering at Twickenham - he guided the team to a well earned second place in the Premiership and a Heineken Cup quarter-final. The former Wallaby backline guru will take heart from the fact that his players and management team have gave him carte blanche to do it all on his own this season.

Captain: England captain Martin Corry is fast becoming a veteran of Welford Road as he leads the charge in his tenth season with the club. His experience is invaluable to his Leicester teammates - two British & Irish Lions tours, two Rugby World Cups, back-to-back Heineken Cup wins and four Premiership titles. Enough said?

One to watch: Leicester's new signing Jordan Crane is without a doubt an England star in the making. The bulky No.8 has come through the England ranks with aplomb having proved his leadership qualities by captaining the Grand Slam winning England U19 team last season and again for the U21 side earlier this year. The youngster is fast earning a reputation as a fiercely committed and equally physical ball-carrier with the skills and attitude to succeed in the tough arena of international rugby.

Final 2006/7 league position prediction: 1st
totalbet.com prediction (29/8): 11-4 to finish first

In: Jordan Crane (Leeds Tykes), Paul Burke (Munster, Ireland), Gavin Hickie (Worcester Warriors), Frank Murphy (Munster, Ireland), Martin Castrogiovanni (Calvisano, Italy), Marcos Ayerza (Cardenal Newman, Argentina).

Out: Darren Morris (Worcester Warriors), Ross Broadfoot (Bedford), Alex Dodge (Nottingham), Daniel Montagu (Nottingham), Will Skinner (NEC Harlequins), Brent Wilson (Newcastle Falcons), Alex Wright (released),  Ephraim Taukafa (released), John Rawson (released), Neil Cole (Mpumalanga Pumas, SA), Andy Tuilagi (Leeds Tykes - loan).

Colours: Green, red and white

Tickets: from £17 adult standing and £20 - £30 seating
£15 concession standing and £18 - 28 seating
£6 junior standing and £10 - £20 seating
£40 family standing and £50 - £61 seating

Travel connections: Leicester is not too far from the M1 motorway which runs from London to Glasgow, but the easiest option is to take the train; Leicester station is a mainline one and is only a ten-minute walk from the ground. East Midlands airport is not too far away from Leicester - about 30-45 minutes' drive, and connects to much of Europe.