Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill is far from an ogre – he ...

At times he has looked a lost soul, cast adrift, going slowly barmy in his own

company.

There are no airs and graces with Cockerill, no sense of entitlement or

deference towards his position.

He signed autographs as he waited for his food, traded wisecracks with journos

with whom he has been known to exchange fiery words.

He can be chippy and full on. He certainly looks the part of the aggrieved

outsider, a barrel-chested anti-establishment figure itching for a punch-up.

Cockerill could have been hired from central casting, a menacing Odd Job with

studs on.

See only the surface appearance, though, and you miss the essence of the man.

The Leicester board deal in substance. And that is why last week they awarded

him a five-year extension to his contract.

They know what he has to offer. Behind the gruff exterior lies a sharp,

lateral mind. Cockerill has even taken to Bikram Yoga.

At the Heineken Cup launch in Cardiff last Monday he was lucid and to the

point.

For each occasional outburst, there have been a hundred measured, insightful

conversations.

The bluff soon gets called in rugby circles. You need passion but you also

need intellect.

The snarling rage that once fuelled the play of an international hooker is of

little use once the boots have been hung up.

Cockerill has proven himself when and where it matters: on the training field,

in the transfer market and as the custodian of the Leicester trophy cabinet.

Since he took over in 2009, there have been three Premiership pots stored

away.

In that time, Leicester have reached five finals as well as a Heineken Cup

final.

Cockerill represents the best of a Leicester tradition that goes back through

the generations.

He is part of the boot-room, imbued with the values and virtues of one of the

game’s most famous clubs, as once was the case with Liverpool FC.

Leicester did dabble with a bit of the exotic, appointing at various times the

likes of Aussie Bob Dwyer, Argentine Marcelo Loffreda and current Springbok

coach Heyneke Meyer.

There were benefits, but each of the ventures ended in either failure or

dissatisfaction.

Leicester returned to their roots with Cockerill. That sense of identity is

important to Leicester.

And it is important to the sport. There was a wonderful backdrop at Welford

Road on Saturday as two Premiership heavyweights slugged themselves to

standstill in the East Midlands derby, honours shared, 19-19.

It was raucous and full-blooded, on and off the field. Even through the prism

of a TV lens, there was a real sense of community in action.

This mattered to the two tribes, to town and city.

(Yet for the all the intensity, there was no hint of trouble on the terraces,

a far cry from the former Labour leader Neil Kinnock having to be relocated

at Craven Cottage for having the temerity to cheer when Cardiff scored

against Fulham.)

As the Heineken Cup gets under way, for the last time in its current

incarnation, it is only right to dwell on the Leicester and Northamptons of

the world, Gloucester, Saracens, Quins and others too.

These clubs have grown from the local populace, are part of the landscape,

living and breathing sporting institutions, the lifeblood of the community.

The people who run these clubs have been depicted in some quarters as

piratical hustlers, looking to take over the European game and spread chaos

all around.

They are not. They care about their clubs and their supporters.

It is no crime that they care about their business as well. Cockerill

understands that, eloquently addressing the issue in Cardiff last week.

He will be in Belfast on Friday night, in exile still from the dugout as

Leicester try to beat their Ravenhill hoodoo. Have a word with him if you

see him. He will not bite.

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Owens a star in his own right

There were several standout performers during Saturday’s ‘Game of the Century’

at Ellis Park in Johannesburg between South

Africa and New

Zealand.

Pick any from All Blacks Kieran Read at No8, and wing Ben Smith, or Springboks

captain Jean de Villiers and Bryan Habana on the wing.

But no list would be complete without the name of referee Nigel Owens.

The Welshman had that most precious of assets for an official; empathy. He was

at one with the occasion – world class.

——————————————————————————————-

Danny boy is becoming a man

There have been harsh words penned about Danny Cipriani, celebrity

tittle-tattle splashed across centrefolds.

It is only fair, then, to correct the balance, to acknowledge that the Sale

fly-half is claiming space for rugby reasons.

Over the past fortnight he has put in very decent shifts against Northampton

and Bath.

The road to international redemption lies before him.

An England

recall is still a distant speck, but, at last, Cipriani appears to be

stepping out in the right direction.

Article source: http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/rugby/rugby-union/international/british-and-irish-lions-v-queensland-reds-player-ratings-8650576.html

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill is far from an ogre – he ...