Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill can shock Clermont ...

On Saturday, the stand-out Leicester players were two relative unknowns, Owen

Williams, the young Welsh fly-half who kicked 17 points, and Ed Slater, the

barnstorming lock and current captain. These are men who have thrived in the

Leicester environment, grown in stature to the point where both ought to

tour with their countries this summer, Williams to South Africa and Slater

with England to New Zealand. Good players are improved at Leicester.

Cockerill took delight last week in revealing the letter he had pinned up on

the training ground noticeboard that took him to task for Leicester’s

underwhelming performances and lack of silverware.

Nothing wrong with tending to complaints from supporters, even if the small

matter of Leicester being reigning Aviva Premiership champions was

overlooked. Or that they have reached the past nine finals.

The roll-call of honour is impressive, and reason enough for Leicester to

travel to deepest France with deep reserves of confidence in their ability

to get the job done.This is not a club in fear of a challenge, overawed by

forbidding odds.

The same used to be said of Thomond Park in Limerick as is now being said of

Parc Marcel Michelin. Munster’s Heineken Cup fortress was finally breached,

and it was Leicester who did it back in 2007. Guts, edge, strut, ferocity,

belief, cussedness – all these and more will be on Leicester’s agenda.

Cockerill reckons victory would merit entry into the Leicester annals as “one

of our most famous wins in history”, no small claim as he himself

acknowledged given that this is a club that has won Heineken Cups finals

away from home.

Leicester have proved resilient on so many occasions. The woes of David Moyes

at Old Trafford is testimony enough to illustrate that there are no

guarantees in succession planning. Leicester have not always got that

handover right. They have with this generation.

They merit huge credit as a club that has soul as well as a blue-chip

corporate plan. There is no better occasion then a Heineken Cup

quarter-final weekend for them to fly the Premiership flag along with

Saracens. Both clubs face mighty tests of their resolve as well as of their

squad depth, with league leaders Saracens heading to refurbished Ravenhill

to take on Ulster, the unbeaten No 1 seeds.

The European landscape has been the subject of drawn-out review by the various

warring factions. The competitions needed an overhaul, and the fight has

been worth it. This tournament has to be about high-end performance. The

pool stages do not always give us that. The knockout stages do. The

assembled cast of the eight teams is star-quality. Cockerill will be in his

element.

Hartley still tainted

Dylan Hartley discovered a horrible truth on Saturday, namely that a

reputation for bad behaviour lingers longer in the memory than any

favourable notices for good, disciplined performances. The Northampton

hooker found his name in every headline over stories of Tom Youngs’ allegation

of biting. Yet Hartley has been exemplary this season. Nobody

accused him of biting on Saturday. Only Saints’ director of rugby, Jim

Mallinder, mentioned his name, and presumably only in Hartley’s capacity as

club captain. Mallinder then cut short questions on the issue. He would have

been better served clarifying the comments. As for Hartley, he has learned

that the punishment for any incident extends far beyond the length of ban.

Hartley got 11 weeks for his verbal abuse in last season’s Aviva Premiership

final. Saturday proved he is still paying for that indiscretion.

Rees seals brave fightback

How heartening to see team-mates react to the deeds of one of their own, in

this case Cardiff Blues responding to the heroic battle of Matthew Rees.

The Wales and Lions hooker was diagnosed with testicular cancer in October. On

Saturday he came off the bench to help the Blues home, 28-23, against

high-flying Ulster. That is a proper fightback.

Article source: http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/ThreeTrending/video/russell-crowe-schools-irish-reporter-at-noah-premiere-30141333.html

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill can shock Clermont ...