2022, the year of the Tiger

In 1982 Survivor had a number one hit with Eye Of The Tiger. Fast forward forty years to the present time and in the year 2022 this is the year of the Tiger.

Leicester Tigers completed a memorable season by winning the Gallagher Premiership Final at Twickenham on Saturday by beating Saracens 15-12.

It has been a remarkable comeback from the Tigers after a couple of years ago the club were on the verge of being relegated down to the Championship, but were saved from relegation only by a points deduction from Saracens for breaching the salary cap.

It was certainly troubled times for the East Midlands club during that season, when the season itself was suspended for five weeks due to Covid-19 pandemic.

After the cancellation of games the club implemented 25% wage cuts on all staff, including players. In May of the same year CEO Simon Cohen left the club after an eight year tenure and was replaced by Andrea Pinchen.

It was later reported that Tigers were set to lose up to £5m of revenue during the shutdown, with the club making 31 employees redundant. Five players left the same week after the loss of staff  including Manu Tuilagi and Telusa Veainu after refusing to amend their contracts and effectively take a pay cut.

Just a week before the start of the 2020-1 season Geordan Murphy left his position as director of rugby in a decision that was described as mutual.

Tigers appointed Steve Borthwick as head coach, and the club haven’t looked back. In his first season in charge of the club he guided Leicester to the 2020-21 European Rugby Challenge Cup final and a sixth place finish in the Premiership, and European Champions Cup rugby for the first time in two years.

This season Leicester have been the best side in the Premiership and have never been headed at the top of the table.

After an unbeaten start of 15 games in all competitions, the club never looked back, eventually ended up top of the Premiership table, having lost only four games all season.

Tigers success has been centred around their outstanding defence which has conceded only 452 points in 24 regular season games.

While Borthwick will take all the plaudits for his coaching skills, much praise should go to Tigers defence coach Kevin Sinfield, who joined the club after three years as Director of Rugby at Super League club Leeds Rhinos.

This was shrewd move from the East Midlands club and has proved a successful one, having moulded Leicester in to one of the hardest sides to beat.

The side is built around a wealth of experience, and it was quiet apt that the last word on a gripping final went to the boot of Freddie Burns, with his last minute drop goal securing victory.

Aside from Burns, Tigers have benefited from the experience of senior figures, no more so than 39-year-old scrum-half Richard Wigglesworth, who excelled in Saturday’s final.

Throw into the mix more experienced heads in the shape of Dan Cole, Ben Youngs George Ford and Chris Ashton and this side look to have more years of trophy success in front of them.

It was also a memorable occasion for former Tigers  captain Tom Youngs who was given the honour of lifting the trophy, just over a week after the death of his wife Tiffany.

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