Richard Cockerill, the Director of Rugby of the Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the Leicester Tigers has ruled out the signing of any journeyman players ahead of the new season just to make up the numbers. The Tigers announced a deal to sign young fly half Owen Williams just a few weeks back from the Welsh side the Llaneli Scarlets. He mentioned that the reality is such that even the reserves in several key positions will have to play a lot of rugby, and as a result, not any and every player will do.
Speaking to BBC Radio Leicester, Cockerill stated that the team needs to cover all the bases. Even the second or third choice players in any position in the squad have to very good and they cannot just be a journeyman player brought in to just make up the numbers in the squad. The Leicester Tigers boss went on to state that they need players who can play at the very top level week in and week out, both in the Heineken Cup as well as the Aviva Premiership.
The club announced a couple of month back that Graham Ford, the club’s fly half would not be at the club in the new season and he has agreed a new deal with Bath Rugby and have already brought in the likes of Williams as well as Ryan Lamb, the number 10 from the Northampton Saints as his replacements for the new season at Welford Road.
Cockerill mentioned they wanted someone with the caliber of Ford, but only younger and Williams has all the attributes one requires to succeed at the very top level of rugby being a brilliant goal kicker and with the time he will have at the Leicester Tigers, he will develop really quickly.