Leicester Tigers sign Craig Newby

May 9th, 2008 rugby Posted in Leicester No Comments »

Leicester Tigers have agreed a deal to sign Otago Highlanders and New Zealand back row Craig Newby at the end of the current season.

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The flanker, who has previously had a brief spell with Newcastle Falcons, was capped three times by the All Blacks between 2004 and 2006.

“I know a lot about the history of the club and that’s one of the reasons I chose Leicester,” said the 28-year-old.

“I think I’ll suit the English game, it’s quite a physical forward style.”

He added: “The way Leicester run the club was very important to me.

“There’s a family nature to Tigers. I’ve got a young family and I’m looking to add to it, so that was one of the biggest things for me.

Craig is an outstanding player and he is a leader

Marcelo Loffreda

“It’ll be a change of lifestyle and we’re looking forward to experiencing a different culture.”

Tigers head coach Marcelo Loffreda added: “Craig is an outstanding player in Super 14 rugby and he is a leader.

“He is a versatile and talented player who can play across the back row.

“That is important to us as we look at competition for places in the squad in three tournaments during a long season.”

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Leicester deny Marcelo Loffreda will be axed

April 23rd, 2008 rugby Posted in Leicester No Comments »

Leicester have denied reports that head coach Marcelo Loffreda will be sacked.

The Argentine, who arrived at Welford Road after seven years in charge of his country, has overseen one of the club’s worst seasons in the professional era.

It was claimed that a board meeting on Wednesday would be used to rubber-stamp the 48-year-old’s dismissal.

But when asked if he expected Loffreda to be sacked, Tigers chief executive Peter Wheeler told BBC Sport: “No. The reports are wrong.”

Loffreda, who succeeded Pat Howard at Welford Road after leading Argentina to an unprecedented third place at the 2007 World Cup, arrived with high expectations.

But, despite taking the reins of a team that won the Guinness Premiership and EDF Cup - and were runners-up in the Heineken Cup - last season, Loffreda’s first season has not gone to plan.
Leicester, who have won 13 of 23 games under Loffreda, were knocked out of this season’s Heineken Cup in the group stages, lost their EDF title to Ospreys and, sitting sixth in the Premiership, are struggling to make the play-offs.

“There has been no discussion on Marcello’s position,” said Wheeler.

“Rugby World Cup seasons are always difficult because you are always without a significant number of players for the first two or three months of the season.

“Then you’ve got the problem of reintegrating players into the side and then they go off to the Six Nations.

“It’s a pretty difficult role in any case - being a head coach at a Guinness Premiership club - but in a World Cup year it is even more difficult.

“We realise the problems people face, especially when they are coming into the job halfway through the season.”

Newspaper reports on Sunday alleged that Tigers chairman Peter Tom had held discussions with board members, club coaches and senior players and that the decision to end Loffreda’s tenure is considered inevitable.

It was suggested that former Tigers and New Zealand centre Daryl Gibson, currently in charge of Glasgow Warriors, was in line to take over.

But Wheeler added: “As far as we are concerned we have a normal board meeting on Wednesday at which, in the normal way, the performance of the team in the past month will be reviewed.

“There’s nothing other than the normal business of the board to be discussed.

“We’ll sit down and talk with Marcelo and the other coaches to plan pre-season and recruitment. There’s nothing additional to discuss to anything we normally do.”

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EDF Energy Cup final: Leicester 6 - 23 Ospreys

April 13th, 2008 rugby Posted in Leicester, Ospreys No Comments »

A superb all-round performance from James Hook inspired the Ospreys to a fine victory in the EDF Energy Cup final against Leicester at Twickenham.

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The fly-half had a hand in both Ospreys tries, setting up Andy Bishop for the opening touchdown on 22 minutes before finding Alun Wyn Jones on 47 minutes.

Hook converted both scores, as well as kicking over three penalties.

Leicester never settled in the game, with all their six points coming in the first half from the boot of Andy Goode.

The victory avenged the Ospreys’s 2007 final defeat by Leicester and was the perfect response after their disappointing loss to Saracens in the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup last weekend.

Tigers coach Marcelo Loffreda played into the Welsh side’s hands, opting for centre Ollie Smith ahead of the more enterprising Tom Varndell on the right wing in a bid to counteract the threat of Shane Williams.

The English side dominated the early exchanges, taking the lead on four minutes when Goode kicked over a 25-metre penalty after a ruck infringement.

And the Premiership team’s forwards soon camped themselves deep inside Ospreys territory, but a fumble from centre Dan Hipkiss thwarted any hopes of a score.

But Goode - who had missed two earlier penalty efforts - doubled Leicester’s lead with a drop-goal on 16 minutes.

But within six minutes the Ospreys, who featured 11 of the Wales side that beat England in the Six Nations, were ahead courtesy of Hook’s vision and Leicester’s lackadaisical defending.

The fly-half popped an inside pass for centre Bishop, who brushed off limp challenges from George Chuter and Goode before diving over for the first try of the game.

Hook added the extras and Leicester, after imposing their early authority, were beginning to lose the plot, with the Wales number 10 pulling the creative strings.

A wonderful, fleet-footed break from Hook required a full-stretch tackle from Harry Ellis to prevent a certain try-scoring opportunity.

Indiscipline from the Tigers forwards resulted in captain Martin Corry receiving a stern lecture from referee Alain Rolland, warning any further discrepancies would lead to the sin-bin.

But despite their dominance, the Ospreys failed to capitalise - Hook missed a 35th-minute penalty attempt, while Leicester just about cleared a Williams chip into the try area - and they had to make do with a slender one-point lead at the interval.

But that advantage was extended seven minutes after the break through Wyn Jones, courtesy of a scything break from the excellent Lee Byrne.

The Wales full-back was assisted by a missed tackle from Chuter in midfield, but quick recycling and a change of direction from Jonny Vaughton found Hook, whose perfectly timed pass found the powerful lock for a five-metre touchdown.

Leicester, subdued and lacking any attacking threat, were soon chasing an 11-point deficit when a thumping Hook penalty from the right touchline sailed through the middle of the posts.

With Leicester’s beleaguered forwards looking increasingly forlorn, the Ospreys squeezed further penalties from their tired and dejected opponents, with Hook adding six points with two fine penalty strikes to seal the game and the trophy.

The Ospreys kept pushing forward and replacement Gareth Owen touched down in the corner after a dazzling Williams break, only for referee Rolland to overrule the score for an earlier forward pass.

The decision had little effect on the Ospreys as the celebrations began in earnest two minutes later when Rolland blew for full time.

——————————————————————————–

Leicester: J. Murphy, O. Smith, Hipkiss, Mauger, Tuilagi, Goode, Ellis, Stankovich, Chuter, Castrogiovanni, L. Deacon, Kay, Corry, Herring, Crane.
Replacements: Varndell for Tuilagi (76), White for Stankovich (53), Kayser for Castrogiovanni (75), Croft for Herring (58). Not Used: Blaze, Laussucq, Vesty.

Ospreys: Byrne, Vaughton, Parker, A. Bishop, S. Williams, Hook, Marshall, James, Hibbard, A. Jones, Wyn-Jones, Evans, R. Jones, Holah, Tiatia.
Replacements: Brew for Vaughton (78), Spratt for A. Bishop (75), Owen for Hook (78), D. Jones for James (73), Bennett for Hibbard (67), Gough for Evans (69), J. Thomas for Tiatia (69).

Att: 65,756

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Lewis Moody comeback delayed

March 28th, 2008 rugby Posted in Leicester No Comments »

Leicester Tigers flanker Lewis Moody will be out for at least two more weeks after seeing a specialist about his Achilles injury.lewis_moody.jpg
 
Moody has not played since coming off after 15 minutes in England’s Six Nations game against Wales.

He played in his second World Cup last year but missed the whole of the 2006 Six Nations after a training injury.

“It’s been a frustrating two years in terms of internationals, apart from the World Cup,” he said.

Moody has missed the last seven games for the Tigers and will not feature against London Wasps on Saturday.

He added: “Not having a target date to return is the most frustrating thing of all.

“I’m seeing a specialist this week and we’ll take it from there.”

The flanker had hoped to be back for last Saturday’s EDF Energy Cup semi-final against Wasps for his return but had to pull out two days before the game.

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George Chuter agrees new Leicester deal

February 13th, 2008 rugby Posted in Leicester No Comments »

England hooker George Chuter has agreed a new contract with Premiership champions Leicester Tigers.

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The 31-year-old played a key role in England’s march to the 2007 World Cup final and has turned down several clubs to stay at Welford Road.

“I had a few offers but I didn’t really go out with the intention of shopping myself around,” Chuter said.

“We’ve still got unfinished business in terms of winning trophies. Everyone’s still hungry for more trophies.”

He added: “I don’t have that need to go elsewhere because there’s still a lot I can achieve at Leicester.”
Chuter joined the Tigers in 2001 from Saracens and has made 141 appearances for last season’s double winners.

He played in all of England’s seven games at the World Cup, taking his number of international caps to 19, but has since slipped behind Mark Regan and Lee Mears in the pecking order.

Club colleagues Lewis Moody, Marcos Ayerza, Martin Castrogiovanni and Jordan Crane have all signed new deals with Leicester in the last two months.

And Tigers forwards coach Richard Cockerill was thrilled Chuter has followed suit.

He added: “George is a world-class player and we’re delighted that he’s decided to stay.

“I know he’s had a lot of interest from other clubs but he’s been with us for seven years now.

“With the recent re-signings of Marcos and Castro, it keeps good front row continuity at the club and that’s what we want.”

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