Bath Rugby 16 Leicester Tigers 17: Time to trust in youth

"We told you so!" screamed hordes of Tigers fans at Richard Cockerill after an experimental Leicester side pulled off a hugely impressive 17-16 win at Bath to reach the final of the LV= Cup. On another day, if Bath's attacking game had had a touch more accuracy, Cockerill's decision to put his trust in the likes of Calum Green, Ben Pienaar, Andy Forsyth and Alex Lewington would have seen him criticised for blowing the chance at a trophy. Having won, the criticism is that the Director of Rugby has been too slow to recognise how trustworthy some of these Development products are...

(Source: Leicester Tigers)

The internet (From The Crumbie Terrace included) often provides the platform for fans with a dangerous combination of (1) the audacity to persistently call for young players to be given game time; (2) no responsibility if it goes wrong, and; (3) the oft-conflicting demand for success. Cockerill is leading the biggest, most successful, most well-supported club in the land and failure - even be that losing in the Premiership Final with the last play of the game - is not tolerated. It is perfectly understandable that he has relied on safer options like James Grindal and Jeremy Staunton in the past in order to keep his job.


But if the LV= Cup is good for nothing else, it has provided a unique platform for the aforementioned players, plus one more who can no longer be considered a Development player and needs no mention, to earn Cockerill's trust. This was a near-full strength Bath side, in-form and with a huge amount of experience both domestically and internationally. So to defeat them on their own ground with their 5th and 6th-choice locks, 4th-choice No.8, 4th choice scrum-half and 5th-choice centre, to name but a few, was nothing short of remarkable. These younger players should not and will not walk into Leicester's team off the back of this result, but, in Cockerill's own words, "They have proved they can do it."


Away from the headline-grabbing performances of Graham Kitchener and George Ford, there were all too familiar foundations to this victory. The youngsters performed well but, just when Bath's offloading game started reaching epic proportions, it was the 38-year-old Julian White's scrummaging that brutally reminded the home side that for all that intricate play, you can still win a game of rugby with a scrum and the resulting shot at goal. And stopping that intricate play at the source was 32-year-old Craig Newby with his colossal 19 tackles made and zero missed.


Next week is the final as the East Midlands collectively shifts itself over to Worcester for the day. Cockerill has already said he will give these young players the chance to finish what they have started. Northampton put out a relatively stronger side against the Scarlets and if the back-row of Calum Clark, Tom Wood and Roger Wilson again starts then it will be the biggest test yet of George Ford's career.


Though the LV= Cup carries little weight it is, in a way, refreshing that winning the final is not everything. Indeed, a heroic performance in defeat by some of these young players that have been given a chance would almost be preferable to a poor performance in victory, for what it would mean to the club in the long-term. The shackles are off, youngsters, go and play.