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Veteran Hooker to Show the Way For Youngsters

Richard Cockerill left Leicester Tigers for Montferrand on a high at the end of the 2001/02 season after another Heineken Cup triumph and a fourth successive Zurich Premiership title. Now, as he makes his return to Welford Road in the guise of forwards coach, he still craves success and loves the thought of inspiring the newer faces at Tigers to achieve that same glory.

"It's all about getting everyone pushing in the same direction," says Cockerill with his trademark grin after yet another arduous pre-season session at Oval Park. "I've got a long playing history [at Tigers] and to get an opportunity on the coaching staff is a fantastic one."

'Cockers', of course, could even end up having a run in a Tigers shirt next season, giving him a chance to add to his 256 first-team appearances.

"I'm doing all the training with the guys and might even play a bit depending on how things turn out," he says. "[But] I don't anticipate playing much. If the three hookers in the squad do well, I won't be involved at all, but if they battle or we get any injuries then I might have to play a bit. At this stage, the idea is for me not to play."

But Cockerill ends his last sentence with a typically mischievous smile. At 33 years old most players would be winding down their careers and happy to do so (especially if they have a coaching job), but if gets a chance in that No.2 shirt - opposition beware.

"If I got the opportunity to play for the first team it would be like playing my first game again," he says, still grinning, "it really would be fantastic."

Tigers have three quality hookers on their books - there is the incumbent George Chuter, who is yet to return to training after representing England at the Churchill Cup in Canada, youngster James Buckland, who has just returned from a sojourn in New Zealand, and let's not forget Tongan powerhouse Ephraim Taukafa, the new signing in the position.

"Half of me is hoping that I don't have to play, whereas a small part of me is hoping that I do get a chance to play," he admits. "The important thing for me, however, is that the young guys progress. I'm here to help those three players - Tigers haven't signed a 33-year-old hooker."

When Cockerill says he is here to help, he means it. Besides the technical aspects that go hand in hand with hooking, or forward play in general, the larger-than-life front rower will also be working hard on the mental side of things, too.

"Rugby is very simple game - mentality and attitude can get you further," he points out. "You need to prepare younger players when they step up into the senior squad - both physically and mentally."

What he also aims to do is educate some of the younger members of the Tigers squad just what it means to play for a club like Leicester, with Cockerill stressing: "Leicester is a fantastic club with a great bunch of players - not only my generation, but the generation before that and the generation before that, too. We've got to make sure that the younger generation coming through understand the history of the club and how it got to where it has today.

"We used to train at Mandela Park; with a gym that was six-foot by eight. Now we've got all these fantastic facilities, but we still need to remind guys what it means to play for Leicester Tigers. The last two decades have been able to generate the facilities that we have here today, with a fantastic gym, training ground and home ground. A lot of people have done a lot of work over the last 20 years; it's not just the last two or three years' work that have allowed us these facilities."

One of Cockerill's other priorities will see him oversee the development of Luke Abraham, the talented back rower who will be making the daunting move to the front row - a la Dorian West, a long-time team-mate of Cockerill's.

"In a way I guess you could say I'll be measuring my success with Luke," he admits. "He's keen and mentally he's very strong. Dorian changed at 26, and everyone knows how successful he was. Luke has time on his side and he's got attitude. You can't coach attitude, but technically we'll work hard on him."