Gloucester v Leicester: Meyer matches ambition of Tigers

Leicester have developed a reputation for going through coaches faster than National Express, but in their latest arrivalthey may just have hit on a South African diamond.

By most accounts Heyneke Meyer, who took the Bulls of Pretoria to the Super 14 Championship, should have suc-ceeded Jake White as the Springboks' coach. It didn't happen, of course, but then the political machinations of the game in the Republic make life far more complicated. Instead the job went to the country's first black coach, Peter de Villiers, who has experienced mixed fortunes in the Tri-Nations: lauded one minute, booed the next.

Meyer may or may not have been the answer, but for the time being he has left the land of the Springbok for the Midlands of the Tigers, still the most ambitious and ruthless club in England. Last season, under their new coach Marcelo Loffreda, the man who inspired Argentina to a terrific series of performances in last year's World Cup, Leicester reached two finals, in the EDF Energy Cup and the Guinness Premiership, but were outplayed by the Ospreys and Wasps.

Reaching a final, or two, is not good enough for the Tigers. They have to return home with the bounty. So the Argentinian, in his job for less than 12 months, was sacrificed, as had been the Australian Bob Dwyer and even the local hero Dean Richards.

Whether this is a good sign or not (but it probably is), Meyer's reputation in Pretoria is as big if not bigger than Deano's in Leicester. He had a huge influence in running with the Bulls and could have a similar effect on the Tigers, provided he is given the time and does not keep returning to South Africa for fresh recruits.

Meyer has done some homework and, despite picking up an Achilles tendon injury in a fun run, appears to have hit the ground running. Of Leicester, who play Gloucester at Kingsholm today, he said: "I would probably have liked to do more work during the off-season, but you will never be 100 per cent right for the first game."

It is a surprising admission from a man regarded as a perfectionist. "For me it's all about making the team the best that it can ever be," Meyer said. "It's not just about the coach, it's the team effort between all of the players, administrators, coaching staff, everyone. What we all want to achieve is to make Leicester the best club in the world." Not just the Midlands then.

Meyer is nothing if not ambitious. "I said that if the right job came along and if I really believed in something special and could be a part of it, I would consider it. Leicester have the same vision and values as I have and that was one of the big attractions in coming here."

Coaches are trained in public relations, so he then proceeded to tick all the right boxes. "In the Currie Cup there are eight teams and probably five strong ones. Here there are 12 strong teams and every single game is tough. I have been very impressed with the Guinness Premiership and the rugby has got stronger and stronger every year.

"I have watched that from South Africa. The Heineken Cup has a lot of spectators back home as well. They are two great competitions that are going to grow in stature. It's going to be very tough but I'm looking forward to the challenge. I know it's not going to happen overnight.

"We have structures and good players here and it's my goal to make every single area of the club even better. The work ethic has been great from day one and I've been very impressed by the attitudes of the players and staff.

He added: "We had three pre-season games and we wanted to improve with each one. Now we have to improve again. It's a long season and you need to improve every week, and you need to manage your squad too.

"I've seen the players training very hard. One of my goals is to have a work ethic in place. Another is to make the public really proud of the team and to come and support them."

There is little danger of that not happening. The capacity at Welford Road is being expanded, and it is their rivals who have the job of keeping up with the best-supported club in England.

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