Tribute to the Soul of Leicester Tigers:
By Duncan Keene
October 21 2010
Talking 'bout my generation.... I’m a massive fan of Leicester’s football clubs. I can’t choose between the two. Thanks to the Safety Advisory Group I don’t seem to have to. Many of my friends would say I’m a bigger rugby fan. Maybe I am. Maybe it’s just glory hunting. I go to more matches, post on the message board. Invest time and money travelling Europe. Sometimes individual City matches mean more. When City get a chance to win a trophy it really could be our only shot, with Tigers there is always next year, sometimes next week.
With City there’s always the possibility of real impending doom. Relegations, years in lower divisions, financial problems. But, Tigers demand support. Tigers are a top class operation. Tigers are local and grounded in the community in a way City dream of. City have 1 player that has been with the club over 3 years, Tigers have a whole squad. This is the crucial to me. For the people of Leicester there’s an affinity between the fans and the players that our rugby team has and football team does not. Players that come from a far gain that affinity but the local players have it from the start. No three players shared that bond more than Brett Deacon, Sam Vesty and Harry Ellis. As Deacon goes to Gloucester, Vesty to Bath (really Sam? really?) and Ellis to retirement it is an end of an era at Welford Road. The era of Leicester-born* players from my school year playing for the Tigers!
(*Dan Hipkiss, close but no Cigar, I believe… Apologies if not and I’ve used poetic license)
We were the Children of 1982*. Growing up as rugby mad Leicestershire kids, hearing about the Baa-baa’s games and eventually going, watching the All Blacks at Welford Road in the ’91 World Cup, 100-0 vs Liverpool St Helens. Who are West Hartlepool, Dad? Where’s Orrell? And can we go? I don’t know for sure which of the same memories Sam, Brett and Harry will have as me but we had the same formative experiences. The same dreams. As we move into the 90’s, they will all remember the emergence of the ABC club, the legend of Deano, the win at Twickers in 1993, those massive games vs Bath to decide league titles, the agony of the Lander final and the Brive encounter.
(*Ok, Ok, Vesty is November 1981 and I’ve used poetic license again…)
As talented sporting teenagers* of the late 90’s I came across all three at various times. Their roads to stardom were clear enough, I knew who they were. Everyone did. I doubt they’d remember me. My links to Vesty are the weakest, I played against him a few times. Everyone thought he was better at Cricket than Rugby but he was fairly decent at both! He shared equal billing in the JCC star stakes with a centre called Ollie Smith who was also a bit special.
(*I think I’ve just included myself in that, you get the picture…. poetic license again…)
Of the three, I knew (or know if Facebook Friends counts) Harry Ellis the best. I met him during his ‘hidden days’; Airbrushed from the CV by the Tigers PR machine was Harry’s time at Beauchamp College, as a 14 year old. First year GCSE’s. Harry was part of a close-knit group from Wigston that chose Beauchamp over Guthlaxton. With most of the College coming through the Oadby school system the ex-Bushloe boys and girls were an oddity. First year Beauchamp, divided straight down Manor or Gartree lines and here they were flitting between friendship groups. They were very popular with the ladies. They came from a very strong rugby team, based on the South Leicester age group sides and some of them were gigantic. Manor and Gartree had very weak rugby teams and had produced a handful of lazy piss-takers. It was always going to be a culture clash. I remember an early match vs John Cleveland College where I was hooking and their front row mistook my shins for the ball. Time after time the scrum half’s would feed the scrum and time after time the studs would rain down on my exposed shins. My complaints to the referee (their teacher) fell on deaf ears and the options seemed to be to fight back (the tactic favoured by the South Leicester boys) or stop trying to win the ball (my preferred approach). A quick motivational talk from Captain Ellis changed my mind and at the next scrum I had my first fight on a rugby pitch.
Harry as a teenager was an extremely driven personality. He wasn’t afraid to tell people of his ambitions or belief in his ability, or to criticise if he felt coaches or other players were holding him back. He was incredibly committed on the pitch, in training or even chucking a ball around in the playground. But it was a different kind of ‘committed’ to the Nutters you occasionally came across, he was committed to improving, getting better in every area of his game. After a short while at Beauchamp, Harry decided to join Leicester Grammar where he had access to better players, better coaches, the Rugby Playing Schools County team and a close link up with the Tigers youth set-up. At the time the idea of ‘one of us’ making it to the Tigers team seemed ridiculous and there was a fair amount of piss taking and a wee bit of bitterness amongst the Beauchamp ranks at having our best player poached. After Harry we were a poorer side for a while but eventually produced a decent under 18’s team in the final year. And I always wore shin pads.
Finally, I met Brett Deacon when I was picked for the County Clubs Under 17’s development side. The County Clubs side was weaker than the County Schools side as only players that didn’t attend ‘rugby playing schools’ could play for it. Brett was too good to have to play for us but the next season the core of our side became the County Clubs Under 18’s, a side dominated by Mike Holford and Brett Deacon. They were the same age as us but having left school they appeared to be men amongst boys. I was sub hooker for part of the season and got on occasionally, once coming on to throw in at a five yard line out and getting a stare from Deacs that made it clear the move to be called was the one where he got to drive over the line. That resulted in a try. Looking back, the similarities between Deacon and Ellis were clear, both had a confidence about themselves and a desire to drain every inch out of the talent they had through sheer hard work.
I write about my vague connections not to show off, but to show why I’ve always cared more about their success than other players. And more importantly for this article, to say; it’s not just me that has these tenuous connections. How many other fans at Tigers have stronger links to our local players? I’d venture it is thousands. This is where a huge strength of the club comes from. The core of players that are fans at heart, they have an affinity with the fans that keeps them grounded. An exciting thought while writing this article occurred to me: There are kids in Leicestershire now that could write this in 10 years time about their generation, about when they faced Manu Tuilagi in a school game! Another exciting thought was thinking of my early rugby memories; how many Leicester supporting kids have been inspired by a trip to a Premiership final or the South Africa game. Kids love glory. They could even end up taught by Harry Ellis! If he can instil that attitude of continual improvement and ambition that I saw first hand at the age of 15 into a new generation of Leicestershire youngsters then we are in safe hands. Anyway, I digress. Back to our subjects…
The thing that shines out from a young age was the hard work and intensity these three brought to the game. Ambition and desire, combined with formidable self-belief. Looking at each of their careers takes us on an emotional roller coaster. 10 years of glory, incident and near misses. A quality of character and attitude that sums up what it means to be a local Tiger.
It seems so soon to talk about Harry Ellis’s playing career as over, but that’s the sad fact. There are so many favourite memories. My top memory is from the City Ground, Nottingham. Heineken Cup Semi vs Llanelli. Scintillating break from Haz to score. The moment I really realised that schooling decision had been the right one. If the Grammar School gave Harry an inch on that scoring dart it was worth it. I remember going absolutely crazy! He’s done it! He’s made it! Not just the try line. His first really big game and he’d taken his chance. The boy I briefly went to school with was going to be a star. That impact in the semi and coming off the bench in the final vs Munster for the last half an hour as we won the back-to-back Heineken Cup (hence why those lovely opposition fans call it the Back final surely?) was early in Harry’s career but ultimately it has to be one of the highlights. Not many men have won the European cup.
Harry spent 2002 to 2004 building experience, vying with Tierney and occasionally Healey for the 9 shirt. Hampered by untimely suspension, but eventually winning through. The 2004/5 season was a big breakthrough. He displayed many of the traits that would become recognised as his trademarks. Including a heroic last minute dash for the corner to seal a home draw against Bath. Those breaks, his strong defence and organisation were recognised by England as he made his debut from the bench against South Africa. In the Heineken Cup, his competitive spirit showed in those memorable back-to-back group games vs Wasps. Dallaglio and Dawson went out to intimidate him and got plenty back, leading to a card for Ellis at Adams Park. By the second he was among the try scorers. By the mid-point of the Six Nations Ellis had forced Dawson to the England bench and further towards full-time media work. Another legend passed.
That season was incredible for many Tigers’ players, and in hindsight contained some of this generation’s most memorable matches. A hugely competitive Heineken Cup group. Dublin away in the quarterfinals. Thrashing Newcastle twice. A big highlight of that season was the successful send off from Welford Road for Johnson and Back’s final home match. Harry set-up a good try in that game but as we all know we were playing a Wasps side that was already tuned in to the new reality: The playoffs. Harry’s early injury was one of many disappointments in that terrible first half at Twickenham. Pat Howard led the soul searching afterwards and Tigers’ coaches, players (and whisper it quietly… some supporters) began to change their attitude to the playoffs. It is of no doubt to me there were two exceptional English teams that year. In five matches vs Wasps we won both Heineken games and at Home in the league. Drew away in the league and lost the playoff final. A 3-1-1 Record. I prefer to remember the feeling from Welford Road than the trip to HQ, but they get the trophy.
In the next season, Sunday 18th December 2005 was a seminal game for Tigers and a tragic moment in the Harry Ellis story. Winning 17-15 away to Ospreys showed a young side inheriting the bite of previous teams. Ollie Smith, Vesty, both Deacon’s, Abraham, Hipkiss, Cornwell and Varndell all played significant roles in an enjoyable game. The media hype at the time was largely about the niggle, Henson booting Moreno in the face, Smith and Deacon (L.) spending time in the bin and Ian Evans stamping on Ellis’s knee forcing his withdrawal before half time. Many Tigers’ fans believe Harry’s later injury problems were caused by this act of thuggery. I prefer to believe the reports that they were unconnected. It certainly impacted on his remaining form that season and Harry was not fully up to speed as Tigers limped out of the Heineken Cup to Bath at the Walkers and were outplayed by a Wigglesworth inspired Sale in yet another play off final. (Some teams + players have never made one you know!)
Some of the best form of Harry’s career came in 2006/7. Playing for England in the Autumn Internationals and Six Nations enjoying a leading role as Tigers won the EDF trophy, topped the league table (technically untrue unless we ignore the ridiculous point deduction for playing our own player) and reaching the Heineken and Playoff finals. The blow of Harry’s major injury against Bristol in the play-off semi was catastrophic on a physical and psychological level. Not only did Harry miss our stunning victory over Gloucester, but, the question will remain forever of “What might have been?” What would have happened with Ellis in the side against a Wasps team that attacked down the short side of the lineout. The short side of the lineout he owned as a defender. Twice. To win. And the second great “What might have been?”… the 2007 World Cup. Ellis had been England’s first choice before his injury. Could Harry have made the difference in a final decided by inches?
Harry’s final glory was an England comeback in 2009 leading to a Lions tour place, playing well on the tour and gaining a Test Cap. Playing for the Lions is a great achievement. Most of all it gives you the right to wear the stash with pride for the rest of your life and Harry is often to be seen in his Lions’ tracksuit. Those of us with Tiger-tinted glasses will argue till we’re blue in the face that he was the obvious player to come on in the second test rather than O’Gara. Hindsight maybe, but many of us were saying at the time that his solid defence was needed to hold the lead. The third great “What might have been?. But Harry has said himself that he’s more focused on what did happen than what could have happened, and it’s a glorious tale.
For Brett Deacon the career highlight must have been every time he played with Louis, pulling on the Tigers’ shirt alongside his brother, emotional moments for the family. Brett played in 3 finals in 2007, coming off the bench for the final half hour of the pulsating 41-35 victory over the Ospreys in the EDF, getting a ten minute stroll in the thrashing of Gloucester and a five minute vent of frustration in the European Cup defeat to Wasps. But finals aren’t the full story of Brett Deacon. We only get to them because we are excellent when we are without our internationals. The likes of Deacon have spent a career treating away matches on a Friday night as their World Cup Final and others have reaped the rewards. He did well in all his big games, but some of his finest performances came in eeking out tight wins or holding on to losing bonus points that while disappointing at the time are a crucial ingredient of the clubs’ success.
The greatest compliment that can be played to Deacon is to look at the back row players in his time with Tigers and ask whether the unit ever really looked weaker when he played? It didn’t. The team performance didn’t drop. Brett shared a back-row with some legends of the game; Moody, Kronfeld, Back, Corry. It seems strange to say the biggest factor keeping Deacon, a 6ft 4” beast of a man, out of the team was a freak of nature. But how else do you describe Tom Croft or Lewis Moody? These players occupied the 6 shirt in most of the big games during Brett’s time and with Corry then Crane in the 8 shirt being so valuable to the team it is an achievement to get any appearances. Let alone 120!
Brett made his first team debut around the time of the 2003 World Cup, a period where the squad was tested to the limits. His tenacious defence shone through and he became the definitive squad man, he clocked up appearances every year, with 14 in 2008-9 his lowest figure. Brett’s breakthrough season was 2005-2006 where he made 16 starts including those back-to-back Ospreys’ classics, scoring a rare try in the first match. Most seasons were similar for Brett, a big chunk of game time early in the season and during the Autumn Internationals, some important European Cup group games but match time fading as the season went on and the final decisions were made on the best line-up. It must have been mighty frustrating for him as he rarely made mistakes, had good discipline and played in a lot of very strong team performances.
As with Ellis, 2006-2007 was his best season, playing 25 times with 13 of those from the bench, always in and around the matchday 22 and gaining those valuable minutes in finals. Brett combined well with various combinations of Moody, Jennings and Corry complimenting two from his brother, Kay or Cullen in an incredibly gnarly unit that proved there was life after Johnson and Back. Brett began the following season firmly in the team, but the Tom Croft genie was out of the bottle. By Christmas the 6 shirt was the younger man’s. Despite it being a familiar situation for Deacon it must have hurt all the more to see a young player coming through with an ‘x factor’ that can’t be gained merely by hard work. If it could, he’d have done it.
There was literally a final sting in Brett’s time with Tigers. Suffering from two ‘stinger’ shoulder injuries Brett was struggling to be fit for the South Africa match in November 2010. Having played Argentina and been captain vs the Classic All Blacks these high profile friendlies were little opportunities for Deacon to send a message. Brett won his battle and lined up vs the Springboks, but it was a bitter sweet day, as he only lasted 13 minutes and the younger breed of forwards rose to the challenge in such style that it was possibly the final nail in the coffin of a new contract offer. If Deacon had been fully fit and played a big part in that game maybe it would have been his chance to get back in. As Brett goes to Gloucester it will be fascinating to see how our favourite unsung hero gets on.
Finally, Sam Vesty. Not content with one Tigers career, he’s had three. As an up and coming fly-half, a classy fullback in a side that almost won the treble and then a creative inside back unleashing the talents around him. Vesty is the ultimate fan that made it good; he’s the only player I’ve ever seen that appears to actually enjoy himself on match days when not picked. He engages the sages of the Crumbie Terrace in banter, warms up and practices his kicking; appearing happy as Larry to be at the club he loves. My final sight of Sam “representing” Tigers was on the stage under the CAT stand with the Rock Bottom Band after the Play-off Semi victory over Bath. Some Bath fans wanted to claim Sam as one of their own, “Not yet” he growled into the Mic. “Not Ever” we shouted back. The 4th generation to play at our family club and another character that put his heart and soul into Tigers.
Sam’s debut season was following the ‘back to back’ Cardiff final. A pre-season friendly branded the Orange Cup saw a match winning conversion from the young fly half. With Goode gone to Sarries he appeared in the box seat as back-up to Healey, making his League debut at Home vs Newcastle did little to dispel this as he danced through the defence to set-up Kafer in a bonus point win. With Healey struggling with injuries, the stage seemed set. A low point of Sam’s Tigers career followed, seeing the likes of Ramiro Pez and Luke Myring considered better prospects. Those chosen ahead of him struggled and more followed the next season as Tigers lingered near the lower reaches of the table, before the rescue operation from Jaco Van der Westhuizen and Goode following the sacking of Deano. With other academy products moving on it tells you everything you need to know about Sam Vesty that he bounced back from this vote of no confidence. Becoming a full time fullback, filling out, developing a powerful defence and never losing belief in his skills.
Vesty’s renaissance at fullback was so successful that in the next season he played 23 matches including the losing final vs Wasps at Twickenham. Much like Brett Deacon and Ellis, Vesty responded well to Pat Howard’s coaching and starred in the 2006-07 at fullback, often forcing Geordan Murphy to the wing. I’ll never forget Sam’s beaming smile after the quarter final in Dublin that year, chatting away with some school friends about 45 minutes after the final whistle of a destruction of the top seeds. That day was a great example of the value of homegrown players. Ollie Smith’s finest hour but not a bad one for Sam either.
As most reader’s that have got this far will know, Sam’s career seemed to be on the wane under Marcelo Loffredda and then Heineke Meyer, but once Richard Cockerill took charge, he returned to the twenty-two and got his chance during the six nations period. Playing as fly half inside Aaron Mauger for an away match at Wasps, sparking a change in playing style and then alongside Flood as the exciting season run in began. Injuries to Mauger, meant Sam got plenty of game time and then as Flood went down in the late stages of the thrilling Semi-final draw in Cardiff, Leicester turned to Vesty to lead the team. Sam starred in some key moments during the run-in especially a match winning kick away at Saracens a strong performance in the Premiership semi. He kept his nerve as we beat London Irish in the play-off final and enjoyed an excellent first half at Murrayfield as a thin lead was taken over Leinster. Unfortunately, injuries to other playmakers like Murphy and a key ball carrier in Crane left too much to do and the last 15 minutes of that match were a big frustration as Elsom and O’Driscoll’s men squeaked home.
A silver lining for Vesty was a place on the England tour where he ended up gaining 2 caps. Following the excitement of touring, Sam was initially reported as suffering a hamstring tweak. A nightmare 6 months out followed as the hamstring came off the bone and several comebacks were stalled. The Tigers squad moved on at pace and as often happens with these types of injuries combined with a lack of pre-season training, it is difficult for players to get back in. With a few months of the season to go the bombshell was dropped that Sam was off to Bath. Ending his career with Tigers. For now…
In many ways they’ve been an unlucky trio. Sometimes unfashionable, sometimes suffering nasty injuries, missing opportunities, having to work their way into the coaches’ thinking as big name signings arrived. Even Ellis had to fight for his place most of his career. Some of my favourite memories of these three are from weeknight development games. Brett Deacon led the team on many occasions, instilling the hard working Tigers’ ethos into a younger generation. So many players in Brett’s situation would have spent their career agitating for a move or complaining at the unfairness of it all, it is hard to measure what it has brought to the club having his character behind the scenes. Vesty and Ellis have of course played development XV rugby as well, especially this last season. The attitude they brought to that winning team was superb. The contrast with the Primadonnas they could have been is dramatic. Why should a Lion bother to play on a Monday night against some up and coming kids? How hard must it have been for Vesty to motivate himself to play in those matches after leading us to Edinburgh? I’m sure all three have felt massive frustration when not involved in the first team. But you would never tell from their professionalism, desire and sense of fun in development matches. That’s why those games sit in my mind. I look at the poor attitude, dissent to management or plain lack of interest from out of favour players at other clubs and in other sports (think I’m back to Leicester City again) and the contrast with how these three conducted themselves makes me proud of our boys.
Brett, Sam, Harry. I salute you. Leicester Football Club will continue without you, a new generation will have their day. But I will never forget seeing my generation living the dream.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:10:30:09:44:15 by TigerChick.
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![[:wor kid:]](/phorum-5.1.15/mods/smileys/images/13.gif "[:wor kid:]")
Lovely article, thanks very muchSeems an appropriate time for the article with Sam's return on Saturday.
What a great time to be a rugby fan the early years of professionalism have been.
Of my own era: Paul Dodge,; Marcus Rose; Steve Redfern; Stuart Redfern;Wayne Richardson; Angus Collington; & Dosser Smith. All of whom would have struggled to recognise me in the changing room let alone now!
Thanks Duncan
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