Leicester Sort Themselves Out.

Former Wallaby Pat Howard is returning to
English Premiership club Leicester as backs coach as part of a management shake-up which sees interim boss John Wells installed permanently as head
coach.

Another former Tigers player, ex-England international Richard
Cockerill,
is also rejoining the club, as assistant forwards coach.

Wells was appointed as interim coach after Dean Richards was
sacked in
February.

His appointment on a permanent basis follows the failure of
Leicester’s
attempts to lure South African Nick Mallett away from Stade Francais.

Wells said he was delighted that the uncertainty over
his future
had been ended.
“There has been a lot of too-ing and froing and speculation
over the last
three months, but I have been extremely pleased with the way that the
team has
performed.

“I’ve been at the same club for 23 years. I’m proud to have
been associated
with an organisation that has always aspired to be the very
best.”

Both Howard and Cockerill join the club from French side
Montferrand.
Cockerill will combine his duties with a playing role, while Howard
returns
purely in a coaching capacity.
“It’s an interesting position, and a good transition out of
the playing
side of things,” said Howard who was Leicester’s midfield
general when they
won three titles in three years upto 2001.

He admitted it had been a wrench to give up playing after a career
in which
he won 20 caps for Australia, as well as playing Super 12 for the ACT
Brumbies.
“It was a very difficult choice not to keep on playing, but
this new role
is a personal challenge for me.

“I questioned whether it was worth staying at Montferrand as
a player for
another season, but Leicester has a great infrastructure and an
ability to do
wonderful things.”

Cockerill added: “I still feel I’ve got a bit of playing time
left in me,
but I will also assist the forward coaching and be the forwards coach
for the
development team, so hopefully I can help the younger players bridge
the gap
from the Academy into the first team.

“The club has always had a very proud tradition, and I feel
strongly about
that.”

Martin Johnson, the former England skipper who captains the
Tigers, was
delighted to see Howard and Cockerill back at the club, which won
back-to-back
European Cups in 2001 and 2002 but is currently struggling in the
bottom half
of the English Premiership.

“Pat brings a wealth of experience to the backs, while
Cockers will have
picked up a valuable insight into forward play from his time in
France, which
I’m sure will be useful to our pack,” Johnson said.

AFP – 2004.