men’s rugby
gallagher premiership league
Jack van Poortvliet, the scrum-half for Leicester Tigers, confesses that it was highly unpleasant to witness their fierce East Midland opponents, Northampton Saints, celebrating their Gallagher Prem victory on the pitch at Twickenham.
The disappointment was intensified because the Saints had secured their spot in the final by defeating Leicester 45-31 in the PREM semi-finals. However, the England international highlights that the Tigers, reigning champions of the PREM Rugby Cup from the previous campaign, are determined to capture that championship sensation themselves in the coming months.
The 25-year-old Van Poortvliet, entering the last year of his contract at Welford Road, is convinced that the Tigers possess a roster capable of contending for trophies this term, starting with their opening match against Saracens later this month. “Observing another team raise the Prem trophy, particularly the side that knocked you out in the semis, is hard to swallow,” he remarked. “Nevertheless, our motivation is to claim the title for our own success, rather than simply preventing another club from doing so.
“There is a genuine champion mindset within our group, even though we didn’t quite make it last year. Now, the challenge is to execute on that potential, and surveying our squad in the locker room gives me absolute faith that we can go all the way.
“Falling short in a semi-final is always painful. Personally, I have experienced defeat in two semi-finals and one final throughout my playing days. On the other hand, we understand the incredible sensation of lifting the trophy, and that is the feeling we are pursuing,” he explained.
According to Van Poortvliet, the integration of new staff members Craig Childs, Rod Seib, Craig Newby, and Freddie Burns alongside Geoff Parling’s coaching setup has offered the squad a very clear path forward.
“We accomplished several positive things to reach the stage we did previously, but it is obvious we still have plenty of progress to make to reach our ultimate target. There have been several fresh faces among the playing group and coaching staff.
“These new coaches have introduced fresh perspectives and techniques. As we head into this season, we possess absolute clarity regarding what must be done,” Van Poortvliet concluded.
