Jordan Crane says the young Leicester Tigers players gaining their first tastes of Aviva Premiership action in the opening four weeks of the season will be better for the experience.
Tigers have been hit by injuries and unavailability in the opening rounds of the campaign which has presented opportunities for members of the development squad and Academy graduates.
In the front row – where Tigers have been without the international experience of Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, Michele Rizzo and Logovi’I Mulipola – Riccardo Brugnara has made his Aviva Premiership debut, Tom Bristow started his first league game for the club and Academy graduate Tiziano Pasquali has added to his Aviva Premiership appearance from last term with three more as a replacement. In addition, 22-year-old Fraser Balmain has started all four games on the tighthead side of the scrum.
With second rowers Ed Slater, Brad Thorn, Louis Deacon and Geoff Parling unavailable through injury, Sebastian de Chaves has been involved in the four Aviva Premiership games this season after making one previous league start. While at centre, where Tigers have been missing the likes of Anthony Allen, Manu Tuilagi and Seremaia Bai, Javiah Pohe has made his debut.
And Crane said that the players, and the squad, would be better in the long-run for the experience.
“We have a lot of new guys at the moment who are coming in and getting experience,” said Crane, as Tigers focus their attention on Saturday’s Aviva Premiership trip to Gloucester Rugby. “These games are building experience for them every time they are playing.
“They are going to learn, and they are going to learn, and they are going to learn. So next time this comes around, hopefully it won’t happen, but we are in a better position for it.”
Tigers have been hit by injuries and unavailability in the opening rounds of the campaign which has presented opportunities for members of the development squad and Academy graduates.
In the front row – where Tigers have been without the international experience of Marcos Ayerza, Dan Cole, Tom Youngs, Michele Rizzo and Logovi’I Mulipola – Riccardo Brugnara has made his Aviva Premiership debut, Tom Bristow started his first league game for the club and Academy graduate Tiziano Pasquali has added to his Aviva Premiership appearance from last term with three more as a replacement. In addition, 22-year-old Fraser Balmain has started all four games on the tighthead side of the scrum.
With second rowers Ed Slater, Brad Thorn, Louis Deacon and Geoff Parling unavailable through injury, Sebastian de Chaves has been involved in the four Aviva Premiership games this season after making one previous league start. While at centre, where Tigers have been missing the likes of Anthony Allen, Manu Tuilagi and Seremaia Bai, Javiah Pohe has made his debut.
And Crane said that the players, and the squad, would be better in the long-run for the experience.
“We have a lot of new guys at the moment who are coming in and getting experience,” said Crane, as Tigers focus their attention on Saturday’s Aviva Premiership trip to Gloucester Rugby. “These games are building experience for them every time they are playing.
“They are going to learn, and they are going to learn, and they are going to learn. So next time this comes around, hopefully it won’t happen, but we are in a better position for it.”
