For Leicester Tigers, the 2023/2024 campaign will be one that many will look back on with a strong sense of disappointment, with new head coach Dan McKellar promising a lot in terms of style but ultimately disappointing when it came to getting results on the board. It therefore came as little surprise to most when his departure after just one season was announced by the club, with an eighth-placed finish in the English Premiership table and a Round of 16 exit at the hands of eventual runners-up Leinster in the European Rugby Champions Cup deemed not enough for him to remain in his post.
His replacement, former Australia and Argentina head coach Michael Cheika, will be tasked with getting Leicester back to being a leading team both at home and abroad, and the early signs are positive as he has spoken openly about his desire to implement an attacking brand of rugby that allows his side to take games to their opponents whenever they have a chance to do so. His desires have been matched by the club’s transfer business during the close-season period, with a number of players being added to their ranks as they look to ensure that they can make last season a one-off.
One of those who has come in is centre Will Wand, who has joined from English Championship side Coventry and who impressed in the second tier last time out, with him garnering a reputation for being a destructive ball-carrier and for always providing a threat around the field. The fact that he was named as the second tier’s Players’ Player of the Year and was included in the league’s Team of the Season shows how much of an impact he had on Coventry’s positive campaign, and Leicester will harbour strong hopes that he will be able to replicate that at Welford Road. This tactical analysis will highlight in brief what Tigers fans can expect from their new arrival.
When watching Wand play, what immediately becomes apparent is that he has a talent for identifying space around the field, with him constantly spotting opportunities to break through opposing lines, and it is that that has made him so difficult to contain. In this case, he had realised that Coventry were shifting the ball towards the far side of the field and so held his position, knowing that Doncaster Knights would look to follow the ball and that there would be the chance of a gap ahead of him opening up.
It was a decision that ultimately paid off and which didn’t take too long to materialise, with Knights lock Evan Mintern not coordinating with those next to him and so leaving a sizeable space open in Wand’s vicinity, and that then allowed the centre to build speed and to carry the ball through the line once it had been sent back in his direction. At that stage, Doncaster were always on the back foot and were unable to halt Coventry’s progress, with Wand gaining a number of metres before sending second row James Tyas through to score the try.
The fact that he has this speed has really helped Coventry to be such a tough team to contain, with them having a fly-half in Tonga international Pat Pellegrini who can dictate the flow of games and a centre behind him who can react and who can spot opportunities to turn those phases of possession into points. With Leicester having a similar reliance on their standoff to control the tempo from central areas, they will really benefit from having a player with Wand’s qualities, and it is this that will make him a solid fit for their tactics.
It is not only about his work without the ball though, because he matches that with strong handling skills and clever passing. In this case, he has received the ball as it has been transferred across the pitch and Cambridge, who were promoted to the second tier after lifting the National League 1 (now known as National One) league trophy the season before last, are now looking to react and to try and prevent this situation from turning into a try.
At this stage, it looked unlikely that they would be able to achieve that, with Coventry having a numerical advantage over them, but what makes it impossible is the way that Wand holds onto the ball for a fraction of a second longer than some in this position might have done. By doing so, his intention is to force Cambridge’s Matty Williams into slowing down and committing to him, rather than continuing his run across the pitch. As soon as that happens, Wand then offloads the ball to fellow centre Tom Hitchcock, who is then able to ground the ball over the line.
It might seem like a trivial thing to point out in this scout report, but the key thing that it highlights is Wand’s intelligence with the ball in hand, with him recognising that his side were in control here but working to ensure that they had the best possible chance of converting their opportunity. This again will benefit him hugely in the Premiership next season, with it being a division in which teams are constantly punished for not executing well enough and for not taking their chances.
However, whilst it might seem that Wand has a constant desire to be front and centre of his team’s play, that is not the case and it is important to point out that he is just as capable of offering a supportive role too. There were plenty of occasions last season when he was behind the main attacking effort and when his task was to follow the ball but to not involve himself directly in moving it around the field.
This situation highlights that well, with Caldy leaving enough space open for flanker Obinna Nkwocha to run between them and Wand keeping his distance behind him, and this allows him to react if a passing option is needed in either direction and to be flexible to what might occur in the near future, using the anticipation that has been apparent throughout this analysis.
It also allows Wand to demonstrate his defensive qualities too, with him able to get to the ball quickly whenever it hits the ground and to ensure that the opposing side are not able to jackal possession when a tackle is made. This was clear to see in a number of games last season when he was the first player on the scene at a ruck and secured the ball for his side. It fitted in well with Coventry’s front-footed tactics and it will benefit Leicester too, with their key strengths being their ability to get over the ball and to limit their opponents’ ability to win it on the ground. Therefore, again, Wand will not need too long to adapt to his new surroundings, with it clear that his key qualities match what the Tigers will demand from him.
All in all, it is evident that acquiring Wand’s services is a smart move by Cheika’s side and that it could be one of the more underrated pieces of business ahead of the new campaign. It is a sign that the English second tier is a league full of riches if teams know where to look for them, and it will be interesting to keep an eye on Wand as the coming campaign develops to see if he can provide the boost that Leicester are in dire need of.