Ben Kay’s forthright view on Leicester Tigers’ Premiership title ambitions and who he views as favourites

Leicester Tigers legend Ben Kay is refusing to write off his old club’s hopes of being crowned champions this season – but accepts leaders Bath are title favourites.

A World Cup winner, British & Irish Lion, England international, double European champion and six-time Premiership winner, Kay retired in 2010 as one of the most successful players in rugby history.

The highly-respected former lock is now a pundit for TNT Sport’s Gallagher Premiership coverage and naturally holds Leicester close to his heart.

The Tigers lie fourth in the table ahead of Friday’s crunch clash at East Midlands rivals and reigning champions Northampton on Derby Weekend.

Michael Cheika will aim to guide the Welford Road giants to title glory before departing the club at the end of the campaign after just one season in charge.

Backing Leicester Tigers for title onslaught

Kay told Planet Rugby: “Can Leicester have a real crack at winning the title? I think so.

“I don’t know how bad the injuries are to George Martin and Ollie Chessum, but it would be a huge loss to have them unavailable.

“I think Cheika’s style of rugby depends on tough, uncompromising players who can deliver to allow the backs to play a bit.

“You look at the make-up of the squad and Leicester are significantly weaker without Martin and Chessum in the team.

“Being without them might well hamper the Tigers, but Cheika is certainly the sort of bloke who can foster belief and get a team on a run to go on and achieve something pretty special.

“They’re in a very good position now to be in the play-off mix and Chek seems to have a winning mentality.

“When it matters, he tends to deliver the goods so for Cheika to win the title in his only season in charge would be an unbelievable achievement. It’s certainly not impossible.

“Having said that, I believe Bath are the team who could go on a long run of domination if they win the title this season, a bit like we’ve seen with Leicester Tigers, Wasps an Saracens over the years.

“Bath have a very big squad with quality in every position and they’re adding more quality next season, so they could take some stopping.

“But they need to get that monkey off their back and win the title this season first. If they do, domination could follow.

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“You must give Johann van Graan an enormous amount of credit because I know Bath have the budget that most sides in Europe would envy.

“But they had loads of brilliant players for a number of years and were still finishing down at the bottom end of the table.

‘I think it could be their time’

“Now they look the real deal – having turned the culture of the club around – and I think it could be their time.”

The Tigers, meanwhile, face a crunch trip to Franklin’s Gardens on Friday night to face their old adversaries and current champions Northampton.

“Traditionally Leicester have been the more physical side,” said Kay.

“Certainly when I was playing, we were the more dominant side but Northampton would stand up and save their best game of the season for when they played us.

“The physicality was always immense and the build-up was always exciting wherever you lived.

“I live in Market Harborough, which is basically on the Northamptonshire border, and encounter a lot of fans from both sides.

“A lot of the week leading up to a game between Northampton and Leicester would see a lot of discussion and debate so you can’t really escape it!

“But when you’re a Leicester player, you’re very quickly made aware that this is the fixture that matters the most – and I’m sure it’s the same at Northampton as well.

“How Northampton will play now – due to the brilliance of Sam Vesty’s coaching – means that there is a little bit more uncertainty as to how this week’s derby will pan out.

“Is it going to be a match where Northampton get their freeflowing game going?

“It could be a horrific scoreline for Leicester but equally, Northampton could try and overplay and that could play into the Tigers’ hands.

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“It’ll be a great atmosphere and a great spectacle under the lights on Friday night at Franklin’s Gardens.

‘What an atmosphere it will be’

“I’ve been trying to get some tickets for my son and I know it’s an impossible task! But what an atmosphere it will be.”

Friday night also sees Newcastle Falcons take on northern rivals Sale Sharks in another intriguing derby clash.

Kay reckons Falcons boss Steve Diamond would love nothing more than to turn over his old club at Kingston Park.

“It’s a massive potential banana skin for Alex Sanderson and his players, particularly off the back of the Six Nations and the Premiership Rugby Cup,” said Kay.

“Teams have no real momentum after such a long break from the Premiership and Newcastle played some really good rugby in the Prem Rugby Cup.

“They could have been in the final themselves and that will give them confidence going into the visit of Sale.

“It’s a huge game and probably one that I would imagine Steve Diamond has been targeting for a long time.”

Kay does not see Sale winning the title this year but reasoned: “They’re still just about in the mix for the play-offs.

“Another loss could change that, so it’s how they cope during the run-in.

“Sale have improved massively in recent seasons in the terms of its foundations and style of rugby, which is borne out by the better crowds they’re getting.

“It’s definitely in a much stronger place than it was four or five years ago.

“I don’t think they will win it this year, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were in a position to win it in the next couple of years.”

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