Leicester Tigers have made a bold move this summer with the signing of England internationals George Ford and Jonny May.

England players do not often switch clubs at the peak of their career, but to bring in two at a time says a lot for the continued pulling power of the Tigers.

Both deals will have taken a lot of work behind the scenes and both saw good servants of the club move in the opposite direction as Matt O’Connor sees his squad take shape.

The local media called the move for May as a ‘statement of intent’ and supporters will hope it can be a defining moment.

Holder of 27 England caps and with a prolific try-scoring record in a Gloucester side which has not always been in the thick of the contest for honours since his elevation from the academy there, May is an undoubted ‘catch’.

There is no substitute for pace, and he has pace to burn. He also provides the X-factor all teams look for in the age of ultra-organised defence and well-rehearsed playbooks.

With the likes of Ford, Youngs, Toomua and Tuilagi all prompting alongside him, May will be reasonably expected to increase his strike rate with the Tigers, which can only be good news for club and country.

And what better club to improve his emergency scrummaging technique too!