Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar discusses the Gallagher Premiership away game against Gloucester Rugby at Kingsholm in Round 7 of the 23/24 campaign.
“It was a good performance,” McKellar said.
“It took a while for the game to open up and I thought we were really disciplined in sticking to our game plan, with our kicking game and our defence and then we were able to score some tries, add some points of the back of it.”
Tongan international centre Solomone Kata was sensational off the bench for Leicester and was rewarded with the fifth and final try of the night.
“Tonight his role was to come off the bench, and that was tactical,” McKellar explained.
“We thought he could have an impact coming on in that last 30 minutes, like he did against Saracens and he certainly made a difference but I thought Dan Kelly and Matt Scott were excellent defensively as well."
Off the back of captain Julián Montoya’s return to the field, McKellar heaped praise on Leicester’s returning Rugby World Cup stars and their commitment to the club.
“It tip my hat to the boys,” McKellar admitted.
“They were away from home for a long time, there’s new language and systems to take on board so to come back in the way they have tells you everything you need to know about those boys desire to play in a Tigers jersey. “
After a patchy start, Tigers now sit just six points off the playoff positions, with Newcastle at home next up for McKellar’s charges.
“It takes time,” he insisted.
“We’ve got a new coaching group, new players at the club so I knew it was always going to be a tricky period at the start but we’re starting to build momentum now but the buy-in and attitude from the players has been first class since day one of preseason. “
