Leicester Tigers interim coach Richard Wigglesworth revealed that after his side’s significant 40-5 loss to Sale Sharks, he did not have to “flip over a table” to showcase that his side made some errors.
Wigglesworth has stepped in for Steve Borthwick, who took on the England head coach role at the end of last year. The 39-year-old former scrum-half subsequently retired from the game to take on the Tigers role in the interim.
Calm and calculated
Despite the recent big loss, the ex-Saracens stalwart claims he was calm in the changing room, and although he is a passionate person, he maintains that he wants to take a calculated approach.
“There were a few that were worried about me walking in the dressing room but I was calm enough, calm enough,” Wigglesworth said ahead of Leicester’s clash with Newcastle.
“I have been in changing rooms where you have been badly beaten and sometimes had a rocket and sometimes not. Has it affected what you have done the next week? Not so much… I have been in plenty of them and I didn’t need to walk into that changing room and flip over a table for them to know that we got some things wrong.
“As a character, you would describe me as emotional. You know I am there, you know I’m around, I’d quite loud, but I’d like to think I have been in the game long enough and have had enough first-pumping coaches at different points to know that’s not what you want to do. That will not get the job done over a long period of time. Yes, I want to be calm and considerate but I want to be really authentic, to be myself with skill so I am going to try and upskill myself as much as possible.”
Informed by some of the best
Wigglesworth had a lengthy career with Sale, Saracens and finally Leicester, where he worked with several coaches – all of which have informed and influenced the coach he is.
“I have thought about this a lot: I have had so many good ones that if I name them I will feel like I am missing guys out because the people that I played under, their record speaks for themselves. So I have learned a load from when I first went to Sale to the brilliant coaches I had at Saracens to working under Steve,” he said.
“The reason I came to Leicester was Steve because I met him and he was like this guy I’d worked with at England – I knew he was good and got more than I bargained for. So I have been able to work under and for some elite coaches at club and international level.
“I have tried to take, steal and borrow all the best bits from them guys but it is me now standing in front of the players, it’s me trying to be the best coach I can be. It’s just trying to take the best learnings I can from them.”
Leicester sit in sixth place in the Premiership standings, and Wigglesworth will be hoping to get back to winning ways and climb into the top four that is only two points away.
READ MORE: Premiership: Kyle Sinckler returns for Bristol Bears while Danny Care starts for Harlequins against Sale Sharks
The article Premiership: Leicester’s Richard Wigglesworth keen to maintain calm approach to coaching appeared first on Planetrugby.com.
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