DAN McKELLAR

The Australian coach wants to create a new history for Leicester Tigers

- Alan Dymock

HUMANS DON’T like too much change. That’s something Dan McKellar was aware of as he came into the Leicester Tigers set-up in the summer. Having served as a Wallabies assistant coach, and as Brumbies head coach from 2018 to 2022, he knows all about jobs under the strongest spotlights.

But whatever the expectations or reputation you are coming in with, you have to be aware of where you’re heading to.

“I spoke to both staff and players from day one around change,” McKellar explains to Rugby World. “Change creates a little bit of stress. It creates a little bit of anxiety. And I wanted to put their minds at ease.

“I didn’t need to rip things up or put the broom through the club because the club is in pretty good shape after the last couple of years. It wasn’t me coming into a club that was underperforming by any means. I was really respectful of what’s happened over the last few years. But what I did talk about is that I’m driven to get the best out of myself and my staff every day, and that’s something that won’t change. We will tweak some things and we’ll get better in some areas. Because the reality is we need to be better.”