Dickens raring to get going at Tigers

LEICESTER Tigers new attack and backs coach Alan Dickens is excited about reuniting with the multitude of players he coached while in charge of England U20s.

- BEN JAYCOCK

Dickens joins new head coach Dan McKellar having spent the past four seasons as lead coach in the England U20s programme.

Prior to joining England, Dickens spent nine seasons as part of the coaching team at Northampton Saints which included roles with the club’s academy programme, attack and defence duties and was interim head coach for the latter part of the 2017/18 campaign.

Dickens also worked as defence coach for England Saxons in 2016 after spending a decade as a professional player representing Sale Sharks, Leeds Tykes, Saracens and Northampton.

Australian McKellar leads a new-look Leicester coaching team taking over from interim head coach Richard Wigglesworth, who held the vacancy last season following Steve Borthwick’s move to England in December.

Brett Deacon will lead the Tigers in the breakdown and contact area, while Matt Everard is chosen as the defence coach.