Tigers' Captain Ollie Chessum Secures Expedited Return Clearance
The Tigers new club captain Ollie Chessum has received approval to come back to domestic action against Harlequins this weekend. While the vast bulk of British & Irish Lions squad members are barred from returning to club play until a later date, the Tigers forward has secured an exception.
The 25-year-old, who spent time on the sidelines for much of last season, ended up starting sixteen matches and came on as a substitute on four occasions. Even though taking part in every Lions Test match facing the Australian side, the welfare oversight panel supervising the condition of star performers has permitted him to compete against Harlequins at their home ground in the next fixture.
Divergent Situations for Tour Colleagues
The Quins, in contrast, will have to do without Chessum’s Lions teammate Marcus Smith, who is required to postpone one more week until he can resume. In contrast to Owen Farrell, who was similarly absent for much of last season and returned for his club's first league match, Smith played in thirty-four games last season, including additional tour matches and is required to have a compulsory rest period.
Drive from Previous Loss
Chessum, on the other hand, is raring to go and demonstrate that Leicester can succeed during the upcoming term despite the loss of the head coach and a number of senior players. Leicester reached the Prem final at the end of last season, but Chessum states their crushing lopsided European pool defeat by the French side is the game that has provided their primary inspiration. “There was just a sense of ‘We are never going to that place again’. No matter how we prepare, regardless of how we are guided, regardless of strategy, we are not returning.”
“That was the worst defeat in the team's record and to acknowledge participation is humiliating really. So, it hurts. You will always look back and just ensure you never go through a outcome like that again.”
He continued, “I recall Cheik was emotional in the changing room. The explanation we were in the final last year was because of what happened after that match in Toulouse. There was a significant shift in the entire squad.”
Fitness Updates from Other Clubs
Bristol, meanwhile, have disclosed they have will be without starting playmaker AJ McGinty for nine months after he suffered a setback in their season opener over the Tigers. McGinty underwent an operation on his Achilles tendon on the identical day that his number nine Harry Randall required an operation on his hamstring. Randall will be back in the new year, while the return date for winger Gabriel Itoye, who similarly damaged his thigh versus the Tigers and needs surgery, is still to be confirmed.
Bath, on their side, have kept Max Ojomoh at stand-off for their match at the Rec facing Sale Sharks on Friday. The Sharks, who also made a winning start to the campaign in the initial fixture, have made two enforced changes to their run-on side, with two new faces stepping in for the injured Jacques Vermeulen and Rekeiti Ma’asi White correspondingly.
