Sort out your attack, Neil Back tells Leicester Tigers, or win nothing

Leicester Tigers legend Neil Back says his former club must move with the times and improve their “woeful” attacking game – or face more trophyless years.
In 2013/14, the Tigers failed to qualify for the Premiership final for the first time in 11 years and yet again failed to deliver in the Heineken Cup, with a post-Lions hangover and a severe injury crisis partly to blame.
However, Back believes the problems are more deep-rooted than that and has called on the current coaching staff to make the Tigers less predictable.
“I think the pressure is on because Leicester did not play well last year and it was individual brilliance late on in matches rather than their attacking philosophy that won them a lot of games,” Back told The Rugby Paper.
“They have got a good set-piece and a pretty good defence but their attack philosophy has been woeful, in my opinion.
“From what I hear from talking to people within the club it was Matt O'Connor who ran the show in terms of how they played the game. It looks like they have struggled without him.
“The players are there and Freddie Burns joining will help, but that's as long as his individual flair is not coached out of him.
“There needs to be a change in thinking from the management and the senior players. At the moment Leicester are just too readable: the players are too restrained and there is not enough intensity and speed of thought in attack.”
While acknowledging the allure of playing for Leicester still exists, Back wonders whether the top players will still want to come to Welford Road if the side continues to play ‘dinosaur' rugby.
“To be honest I think this has been coming for a while, they've just got by in the past because of the club's tradition and the fact people still want to come to Leicester,” he said.
“They've had the pick of the best players, but I believe that is changing now because of the way that Leicester play the game.
“The game has moved on and you can't just rely on your set-piece and defence any more. If they don't change then I think next season could be a tough one for them.
“Saracens, for example, have really moved their attacking philosophy on, Bath were unlucky to miss out on the play-offs and will get better this year, as will Harlequins, and Northampton will be buoyed by winning the league.”
Back is looking for the right opportunity to get back into coaching after his career hit the buffers, through no fault of his own, at Rugby Lions.
In the meantime, he is an ambassador for charities such as The Prince's Trust, The Lord's Taverners and the NHS Stop Smoking campaign, while also supporting events closer to home.
These include Robbie's Rugby Festival, the largest 10s tournament in the Midlands, which began in 2009 in memory of teenager, Robbie Anderson, who died of a rare form of cancer at the age of 13.
Last year more than 20 teams and 400 players participated in the event and £10,000 was raised for the charity in Robbie's name and that of fellow Loughborough Grammar School Old Boy, Jake McCarthy, who died due to an undiagnosed brain tumour.
This year's tournament is on Saturday July 12.
For more information, visit: www.robbiesrugbyfestival.com
JON NEWCOMBE