Leon Lloyd

[LeicesterImp]

I've just got back from a presentation from Leon Lloyd held by the accountancy organisation I'm a member of. It was really interesting and entertaining. It was good to see how driven he still is despite beiing forced to retire and not taking the easy route into the world of punditry. He played for Tigers during the glory years which I must admit were before my time as a supporter. What was he like as a player?

[Tiger_in_Birmingham]

I've just got back from a presentation from Leon Lloyd held by the accountancy organisation I'm a member of. It was really interesting and entertaining. It was good to see how driven he still is despite beiing forced to retire and not taking the easy route into the world of punditry. He played for Tigers during the glory years which I must admit were before my time as a supporter. What was he like as a player?

Pound for pound he was as strong as any back you'll see - whilst not the same raw power as Alex T due to a size difference he was deceptive - think Dan Hipkiss like ability to stay up in the tackle, a good step, and could gas people on the outside.

When he was a winger he was a good finisher but then someone moved him to centre - something I think was a bad move for him. Once there the coaches spent so long concentrating on bulking him up and improving his defence that his offensive skills went backwards IMO.

A great tackling machine, held his shape well, but could no longer beat a defender or offload out of the tackle (some might say he even struggled catching the ball)

[LeicesterImp]

I've just got back from a presentation from Leon Lloyd held by the accountancy organisation I'm a member of. It was really interesting and entertaining. It was good to see how driven he still is despite beiing forced to retire and not taking the easy route into the world of punditry. He played for Tigers during the glory years which I must admit were before my time as a supporter. What was he like as a player?

Pound for pound he was as strong as any back you'll see - whilst not the same raw power as Alex T due to a size difference he was deceptive - think Dan Hipkiss like ability to stay up in the tackle, a good step, and could gas people on the outside.

When he was a winger he was a good finisher but then someone moved him to centre - something I think was a bad move for him. Once there the coaches spent so long concentrating on bulking him up and improving his defence that his offensive skills went backwards IMO.

A great tackling machine, held his shape well, but could no longer beat a defender or offload out of the tackle (some might say he even struggled catching the ball)

Cheers Tiger in Birmingham. He said based on physical measures like bench press and squat, some academy players perform higher than he did at his peak playing for England! It's crazy how much the game has changed in a short time.

[drc_007]

Perhaps his best match?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWK6rRRvNu8

[GS]

For some reason a section of the fans turned against him and saw him as a whipping boy (no doubt if he still played the catering troubles would be down to him). If anything was going wrong it was Leon's fault. In one game Back fumbled the receipt of the KO and from the resulting plays a try was scored against Tigers. Nobody criticised Backy for a very basic mistake or a fumbled defensive lineout. A little later we started an attack on the left and in haste the ball was flung out to the left wing at above head height and in front of Leon who was going at full pace up the wing. He tried to catch it at full stretch but failed. The boos rang out and some around us went on for ages about him not being able to catch a cold - Backy couldn't catch a simple KO unopposed. A long way from the hero scoring the winning try in France in one of the greatest games ever (see youtube link above).

He was a nice guy and I don't understand why some turned against him. He had a good rugby brain and deserved better from the fans, the management saw it and he was a good team player for Tigers before he left to see his time out at Glaws. Last laugh? Scoring an intercept try in his first game for Glaws at WR, reading Goodey like a book - a book he'd been reading for years from the other side.

Once I asked a couple of guys next to us who would they hate if Leon left. They looked at each other and after a second or two replied in unison, 'Dan Hipkiss'. This before he broke into the 1st team.

Retired through injury, a knee I think.

[johnthegriff]

A fine player for Tigers very much under rated by a section of the fans. His try scoring record particularly in Europe proves his abilities, I remember having a discussion with Pat Howard re Leon and Ollie Smith, Pat asked me " do you pick your best attacking centre or your best defensive centre". Soon after with Ollie in the centre a knowledgeable person sitting near me in the Crumbie complained bitterly about Lloyd being a waste of space on the wing, couldn't catch couldn't defend, at halftime I pointed out that the winger was in fact Tom Varndell.

[Iain]

He became a scapegoat somewhat after losing confidence after a nasty stinger injury. Which is a shame as he was an excellent servant and an excellent clubman. Were it not for him we wouldn't have won our first Heineken Cup.

Dependable, solid and one of the best defensive backs we've had in many years.

[thebearisstilldeano]

Good to hear he is doing well.

A fabulous player - known with affection as "The Teflon Don" because of the way he could glide through tackles.

Anyone who was critical of Leon wasn't present in Paris for THAT game. (see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWK6rRRvNu8 at 1:35:20)

[Isambard]

I spoke with Leon on Wednesday evening at a dinner in aid of the Matt Smith and Tom Croft benefit year. Met in the doorway as he was just arriving, recognized him immediately and said in the usual daft way you do "You are Leon Lloyd, and I was there in Paris at that amazing match." which made it a slightly less a naff thing to say. He grinned and we shook hands.
He was there with Wig to support the do and to provide the question and answer session after the meal. With a match in Newcastle tonight the boys, Freddie Burns and Manu had to be on an early train back to Leicester.
Leon looked really well and was very funny talking about his rooming experiences with Austin and other rugby tales. Wig was very good too with ABC and Lions stories and reflections on his time in the England coaching set up. I imagine he will be joining a Premiership or Championship club for the next season.
I also came away with a copy of Neil Back's latest book "The Death of Rugby." Leon was a top player in my book in the long history of Leicester Tigers.

[Red Boots]

He scored THE try in THE match. Nothing else matters.

[Iain]

He scored THE try in THE match. Nothing else matters.

Correction. THOSE tries.

The first try just after half time was an absolute thing of beauty, made by PAt Howard and Geordan Murphy.

[Red Boots]

Ah but the timing made it THE try. Just as Tim's conversion from the touchline to take us more than a penalty/drop-kick clear made it THE conversion.

[Iain]

Ah but the timing made it THE try. Just as Tim's conversion from the touchline to take us more than a penalty/drop-kick clear made it THE conversion.

I'll accept that

Not just the greatest experience I have ever had watching Tigers, the greatest sporting experience I have ever been part of. And nothing will ever top it.

I bumped into Leon on a train a few years ago and thanked him for that day. He was beaming at the very thought of the day.

I also tweeted him the youtube link to the game as I uploaded it. He was delighted and tweeted me later to say he watched it all the way through for the first time and was really happy he had the opportunity to do so.

[GS]

I've never spoken to him, but I'm not surprised to read this, he always seems a down to earth guy.

[shedhead1]

Shedhead 1 here
I quote:
He was a nice guy and I don't understand why some turned against him. He had a good rugby brain and deserved better from the fans, the management saw it and he was a good team player for Tigers before he left to see his time out at Glaws. Last laugh? Scoring an intercept try in his first game for Glaws at WR, reading Goodey like a book - a book he'd been reading for years from the other side.

I was at the game against Tigers when LL scored and it was like the moment Denis Law scored a back heel goal for Man City against Man Utd - no celebration, read the situation well but not sure how to react. Good try mind.
Bob