The ties that bind

How come so many Irish gems end up at Welford Road? EDWARD NEWMAN discussed the connections with Leicester’s chief scout Dusty Hare and ex-Lion Eric Miller

IT’s official – Leicester Tigers like to buy Irish. The product it appears seems to fit the profile of the club. They’re guaranteed honest, hardworking lads but one of the great legacies of the link between this country and England’s most successful rugby club is that the arrangement has proved mutually beneficial.

Dusty Hare is a name synonymous with the Premiership club, having represented the Tigers from 1976 to 1989 earning legendary status, but today he works as the club’s chief scout. He has helped a number of Irish players establish their careers at Welford Road – most notably Geordan Murphy – and has resuscitated the careers of others like Cork’s Frank Murphy, whose career stalled at Munster.