Moody backs Tigers to help English roar in Oz

LEWIS MOODY believes Leicester’s Guinness Premiership title-winning stars can inspire England to a successful tour of Australia and New Zealand.

The Tigers defended their Premiership title on Saturday with a dramatic late victory over Saracens in an epic final at Twickenham. Dan Hipkiss sealed the 33-27 win with a try three minutes from time which epitomised Leicester’s famed never-say-die attitude.

Six members of the Tigers squad linked up with England for yesterday’s flight to Perth and the start of a five-match tour. “It is important we have guys in the squad who are part of a winning environment. It is going to be an exciting tour,” Moody said. “Ben Youngs, Tom Croft and Dan Cole performed awesomely in the final and it is exciting times with England with the likes of (Northampton pair) Ben Foden and Chris Ashton coming into the team. I am loving my rugby and it is exciting to have those guys buzzing around you.”

The Leicester influence on the England squad – particularly with Martin Johnson, John Wells and Graham Rowntree on the management team – is often criticised as being too strong.

But Youngs threw down the gauntlet to scrum-half Danny Care with an exceptional performance against Saracens, while Geoff Parling has forced his way into the 44-man squad after a standout season for the Tigers.

Moody was playing his last game for Leicester at the weekend before moving to long-time rivals Bath, who were desperate to tap into his winning DNA. “There is no secret. It is just hard work and tenacity,” Moody added.

Moody, Steve Thompson, Mike Tindall, Joe Worsley and Jonny Wilkinson are the only members of England’s touring party to have tasted Test match victory in Australia. Clive Woodward’s men smashed the Wallabies in 2003 and returned later that year to beat them again in the World Cup final.

England have enjoyed impressive one-off displays in recent years but without the level of consistency required to repeat that global triumph next year.

That is the challenge England face in Australia and Moody has demanded his side pick up where they left off in Paris, when they produced an encouraging performance against the Grand Slam champions.

“We have only won twice down in Australia and we need to build on the momentum from the France game,” he said.