Robinson up for the pressure
Leicester Tigers new signing Lee Robinson says he is up for the pressure and challenge of playing for the Premiership champions.
Robinson joined the club from Bristol this summer and is looking to hit the ground running as he seeks to hold down a first team place at his new club. Playing at Leicester is also going to improve his chances of playing for England.
Leicester have one of, if not, the most talented squads in the entire Premiership and Robinson will have to work very hard to get a chance in the team. He'll also have to cope with the huge expectations of the Leicester fans.
Robinson has all of the right attributes to do well at his new club. However, if he makes more than a few mistakes when he's in the side, then he'll find himself out of the side after working so hard to get a chance.
Attributes
Robinson's game is built around pace and strength in the wide areas of the pitch. This allows him to get forward and burst through the opposition defence. He's also agile enough to spot a gap and run for it.
He's clearly very hungry to play and do well at Leicester. This makes the job of the coach much easier because it he won't have to worry about motivating Robinson for a top-flight game.
He's very versatile and doesn't seem to have a preference on the side of the field he plays down. He can switch wings easily or even move into the middle to play short spells in the middle of the team.
He said: "It is a challenge that as a player you certainly want to take on. I'm glad I did, I've had a couple of games already and certainly want to get some more. It is tough, I always knew that."
A few errors
A few errors will mean that Robinson will be out of the team just as quickly as he gets into the team. He has to concentrate and work on his focus because consistency is what will keep him in the side once he gets there.
Leicester are not a team short of good players and the coaches will not think twice about dropping Robinson if he produces a few bad errors during a game. All he has to remember is to do all of the basic things well and make sure he doesn't give away possession or miss a chance to score.
The likes of Will Hurrell will be just as determined as Robinson this season to do well. There is healthy competition for places but there is space to come in and make a real impression.
He added: "Alesana Tuilagi is a legend here and there are a lot of other good players in the squad competing for places, but it is a shot you have to take."
Betting advice
It is unlikely that Robinson will start in the Leicester side for their first match of the season. His first role in the team could be as in impact sub, coming off the bench late on in games.
Back him to score a try when he does feature. His pace out wide is often enough to get him beyond most defenders and once he starts scoring his confidence will rise.
There's no reason to change the way you were thinking if Leicester are your title favourites. They have a deep squad filled with quality that will only get better as the season goes on. In Richard Cockerill they have possibly the best coach in the country.
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