When head coach Steve Borthwick approached Hanro Liebenberg asking him to captain Leicester Tigers, he received a measured response.
“I said, ‘I’m not a fiery character, I won’t make guys smash their heads against the wall,'” the 6ft 6in (1.98m) back rower said and 17th 5 pounds (110 kg).
“But the players know who I am, what kind of player I am. You have to lead by example, it’s something I strongly believe in.”
Liebenberg was always going to be compared to his predecessor as Tigers skipper as he took over ahead of a new season.
England prop Ellis Genge is one of the big names in English rugby today, a fiercely competitive, passionate and sometimes abrasive presence.
These characteristics were symptomatic of Leicester’s triumph last season, their first for nine years, and only two years after facing relegation in the face.
Genge and Liebenberg, respectively captain and vice-captain in this campaign, have themselves said that they are very different people. But Genge, the louder and more feisty character, worked well with the more thoughtful South African.
“I learned a lot from Ellis, but we’re all different,” Liebenberg said. “There is no recipe for what a captain should be.”
His calmer nature doesn’t mean any authority is lost, but he’s aware he needs stronger characters in the dressing room on certain occasions.
“I rely on other guys to replace me. I know we have the players who can help me do that,” Liebenberg added.
“It was a huge relief when Steve asked me [to be captain]. I told him that I would make mistakes, that I would make a mistake and that I had to be held accountable when I did.”
Complete “The Underdog Story”
Liebenberg has fascinating insight into the Tigers turnaround. He joined from the South African side of the Bulls in 2019, at the height of their struggles. They had just finished 11th in the Premiership and in his first season were bottom until Relegation of the Saracens for violation of the salary cap.
He didn’t remember the glory days as experienced Leicester players such as England duo Dan Cole and Ben Youngs, but neither was he part of a new generation of exciting talent that emerged under Borthwick.
He was a vital and ever-present part of the Tigers’ Premiership-winning campaign, a reliable player who can play in the back row. He also scored their first try in that memorable final victory over Saracens.
“If someone told me that we had made the transition since I joined [to champions]I would have said there was no chance,” Liebenberg added.
“What we have achieved as a team has been exceptional. It takes a whole club, the players and the staff, to commit to something.
“The whole season we had an underdog mentality. The full-time whistle weightlifting sense was amazing; we finished the underdog story.”
Borthwick’s simple but powerful philosophy – to be better every day – has had a profound effect on the players and staff at Mattioli Woods Welford Road. It’s something Liebenberg says he and the rest of his teammates believe in.
“Steve challenges us every day and every week,” the 26-year-old said. “If your aim is to win the Premiership, you will be wrong. He tells us to focus on now.
“If you do your basics, improve by 1% every day, those big goals will work out.”
Tigers have a “target on their back”
Borthwick was full of praise for his new captain, who he described as “the obvious choice” for the role.
“In any leadership position you have to play well and train well. He consistently plays at such a high level and trains at an incredible level,” Borthwick said.
“Then you look at his understanding of the game, the influence he has on other players and the relationships he has. He’s brilliant in all of that.”
Leicester must now defend their title. For those who have followed the Tigers in recent years, it is no surprise that this is not discussed until their opener against Exeter on September 10.
“We’ll have a target on our backs, but we still have that underdog mentality,” Liebenberg said.
“People will tell us it was by chance, it was unique. We want it, we’re just going to go about our business, work every week and hopefully have those memories again.”
It will be a challenge for Liebenberg, just the second non-England captain in Leicester history, to repeat last year’s exploits.
The prestige of being a club captain doesn’t escape him, but he doesn’t find it intimidating.
“Sometimes there is an extra weight on my shoulder,” he added. “There are so many great captains this club has had. If only I could leave this club in a better place, I will be a happy man.”
