But that was two years ago after his Tigers had beaten Harlequins in the cup final and, perverse as it may seem to say so in the first flush of their next success, it has taken a while and evidently will take a while longer yet.On the other hand, Bristol would be perfectly happy to be as self-critical if they, like Leicester, were winning things as opposed to talking about winning things. Sixth place is a serious disappointment not only because last season they were fourth but also because this season was heralded by the customary Bristolian loose talk.”A lot of our lads have to get more street-wise,” was how Derek Eves, the outgoing captain, explained the disappointment. Over the eight months his side subsided from promising beginnings, unable to cope with the debilitation of constant injury and, on this evidence, devoid of the slightest idea of how to use good ball. “We have to learn to score tries when the pressure is on,” Eves said.

At Leicester they never once looked remotely likely to score any.The difference with the Tigers could scarcely be more pronounced, since the champions’ triumph was based squarely on the strength of their squad just as much as on individuals, on their capacity to cover for the absence of key players. Saturday’s game was a case in point.Only now can it be seen how valuable their autumn rota system, criticised at the time and abandoned after Christmas, was in preparing them for the disruption caused by the dictates of England in the spring. “When all is said and done, we have players of ample capability to slot in and pull off victories such as this one, Richards said. “They have done us proud.”No one, though, has ever done Leicester prouder than Richards himself, who hesitantly conceded afterwards that he might just be willing to allow his name to go forward to carry on as captain if only someone would nominate him. For those of us wistful for times past, England’s iconic No 8 is the perfect throwback, a guy who still plays the old game for pure pleasure.Thus for Richards the reception accorded the Tigers when they took the field was louder and a lot better than its Twickenham equivalent and the winning of the league as precious an achievement as doing a Grand Slam with England.

This is precisely the attitude, giving club as great a primacy as country, that has made Bath so good for so long and could well be about to do the same for Leicester.Leicester: Try Potter; Penalties Liley 3; Drop goal Harris. Bristol: Penalty Tainton.Leicester: J Liley; S Hackney, R Robinson, S Potter, W Kilford; J Harris, A Kardooni; D Jelley, R Cockerill, D Garforth, P Grant, M Poole, J Wells, D Richards (capt), W Drake-Lee.Bristol: P Hull; D John, N Smith, M Denney, G Sharp; M Tainton, M Chudleigh; A Ozdemir, M Regan, D Hinkins, G Archer, M Fountaine, R Armstrong, I Patten, D Eves (capt).Referee: J Wallis (Bridgwater).COURAGE LEAGUEUPS AND DOWNSNATIONAL LEAGUE ONEChampions: LeicesterRelegated: NorthamptonNATIONAL LEAGUE TWOChampions: SaracensRelegated: Fylde, CoventryNATIONAL LEAGUE THREEChampions: BedfordPromoted: BlackheathRelegated: Clifton, ExeterNATIONAL LEAGUE FOURChampions: RotherhamPromoted: ReadingRelegated: Askeans (to League Five South); Broughton Park (to League Five North)NATIONAL LEAGUE FIVE NORTHChampions: WalsallNATIONAL LEAGUE FIVE SOUTHChampions: London Welsh. Garry Pagel, a loose-head prop who was banned for the season in 1993 for stamping on the face of the then French captain, Jean-Franois Tordo, during a tour match has been included in the 26-man South African World Cup squad announced yesterday. Pagel is one of four uncapped players: the others, all forwards, are Robbie Brink, Marius Hurter and Krynauw Otto.
Pagel probably owes his selection to a fine performance for Western Province against a shadow Springbok side on Saturday.

He is also able to operate effectively on either side of the scrum.Brink was preferred as a back-row selection to his Western Province captain, Tiaan Strauss, an experienced international.Pagel and Hurter have been selected ahead of the Western Province tight- head Tommie Laubscher, who played against Wales and Scotland last year, while Northern Transvaal’s Otto has been on two tours.Transvaal provide both hookers in James Dalton and Chris Rossouw, while Northern Transvaal’s captain, Adriaan Richter, has forced his way into the five-man back-row group with outstanding recent form.The selections among the backs are much as expected.Squad, Sporting Digest, page 32. SQUASH

England yesterday completed their double defence of the European team championship in Amsterdam, beating Finland 4-0 in the men’s final and the Netherlands 3-0 in the women’s final.
It was the 18th successive victory for the English women and a 20th win in 23 years for the English men. Sweden took the men’s title in 1980 and 1989, and Scotland took the 1992 title after beating England for the first time in the semi-finals.Scotland recovered from a disastrous start in the men’s qualifying rounds to finish seventh. The Scottish women did better, winning the bronze medal for the first time in a decade with a 2-1 win over Germany yesterday.Wales took fifth place in the men’s championship with a 10-7 games countback from a 2-2 draw with Germany, but the Welsh women could manage only 13th place.Results, Sporting Digest, page 32. GOLF

Seve Ballesteros and Jos-Maria Olazabal played superbly to win the Perrier Paris Pairs tournament at Saint-Cloud yesterday and then issued a warning to the American Ryder Cup team.
“Tell the Americans that we are alive and well – we want the Cup back as soon as possible and we are ready,” Ballesteros said as he looked forward to the meeting at Oak Hill, New York, in September.Olazabal added: “And make sure you tell them that we are in very good health.”The Spanish pair, who have won 11 and halved two of their 15 Ryder Cup matches together, won the Paris tournament with a 24-under-par score of 256 after shooting 62 in the last-round fourball.