Aviva Premiership
Tigers keen to tie-up Slater deal
ESPNscrum Staff
January 15, 2011
Leeds' Scott Mathie is taken down by Leicester's Ed Slater, Leicester Tigers v Leeds Carnegie, Aviva Premiership, Welford Road, Leicester, England, September 25, 2010
Ed Slater chops down Scott Matthie of Leeds in one of his early appearances for the Tigers in September © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Pieter Myburgh | Geoff Parling | Ed Slater
Tournaments/Tours: Super Rugby | Aviva Premiership

Leicester are set to reward forward Ed Slater for his form this season by making him a permanent member of the Tigers squad.

The 22-year-old is currently on loan from Championship side Nottingham after Leicester brought him in at the beginning of the season to cover for injuries to Richard Blaze and Geoff Parling.

Slater has subsequently made 15 appearances this season - 11 as a starter - after Blaze retired and Parling was ruled out for the rest of the season. And the Tigers are keen to tie Slater, who can also operate as a flanker, to a full-time deal.

Leicester director of rugby Richard Cockerill told the Leicester Mercury: "We are discussing the situation with Ed and his representatives and are already a long way down the contract route. There is a very good chance that Ed will be with us next year on a full-time basis.

"We want him to stay and he would like to stay, so I am reasonably confident that he will be here next season. Ed has a lot of raw talent and we knew that when we took him on. He has also had an opportunity to play a lot of rugby which has helped his cause because we have been able to see what he can do under pressure."

Leicester are also keeping tabs on South African openside flanker Pieter Myburgh with Ben Woods out for three months with a broken wrist and Ben Pienaar ruled out for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles.

The 25-year-old plays for Western Province and the Stormers in Super Rugby but Cockerill is monitoring his availability. "He is still short of match fitness," said Cockerill. "We will continue to get him up to speed and have a look at him."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.

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