What does Air Jordan, a comic book e-book anti-hero, and a set of legendary departing Leicester Tigers gamers have in frequent?
They’ve all starred in a blockbuster ‘final dance’.
It was the theme of basketball legend Michael Jordan’s last wonderful season with the Chicago Bulls in 1997-98, and title of the docuseries, external that chronicled his profession.
The ultimate movie within the Venom trilogy, external, starring Tom Hardy, received the identical remedy when it was put up in Hollywood lights final 12 months.
Now Leicester are on English membership rugby’s greatest stage at Twickenham on Saturday to attempt to give a triumphant send-off to a solid of Tigers icons.
It has gone unsaid amongst gamers, however it has been acknowledged as “the final dance”.
Ben Youngs, a five-time Premiership winner with Tigers, and Dan Cole, who has 4 league crowns on his personal CV, will each retire at full-time.
They exit collectively as the 2 most capped males in English worldwide historical past.
Their long-time England team-mate Mike Brown – a two-time Premiership winner with Harlequins who has been at Tigers since early 2023 – can even bow out on the identical time.
Captain Julian Montoya can even depart the East Midlands facet, as will two-time World Cup-winning South African fly-half Handre Pollard and embellished head coach Michael Cheika.
Whereas Leicester’s Australian boss has played down the significance of what would be the last 80 minutes for a few of the membership’s best servants, the gamers themselves have felt the affect.
England scrum-half Jack van Poortvliet, who has been Youngs’ successor for membership and nation, says it has “100% been a component” that has spurred them on.
“It isn’t been one thing that we’ve actually stated out loud a lot, we do not say it earlier than video games, however everyone knows,” he advised BBC Radio Leicester.
“We take a look at one another and go ‘proper, it is their final dance’.
“You’ve got legends there, two particularly, that you simply correctly wish to do it for as a result of they deserve it for what they’ve given to the membership and the followers.
“They deserve a correct send-off with a win and a trophy. It’s one thing that has gone unsaid, however I undoubtedly really feel a part of it and I am positive loads of the boys do as nicely.”
