Richard Cockerill: 'Extra kicking training pays off for Freddie Burns'

Leicester Tigers director of rugby Richard Cockerill has said that Freddie Burns's extra kicking training has paid off.

Burns has been working with former England fly-half Paul Grayson to help his goal-kicking, and scored all 18 points in Leicester's win against Gloucester yesterday.

"Freddie came to see me a few weeks ago about selection and I said that while he was kicking at 60%, and Owen was kicking at 80%, Owen would play, because that's the difference in games and we saw that tonight," Cockerill told ESPN.

"If he had kicked at 60% we would have lost. He brought in Paul Grayson to work with him. I encouraged it but sometimes players have to work it out for themselves.

"Freddie is a bright lad and he works hard. We saw the benefit of that tonight. If Owen has been fit, Freddie wouldn't have started, but he has taken his chance."

Yesterday's victory saw Leicester rise to fourth in the Aviva Premiership table.