Wales trio Wainwright, Cracknell and Reffell start Leicester’s opening three Premiership games

Aaron Wainwright, Olly Cracknell and Tommy Reffell have started Leicester’s first three Premiership matches this season, a combination that produced wins over Newcastle and Gloucester and a narrow defeat to Saracens. All three have played international rugby for Wales in 2026.

Wainwright and Reffell have been used as flankers with Cracknell at number eight, and the trio—who had never played together before—have started all three of Leicester’s league games. Wainwright said on the Scrum V podcast: "I think we've complemented each other well and gone out gone about our business, so it's been enjoyable to get stuck in." Reffell added: "Both Crackers and Waino are physical, dynamic players, but their knowledge of the game is also excellent, being at the right place at the right time. They know when to carry, so seeing them do that in the Premiership has been great." Aaron Wainwright scored his first Leicester try in the 38-31 victory against Gloucester.

Wainwright arrives at Welford Road after almost a decade with Dragons and a nine-year Wales career that comprises 70 internationals, a Grand Slam title and two Six Nations triumphs, and appearances at two World Cups. He moved to Leicester as part of a wider influx of Welsh players into the Premiership that includes Dewi Lake, Jac Morgan, Louis Rees-Zammit, Dafydd Jenkins, Tomos Williams, Nicky Smith, Rhys Carre, Archie Griffin, Tomas Francis and Christ Tshiunza.

Off the field Wainwright shares a lift with Reffell and fly-half Billy Searle. He said: "Reff is keeping keeping me company in the morning, so he's doing a good job of helping me settle in. He has helped introduce me to everyone and it felt a bit like it was a first day at school. I was nervous but everyone's been welcoming and I feel I have settled in." Team-mate Gabriel Hamer-Webb described Wainwright's impact: "He moves like a back and hits like a forward. He has this engine on him that just does not stop and that's part of the Leicester Tigers DNA. He's also got that soft touch that you saw when he assisted me against Saracens with that great pass. I have seen him play before but to be on the same pitch as him and see how he moves, he is phenomenal." Wainwright also recounted a fans' encounter after the away win at Newcastle: "I saw some of the fans and there's a few that had the headbands and wigs on and I had a photo. One of them just snuck me a packet of Welsh cakes to take home on the bus. That was a nice touch."

Wainwright has business and coaching ties in Wales; he opened a cafe in Newport and taken a director of coaching role at his boyhood club Whiteheads RFC despite living in a Leicestershire village almost three hours away. His record at Dragons was 33 victories, 97 defeats and eight draws in 138 matches. Leicester are preparing for the start of the Champions Cup away in Pau on Sunday; Wainwright has never played in the top-tier competition, having missed the only two Champions Cup games Dragons played while he was at Rodney Parade in 2020.

Olly Cracknell started for Wales at number eight against France in the 2026 Six Nations but was not included in the summer squad. Cracknell’s pathway included a 2017 call-up by Warren Gatland without a debut, signing for the Exiles programme at 16, moving to north Wales at 19, representing Wales Under-20s and attending the World Cup in New Zealand. He left Ospreys for London Irish in 2021 and moved to Leicester the following summer after London Irish's demise; Tandy, who was Cracknell's first Ospreys coach, recalled him to the Wales squad and Cracknell made his debut aged 31 as a replacement in the 52-28 defeat by Argentina in November 2025. On his route back to international rugby he said: "It was such a long journey. I wasn't born in Wales, but I signed up for the Exiles programme when I was 16. I was always proud of that side and I moved to north Wales when I was 19. I played for Wales Under-20s and went to the World Cup in New Zealand. I was involved in the Six Nations squad in 2017 but did not play. When it came back around with Tandy, who gave me my first professional contract, it was a full circle moment and probably my proudest achievement. There was a time where I didn't think I'd get another rugby contract, so to get back and have that first game was an experience I never thought I'd have."

Tommy Reffell is a one-club player who joined the Welford Road academy at 15 and made his senior debut at 17; he was player of the match in the Newcastle victory and engaged in a noted duel with Jac Morgan in the recent Leicester-Gloucester meeting. Sam Warburton, commentating, said the Welsh starting back-row should be Morgan, Reffell and Wainwright. Tandy left Reffell out of two Wales squads in the 2025-26 season and did not include him when Morgan was ruled out through injury; Reffell, 27, returned for the summer series and made an appearance from the replacements' bench in the 43-0 defeat by South Africa. He captained Leicester in last season's Premiership Cup final win against Exeter and said: "As a professional rugby player, you never want to accept those decisions. You always want to keep pushing yourself to get better. All you can control is yourself and what you do. There's no point complaining and worrying about it. It's about getting yourself in the right space of mind and place to continue banging on the door and hopefully get your shot to get back in there."

Wainwright and flanker Jac Morgan are described as certainties for Steve Tandy's Wales Nations Championship squad to be announced on 20 October, with the pair likely to fill two of the three starting spots; Reffell and Cracknell are performing well enough to be considered but face strong competition for selection from a wide pool of back-row options. Leicester's immediate next match is the Champions Cup fixture away in Pau on Sunday, and Wales' squad for the Nations Championship will be confirmed on 20 October.