Full-back Mat Tait is hoping the battle for the No.10 shirt this season will bring out the best in Owen Williams and new signing Freddie Burns.
The Welshman had a stand-out debut campaign in Leicester colours and made 16 starts having dislodged Toby Flood as first-choice fly-half after Christmas.
Burns has arrived at Oval Park after agreeing a move from Gloucester. His final season at Kingsholm saw the 24-year-old struggle for consistency as the Cherry & Whites endured a tough campaign.
Williams will have the right to the shirt after ending last season in possession. But with him being banned throughout pre-season for a "contact with the eyes'' offence in the semi-final defeat at Northampton, Burns will have three games to show his worth before the Aviva Premiership opener against Newcastle.
And that throws another spanner in the works for what looks like being a really tough selection decision for director of rugby Richard Cockerill.
"Freddie has settled in and is doing fine," said back-line team-mate Tait. "This environment is a bit different to what he is used to training-wise, compared to Gloucester. But he is enjoying himself.
"He has got a real tussle with Owen and he wants that No.10 jersey – but hopefully that battle will bring out the best of them.
"They both like to attack and both have good kicking games.
"All of the new signings have been good. And there is also Seremaia Bai as a potential fly-half. He has been great so far in pre-season.
"He has managed every session so far, which is some effort at the age of 35. He is a really nice guy, too."
Tait says he is enjoying a pre-season time that he usually views as a "necessary evil" as Tigers look to open up their playbook.
"I feel all right at the minute. The fitness guys are pushing us hard but I am enjoying it," said Tait.
"We have started rugby earlier, too, which we will hopefully see the benefits of when we start playing games. We have done two or three extra rugby sessions compared with this time last year.
"It's giving us a better understanding of what we are doing and the way we want to be playing and taking our game on. We seem to be ahead of where we were last season.
"I don't mind pre-season here. The sessions are intense but they are not long, like they are at other clubs I have been to. It's a necessary evil.
"Last year, we didn't play to our instincts at times and that has been addressed this year.
"We have been doing a lot more unstructured stuff and playing off the cuff in the extra rugby sessions we have been doing. We will add to that when we get playing.
"I enjoy that because I prefer playing instinctively, spotting mismatches and having a crack."
