David Denton: Leicester Tigers sign Scotland forward for start of 2018-19 season

David Denton joined Worcester Warriors from Bath in the summer

Leicester Tigers have signed Scotland international David Denton for the start of the 2018-19 season.

Denton will join from Worcester Warriors, for whom he has made 14 appearances so far during what will be a single season at Sixways.

The 28-year-old back row forward has won 36 caps for Scotland and has also played for Edinburgh and Bath.

"He is a top-quality player with a lot of experience at the highest level," Tigers head coach Matt O'Connor said.

"He has a useful skill set in possession, he is a physical player, he is a good age profile for us and is just the kind of player we've been looking to add to our options in the forward pack."

Denton - who won his first Scotland cap for 18 months when he came off the bench in Sunday's win over France - joins Warriors team-mate Will Spencer and Wasps forward Guy Thompson in joining the Tigers for next season.

Leicester are eighth in the Premiership and have lost 10 of their past 12 games in all competitions.

'Highly experienced and successful'

Mark Bakewell replaced Steve Borthwick as Bristol's forwards coach in February 2016

The Tigers have also appointed Mark Bakewell as their new forwards coach.

Bakewell has joined the club from Championship side Bristol, with whom he has been since February 2016, and replaces Richard Blaze who resigned for personal reasons in September.

The New Zealander has had a 23-year coaching career and was Bath's forwards coach between 2006 and 2009.

"We're incredibly pleased that a highly experienced, successful guy has decided to join the environment," O'Connor told BBC Radio Leicester.

"He's incredibly detailed, got a wealth of knowledge across several competitions and I think he'll add a very methodical, detailed and aggressive approach to what we're trying to do up front."

As well as Bristol and Bath, Bakewell has previously worked for French side Brive, Melbourne Rebels and Eastern Suburbs in Australia, Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath and Tonga.

His arrival sees a reshuffle in O'Connor's backroom staff, with development coach Brett Deacon, who had been in temporary charge of the forwards, now tasked with assisting Bakewell.