Wells on Leicester, loyalty and raising a child with autism

"Forgive the mess," Harry Wells says as we enter his house in South Leicestershire.

It's a busy, warm and loving home, which he and his wife Lilla are renovating. In the living room, their three sons are playing.

It is Wells' testimonial year for Leicester Tigers, a club which he has served since he was 16 and has made over 200 appearances for. He also has one England cap to his name, earned in 2021.

Being given a testimonial, a year of events that will raise money for him and his chosen charities, is a mark of the dedication and loyalty he has shown his boyhood club.

There's a 10-year period in Tigers history where he is the only player to have come through their academy and stayed.

But it is in his home where you see the biggest dedication he has made in his life - to his family.

He was 22, and wife Lilla 20, when they had twins Oscar and Theo. Now 10, Oscar was diagnosed with autism as a small boy.

"I think when you hear the word autism or autistic, you have a perception of what it is or what it could be," Lilla tells BBC Leicester.

"We have a version in our mind - but the spectrum is never ending. Everyone is different, in our own ways.

"We were so young, it was such a shock, and we had to learn so much - but we nailed it."

Oscar is very friendly and welcoming, as are Harry and Lilla's other sons, Theo and Zach. They chat to us while playing - Oscar is open and engaging about life with autism.

He requires different schooling, and a high level of care. There is not much rest for the couple, who met 13 years ago, but as Harry says, they "wouldn't change it for the world."

"He likes being independent, doesn't he?" Harry says to Lilla.

"He's completely obsessed with Minecraft. He can tell us absolutely anything about it, like he's artistic, he's organised in his own way, isn't he?"

Lilla added: "He likes to mimic, that's how he learns best, so sometimes he's got a bit of an American accent, which is good fun, isn't it? He's so loving.

"When he was young it was hard. He wanted to do everything independently, and he's starting to learn that he needs his parents, and his siblings, but he's a real leader, and he's great fun."

Harry and Lilla Wells met 13 years ago, and have been married for 10

Wells' first exposure to rugby was, as he describes it, "a cliche" for those of his generation.

Brought up in Peterborough, he was a very good hammer thrower, but a failed footballer and runner.

He admits he "got in trouble quite a bit for fighting" at school, with sport a vital outlet.

"The first game I ever watched was the 2003 World Cup final," he said. "I remember walking through the shopping centre with my mum, and there was a recruitment drive from the local rugby club.

"They said, 'oh, you're a big lad for 10', so I think it would be good for you to go along and have a look."

The 6ft 5 second rower is a big lad for 32 now, and after initially being dropped from the academy, at 16 he re-joined Tigers.

The academy is famed for bringing through incredible talent for club and country, including Martin Johnson, Tom and Ben Youngs, and current England talents like Freddie Steward and Ollie Chessum.

"You turn up for sessions which are notoriously tough, and you are challenged immediately by the older lads," Wells added.

"You can't moan about anything. You've got to wear black boots, and you've got to keep your head down and just graft.

"That was the kind of philosophy that everyone shared. You're trying to create an environment which reflects the culture and ethos, and they want to play the game."

He made his debut in 2013 at the age of 19, and has been a regular fixture for Tigers ever since.

Wells has seen both the old world, and the new of Welford Road.

He started with Tigers, under Richard Cockerill, famed for their abrasive attitude to training and competing. Today's environment is slightly different.

From Ben Youngs' debut in 2009, to the 'Class of 2019' with Steward, Chessum, Jack van Poortvliet and George Martin - amongst many others - he is one of few to have made it, and remained.

"There's a big gap of players that came through the academy either side of me," he said. "I have kind of fallen in the middle, I've got relationships with both kinds of groups.

"I probably fell in more with the older bunch, just having experienced a similar kind of environment, but I am still able to get on with everyone, and understand what both sets of players need."

Harry Wells came off the bench when Leicester beat Saracens in the 2022 Prem Final

Wells' position as one of very few young players to come through their system was highlighted as a reason for their dramatic fall from grace a few years ago.

The club, always so dedicated to it's academy, moved away from it, focusing on recruiting players from outside. It didn't work.

They finished second-bottom of the Prem for two seasons in a row. Saracens' relegation for salary cap infringements probably saved English rugby's most successful club from a humiliating relegation.

Wells says he is well aware of the "bumps in the road" the team faced, but never once considered leaving.

Steve Borthwick's arrival began to change their fortunes, and led to them winning the title in 2022.

"The thing that immediately struck me was [Borthwick's] attention to detail, and the conversations you'd have with him one-to-one," he said.

"He always had a plan, he always saw the bigger picture."

To have been part of the team that won the Premiership in 2022, he says "was incredible".

Despite a nervous 15-12 win, won famously by Freddie Burns' drop goal, Wells says he "never thought we were going to lose the game."

Wells has one England cap, earned in a summer match against Canada in 2021. He found out he had been called up by Eddie Jones while heading into the cinema with his family.

He has made over 200 appearances for Leicester in 13 seasons, and has been one of their most dependable players. But there have been no further England caps, or international call-ups.

He has been competing with some of the best-ever England second rowers, including Maro Itoje, and team-mates Chessum and Martin.

"It's one cap more than a lot of players are going to get, so I'm incredibly proud to have played once," he admitted.

"If you look at the calibre of second rows that we have at the club, let alone England, then it's going to be difficult to get those opportunities.

"It would have been nice to play more for England, but it's not surprising when you look at the quality of players."

Harry Wells with his three sons Oscar, Theo and Zach

Wells is now looking to the future, under the leadership of a second row he idolised as a academy product.

The club, under Geoff Parling, is in a "very good place", he says.

Just as well, he's got a kitchen to do up, a busy family life, and a testimonial to help organise.

He's got dinners, a ladies' night, and even a calendar featuring the Tigers players in different states of undress.

"I'm not really used to attention," Wells says, "I kind of go about my work quietly. So it is nice to feel appreciated.

"I came to Leicester when I was 16 and I've stayed ever since. I've spent half my life here and I've loved every single minute.

"You can't go anywhere without seeing a Tigers shirt, which just speaks volumes about the kind of place that we live in, and that you can just have a massive impact on people's lives.

"It's something that I'm immensely proud of."

Part of the funds from the testimonial will go to the National Autistic Society, and a local charity helping disabled children.

The calendar, in case you were wondering, will be featuring mostly forwards.

"A proper bloke's calendar", Wells cheekily says.