LEWIS MOODY left his former England team-mate and captain in Martin Johnson in tears with an emotional speech.
The England legend has opened up on being diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease.
Moody, 47, made an appearance at Welford Road to cheer on his former side, the Leicester Tigers.
The Tigers were in action as they beat Moody’s other former club Bath 22-20.
The retired flanker was given a standing ovation by the fans as his two sons Dylan, 17, and Ethan, 15, watched on.
He made a touching speech to the 17,000 people in attendance for the match.
The speech even caused the 2003 World Cup-winning captain Johnson to get emotional as he could be seen wiping away tears.
Moody was asked about Johnson’s tears and he could only joke that he “must have had a dodgy drink”.
In his speech, he revealed he will start taking on charity challenges in the near future.
He also admitted that he had struggled to accept the diagnosis that has struck rugby before, as it led to the deaths of Doddie Weir and Rob Burrow.
Moody said: “It has been 15 years since I got to set foot on this pitch and this is truly special.
“It’s been a tough few weeks but the love and support I’ve been shown has been second to none. I feel it deeply.
“I had 15 years at Leicester, and many years before that sat in the stands.
“Then I got the privilege of going to Bath as well.
“When people ask me who I support, Bath is my home, I’ve been there 15 years, my son is a mascot there and they love it.
“But Leicester is always my rugby home. Rugby Union is great at times like this.
“They have their arms around you in an embrace and I certainly feel that love.”
Moody was a part of the famous England team that won the World Cup in 2003.
He earned 71 caps for the Red Roses between 2001 and 2011.
He spent the majority of his club career at Leicester and certainly left a positive impression.
The Tigers’ chief executive Andrea Pinchen hailed Moody as he also had a say to the fans.
He said: “Trophies and awards tell you what an incredible player Lewis was, but that is only half the story.
One minute he’s parading around with the World Cup trophy and the following Friday he’d be in the ticket office, answering the phone to supporters if we were really busy and helping sell tickets.
“As an individual, his commitment to his club along with his warmth and passion shone through, which endeared him to team-mates, staff and supporters alike.”
