By A38
#34405
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/08/31/press ... -31-08-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s pre-season friendly against Connacht at Sixways.

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On playing in front of supporters again

We are excited to welcome back our supporters to Sixways and we are committed to putting smiles back on their faces.
The last 18 months have been difficult for everyone with COVID-19 and supporters not being able to come to games.
We want to inspire them and I’m sure the supporters who come to Sixways on Friday will get a very enjoyable game.

What challenge will Connacht pose?

I have played against Connacht many times in what was the Celtic League and I have a huge amount of respect for them.
They are real warriors in terms of how they approach the game. They are a very physical team and they are going to provide us with a great challenge on Friday.
They have been playing in the Heineken Champions Cup so they have really come out of the shadows of Irish rugby over the past five or six years.
They are a team full of character and it will be the perfect game for us.

With Glasgow Warriors also coming to Sixways next week, is it good to play against different teams?

The Premiership is a unique competition but you do get used to playing against the same teams and knowing how they are going to play.
In the United Rugby Championship – or Pro-14 as it was – the breakdown is hotly contested so there will be challenges for us around the contact areas and the speed of the game will be quick.

When will Duhan van der Merwe and Rory Sutherland be available?

They have got to have five weeks’ mandatory rest from the end of the Lions’ tour so they won’t be joining us for another two weeks.

How has pre-season gone?

It’s been really enjoyable. It’s been hard work but I’m sure that, if you asked the players, they would say that it has been very enjoyable too. A lot of players are in better physical shape than they have been before.
First and foremost we have welcomed a lot of new players and staff into the club so how we all connect and how we build relationships has been important.
David Drake, our new Head of Performance and Strength & Conditioning, has been superb in collaborating and connecting with all the departments. Those connections are essential in ensuring that we transfer what we are doing in the gym onto the pitch.
The conditioning work that we have done has been rugby-specific.

How has new team manager Luke Broadley settled in?

This is Luke’s first week so he’s getting up to speed with the role and one of the things that is that the top of list here is connecting the Warriors Family.
It’s so important that players and their families are happy off the field as well as on the field.
The vision of the club is to be sustainable and to be a top six team. To achieve that you need consistency of staff and consistency of messaging.
Last edited by GoldFinch on Thu Jul 21, 2022 3:52 pm, edited 1 time in total. Reason: Unstick
By A38
#35026
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/09/14/press ... -14-09-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership opener against London Irish at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the three pre-season friendlies

We wanted the games to challenge us and they did that, we wanted them to be against quality opposition and they were and we wanted all of the squad to have game time and they did.
We also wanted to put smiles back on the faces of our supporters as well because the last 18 months have been very tough. Inspiring our supporters is one of the intangible goals for this season.
Each of the game challenged us in different ways. Glasgow challenged us at the breakdown, Connacht with the speed of their attack and Cornish Pirates gave our young side a really tough physical game.
All of which has put us in a good place for round one of the Gallagher Premiership.

How have the new players settled in?

There has been a high turnover in players and staff so one of the big challenges in pre-season is how quickly we can build combinations and team chemistry and get the whole club – players and staff – on the same page.
We have talked about our identity, where we want to be and what our North Star is.
There have been challenges thrown at us from COVID-19 but more than 85 per cent of our players and staff have now been double vaccinated. That is a huge thing for the club and huge credit goes to the support staff for getting us to that situation.

What challenges will London Irish bring?

Under Declan Kidney they have become a quality Premiership side over the last couple of seasons.
But the big thing for us is focusing on ourselves because we have new players that have had to get up to speed and new combinations.
We know that if we can get our basics right we are going to be a good side.

On playing in front of supporters again

I enjoy having dialogue with our supporters and listening to their views – positive and negative. We cannot work in a bubble as a team and not be aware of where our fans are and what they are thinking.
Inspiring our supporters is something that we have talked about. We know that the last 12 months or so have been tough for them for a number of reasons and we empathise with them.
We want to become consistent and a team that is tough to beat every week not every other week.
Most of our supporters say that if they see a team that works incredibly hard, shows pride in wearing the jersey and puts in huge commitment then they will buy into that.

Will Rory Sutherland and Duhan van der Merwe feature this weekend?

No. They have had some time off after the British and Irish Lions tour. Rory joined up with us yesterday and Duhan is due to join us on Wednesday.
Just because they are here doesn’t mean they are ready to play, it means they are ready to train and start building their capacity.
We are not going to set a definite time frame on when we expect them to play for us.

Chris Ashton didn’t play in the pre-season matches, is he injured?

Chris was going well in pre-season but he then tweaked a calf and will be out of action for a few weeks.
By A38
#35464
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/09/21/press ... -21-09-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Harlequins.

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On beating London Irish

Every team feels a little bit anxious before round one because everyone wants to win and get a good start to the season so to get that win was hugely encouraging.
One of the things that cost us last season was taking opportunities. I was pleased that in our pre-season games and again on Saturday that we took our opportunities.
We are not getting to carried away though. It just one win and while we are pleased, we know that there is still a huge amount of growth in the squad and a lot of hard work to do to be the team we want to be.

On facing Harlequins

We are very excited about the opportunity to go down there and play the defending champions in their first home match since they won the title.
I’m sure that there will be a festival atmosphere in the crowd and we are excited at the opportunity for us to take part in that occasion.

On Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence being selected by England

I am really pleased for both of them. They have trained the house down in pre-season, they were involved in the summer internationals and I hope that they impress Eddie Jones at the training camp.
Wouldn’t it be fantastic to see them both at the forefront in the Autumn Internationals?
It’s important for us that we produce international players. It also means that our younger players see Ted and Ollie and know that f they work as hard and carry themselves as they do that they can also fulfil their dreams.
It also helps to inspire our community and our supporters that we have got home-grown players representing their country.

On Chris Pennell joining Dallas Jackals

It’s a really exciting opportunity for Chris and his young family. Dallas have got someone who is totally committed to the cause.
He showed at the end of last season that he is still as fit as the young lads and he’s a hugely committed and loyal player.

Injuries

Melani Nanai has a sore Achilles tendon and will be assessed on Thursday
Willi Heinz cramped up on Saturday but he is absolutely fine
Sione Vailanu sustained a minor calf injury against Connacht. We hope he will be fit to play against Gloucester next week.
Ashley Beck has recovered from the concussion he suffered against Glasgow Warriors
Andrew Kitchener is tracking well and could be back for Gloucester.
Anton Bresler is still recovering from the foot injury he sustained at the end of last season and is at least a month away.
Chris Ashton trained fully today following his calf injury and it was good to see him running in hard for the first time in a while. He won’t be available on Saturday against Gloucester as we are treating it almost like a player coming back from a long-term injury.

When are Rory Sutherland and Duhan van der Merwe likely to make their debuts?

Both of them have come back from a very arduous tour with the British and Irish Lions and a very long season.
They have both had a holiday and it’s important that we set them up to succeed which means that are match-ready to play.
That is an on-going assessment we will make. We hope that one of them will contribute in the Gloucester game, but I am not going to say which one.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#35917
A38 is temporarily indisposed, so I’ll take the liberty of updating his thread:-

https://warriors.co.uk/2021/09/28/press ... -28-09-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Gloucester Rugby at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

How excited is everyone about playing in front of a big derby crowd at Sixways again?

My last game of rugby as a player was here against Bristol in the second leg of the Championship play-off final against Bristol in 2015.
That was the last time I experienced a full house at Sixways. Since I have returned here as a coach the majority of matches have been played without crowds so it will be brilliant just to feel and experience the noise and atmosphere again.
We have a fantastic stadium, derby games are always special and Gloucester are always well supported.
Games like this are what the Gallagher Premiership is all about and it is why everyone loves the competition.
Does having a number of players who have played for Gloucester recently give you an advantage?

Form goes out of the window in derby games.
We don’t yet know whether Louis Rees-Zammit is going to be back for Gloucester. But they have speed out wide, some physical guys up front and it’s always a tough game against them.
Having players like Willi Heinz, Owen Williams and Matt Garvey, who have all played for Gloucester, adds some extra spice but for us it’s about what we do as a collective rather than individuals.

On taking two bonus points from the Harlequins match

We are never going to be satisfied with losing a game. We have high expectations of ourselves as a group and we have talked a lot about having a Warrior mindset, fighting to the very end and never giving up.
I was really proud of the character the group showed on Saturday against a side that has scored tries for fun this year.
It was Quins’ first home match since they won the title so there was a carnival atmosphere and it was going to be a tough test for a new group to go there.
Are you surprised how quickly the new combinations in the side have gelled?

We have only played two matches. We have got seven points from a possible ten but we are not getting carried away.
Everyone in the camp is realistic about where we are. We know that not everything is going to be plain sailing.
At the start of pre-season we were raw as a group with a lot of new players and members of staff. Building relationships was important and we have put a lot of work into that.
On Ollie Lawrence withdrawing from England’s training camp

Ollie was unwell on Saturday evening and so he was withdrawn from the camp purely as a precaution.
He had a PCR test which came back negative and he is feeling much better today.
We expect him to be fit and available to play at the weekend.

Injuries
Melani Nanai had a sore Achilles after the London Irish game. He came off the bench at Harlequins and made a huge impact. It’s an injury that will be subject to on-going assessment.
There are five players who will make a call on on Thursday – Duhan van der Merwe, Rory Sutherland, Chris Ashton, Sione Vailanu and Andrew Kitchener. They all trained today and brought great energy to the session.
By A38
#36388
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/10/06/press ... -06-10-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the Gloucester performance

We were hugely disappointed with the way we performed at the weekend.
Sometimes you need reference points in life and in teams where you learn from a particular experience. There are always positive reference points to boost your confidence but Saturday was a negative reference point.
The feedback I gave the players is that in a local derby we cannot leave anything out on the field. We cannot allow that to happen again.
Gloucester were absolutely determined to win that game after starting the season with two defeats. They won the 50-50s and they won the game.
We have challenged the players since Saturday but we are going in a positive direction as a team and as a group. There are always going to be bumps in the road.

On Ted Hill’s three match suspension

He had a very fair hearing and we don’t have any issue at all with the process that we went through. The panel had to work with the framework set by World Rugby.
But we believe that World Rugby need to look at the framework that is in place for tip tackles.
With high tackles you can look at degrees of seriousness to mitigate the offence. With tip tackles there is not that flexibility.
Disciplinary panels have no discretion. They have to start at a mid-range entry point for sanction for this offence which means that , even allowing for maximum of discount of 50 per cent for matters
like previous good record, admission of guilt etc, the minimum suspension is still three weeks.
Ted did nothing wrong at any point. He followed up the kick-chase, he controlled himself and he was in a balanced position to tackle the Gloucester player around the midriff. At the point that Ted wanted to make the tackle, the opponent’s leg was raised and kicked Ted in the neck.
Ted was disorientated and so the first thing that he went to grab was that leg. If the leg had not been there the tackle would have been around the ribs or midriff.
The Gloucester player was not taken out in the air because he had one foot on the ground and, we would argue, he was not off balance.
We are going to lose our Club Captain for three weeks. We believe the framework for this offence needs to be looked at by World Rugby and we will make representations through the appropriate channels.

On facing Exeter

We have trained well this week. It’s a huge challenge against a great team and we have to go there with the right mindset.
Exeter had a good win at Sale at the weekend and they will have their British and Irish Lions back this week.

Injuries

Owen Williams faces a lengthy lay-off as he tore a hamstring against Gloucester. Fin Smith has been recalled from his loan spell with Ampthill, which he has really enjoyed, as a consequence.
Melani Nanai also has a hamstring injury and he’s going to be out for a couple of weeks.
Rory Sutherland, Duhan van der Merwe, Chris Ashton and Andrew Kitchener are all in the mix for this weekend and we will make a call on them on Thursday.
By A38
#36781
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/10/12/press ... -12-10-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Leicester Tigers at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the performance at Exeter

The final scoreline was disappointing but, when you look at the game, there were a number of opportunities that we created in the first 25 minutes.
We made four entries into their Red Zone and three or four line breaks but we made handling errors, passes didn’t stick or we turned over possession.
Sandy Park is always a difficult place to go and when you play against a side like Exeter away from home you have to take your opportunities.
Exeter also turned over ball as well but they are a side that has been together for a long time, they know each other well and they worked hard within their systems.
We had a lot of new combinations and new players out there and after we had conceded a couple of tries we became a little ragged and started
to play as individuals and we didn’t stay within our systems..
We were very honest with the players in the review. It wasn’t a lack of effort, it was a lack of teamship. That is something that we have to work hard on.

On facing Leicester

They are a confident team. They have some good players, a big pack, a good kicking game and two big wings.
They have worked hard on getting the fundamentals of their game right.

On Duhan van der Merwe and Rory Sutherland’s debuts at Exeter

The biggest thing is that they got a hit out. They have only been with us for three weeks or so, so they are trying to get back up to speed after a break following the South Africa tour.
It’s important that they get game time. They are both quality players and they will get better as the weeks go on.

Injuries

Noah Heward has a tight quad and is going to have a scan.
Willi Heinz took a little bit of a knock at Exeter.
Duhan van der Merwe and Rory Sutherland both tightened up a bit at Exeter so we took them off but they will be fine this weekend.
Jamie Shillcock took a bang to a knee.
Kyle Hatherell came off with a head injury at Exeter. He’s going through his HIA protocols at the moment but it looks promising for the weekend.
Chris Ashton was on course to be involved last week but suffered a bit of a hiccup in training last Wednesday but he trained today.
By A38
#37427
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/10/20/press ... -20-10-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Northampton Saints at Franklin’s Gardens (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the Leicester Tigers match

I thought that Leicester’s performance was one of the most complete I have seen for a very long time. They had a really good balance around the accuracy of their tactical kicking versus their physicality around the collisions. From one to 23 it was an unbelievably complete performance so you have to congratulate the opposition.
We are extremely disappointed. Rugby is about pressure and exerting pressure and we have not done that in the last two games.
We spoke last week about the Exeter game and the opportunities we didn’t take in the first half. In this game, Leicester had their hands on our throat for the first 40 minutes. They dominated the kicking battle which eventually gave them territory and possession and we struggled to get out of our own half.
In the second half we made one or two tactical changes at half-time which gave eventually us territory and possession which led to periods of sustained attack in their half. They had a yellow card and we had opportunities which we didn’t take.
The game looks very different if you come out and score first and go from 22-3 to 22-10, then it’s game on.
We scored quite a lot of points in the first three rounds. There’s nothing wrong with our ability to attack. In the last two games it has been our ability to exert pressure or sustain pressure on the opposition either through our unforced errors or very good play from the opposition.

What have you focused on this week?

When you lose a few games in the fashion we have it’s just about stripping back a little bit.
We came together as a group in pre-season and what you try to do is add layers to a new group. It’s a bit like building a new house, you put in the foundations and try and build it from there.
That’s what we have done and we have done it pretty well up until round three. You have to strip back a bit and focus on a few aspects of the game where you want to be effective.

On Northampton

It has been evolution with Saints since Chris Boyd came in. Around 18 months ago they were probably in a similar situation to us.
They went on a long losing run but since then what they have done well is bring through some good young players. They have clearly got some good athletes in their pack, and they have a clear identity about how they want to play the game. They play exciting rugby and they are a well-coached team.
We are expecting a fast game. I think the weather is going to be OK, it’s a good playing surface at Franklin’s Gardens and we anticipate that they will try to move the ball and play some entertaining rugby. We have to make sure that we are ready for that.

Injuries

Melani Nanai will miss the remainder of this block of games because of his hamstring injury.
Owen Williams has had surgery on his torn hamstring and I don’t think we are going to see him until after Christmas.
Beck Cutting is recovering from an elbow injury and is hoping to be back at the start of December.
Chris Ashton is unavailable for selection this weekend.

On Ted Hill and Ollie Lawrence missing out on England selection

We are really disappointed for them. When you are a young man and you get a little taste of international action – it’s your dream when you are growing up – you just want more of it.
Eddie Jones gave them both positive feedback. There’s an unbelievable amount of talent in England in the country and so much strength in depth in English rugby.
Selection is quite subjective. There’s no right or wrong.
But both Ted and Ollie are fine young men and I’m sure that they both have good international futures ahead of them.

How strong do you think the Gallagher Premiership is at the moment?

I firmly believe this is the most competitive Premiership I have ever seen. Every team from one to 13 is capable of beating any other team on their day. There is great talent in every team in the competition and the way the game is being refereed is lending itself to attack.
You are seeing people scoring try bonus points every weekend. Eight to ten years ago try bonus points were a rarity but you are seeing big high-scoring contests and try bonus points most weekends now.
The way the game is being refereed and the way the laws are being interpreted is allowing more attack. Every squad is well coached and well conditioned and there is some good talent there. So it’s all making for a really exciting competition.
By A38
#37980
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/10/26/press ... -26-10-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Sale Sharks at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On Friday’s performance against Northampton Saints

After the last three results and performances everyone at the club is hurting.
In those three games we haven’t reflected all the good work that was done in pre-season. After the first three rounds of matches we were the highest points scorers in the Premiership so there was not too much wrong with our attacking game at that point.
In the last three rounds there have been a number of factors why it has been so disappointing. There are absolutely no excuses from our end. We take full ownership of the situation, it’s not acceptable to lose by those scorelines.
There have been a few repeated messages in our reviews over the last few weeks which suggests that we have not been learning from our mistakes. This week we changed the review process up so the players reviewed it themselves, overseen by the coaches. They reviewed it as an alignment and leadership group and fed back to each other.
What we saw at that Monday morning meeting was real disappointment and a real passion to try to fix it, put it right and to represent themselves in a much better way this weekend.
The players have been working really hard in training, as they always do. There is no doubt that when you lose by the scorelines that we have, when you have the injuries that we have had and when you have new combinations as we have that your confidence takes a bit of a hit. Your confidence and mindset are massive as a professional athlete.

How much have injuries to members of the leadership group had an impact?

Pretty much all of our leadership group are injured. The thing that helps chemistry and combinations and a little bit of soul on the field is chat and talk. We have been very, very quiet on the field.
When you are not performing you can go a little bit quiet and a lot of what we are doing is through a lack of some of those connections.
When I was asked to be Head Coach back in January I knew the size of the task. It’s not a surprise to me that we are going through some tough times.
I was honest with the owners about the size of the task. It was going to be a re-building job.
The club have talked about Time For Change and sometimes going change can be tough. You don’t just come out with a hashtag slogan and, abracadabra, everything is rosy.
There are a lot of good things going on behind the scenes at the club. There have been changes in the infrastructure,
in the support staff, coaching, conditioning staff etc. which will all help us come through the tough period that we are in at the moment.

On Sale Sharks

We have played against three sides who are very confident and they have punished us. They have been quite ruthless in the way that they have done that.
But it really is about us and just doing the basics well and having the mindset to be physical and relentless and execute your job under pressure and a bit of adversity.
The players have worked incredibly hard this week. They just need to believe in themselves.

Injuries

Ollie Lawrence missed the Northampton game after he pulled up after training with what we thought was just cramp. But a scan showed he has a grade two tear in a calf. Ollie is optimistic that he will be fit for the weekend but we will make a further assessment on Thursday.
Willi Heinz got squashed a bit in a tackle and suffered a groin injury at Exeter. He tweaked it again after training last week so he also pulled out at the weekend. Willi won’t be available this weekend.
Ashley Beck has trained today and he will come into contention this weekend.
Sam Lewis was a bit sore after Northampton but we are confident that he will come through.
Ted Hill is available again having completed his suspension.
Matt Garvey has trained well today and he is available for selection.
Chris Ashton is unavailable for selection this weekend.

Do you have an update on the representations you were going to make to World Rugby following Ted’s suspension after he was sent off against Gloucester?

We had no issue with the judicial process, it was all about the tip tackle framework.
We went through the official channels and I had a really good Zoom conversation with Joe Schmidt, World Rugby’s Director of Rugby He’s a good rugby man, he’s been a world-class coach and he gets it.
It was great to have the opportunity to speak to Joe and for him to hear our frustrations. He can go and give feedback through the appropriate channels at World Rugby.
He was pretty understanding about our frustrations and I think he is aware that there some inconsistencies with the tip tackle framework at the moment.
Where I do have confidence in World Rugby and the interpretation of the laws at the moment is that it is all about making the game better, safer and better
There is a lot of good work going on at World Rugby but certainly the tip tackle framework is one of the things that needs to be looked at.
By A38
#38555
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/11/03/press ... -03-11-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the victory against Sale Sharks

When you lose games by the margins that we had in the previous three games your confidence is affected and there is a danger that you can start over-thinking the game and over-thinking your performance.
You need to be emotionally and physically in the right place and to do the basics right.
The players took ownership of the week and executed on the day and I am really proud of the way they conducted themselves and performed in front of our home support on the day.
I am pleased for everyone at the club that we won but we are not getting carried away. We need to back up that performance with another one this week.

What were the key aspects of the win?

It was built on the solid platform that we had up front. We went for a particularly big back row with Ted Hill at number seven, Sione Vailanu and Kyle Hatherell alongside him in the back row and Graham Kitchener and Matt Garvey in the second row. So we had power and experience through the pack.
Sale have one the most physical defences in the competition but we won the collisions and, for physicality, it was probably the best performance since I came back to the club.
We know we have some strike-power out wide if we can get them good ball and the physicality of the pack and our fast ruck speed gave the backs opportunities on Saturday.

How important were those two early tries?

We talked before about throwing the first punch so to go 14 points up so quickly was a positive momentum swing for us.
We knew that we had made lots of simple errors in the previous three games and if we could reduce the error count we would give ourselves every opportunity on Saturday.

The players led the review of the Northampton match last week, have they been involved in this week’s review?

It’s easy to talk about key words like culture and core values but not to actually live them.
One of the big things that we have been working on throughout the club is people taking ownership of every situation.
It’s something that we have talked about since pre-season. The challenge is that we have a new group and people who are new to the club are trying to find their feet within that group.
The process of the players reviewing their performance is part of the evolution of this team. The players took ownership after the Northampton game but it’s important that, with victory and defeat, that you treat those two imposters the same.
So the players went through the same review process this week, with feedback from the coaches.

On Jamie Shillcock’s performance against Sale

When I first came back to the club Jamie was a bit frustrated. He had confidence in his own ability, but he wanted more opportunities in the first team.
He no longer felt that he was that young player that came into the side at 17 and he wanted the chance to show everyone what he can do.
In the second half of last season Shilly got a run of games when Melani Nanai was injured which gave him the back to back games that he was looking for.
It was fantastic to see Shilly out there on Saturday showing everyone what he can do.

On facing Bristol

We know it’s going to be a huge test because Bristol are a quality side. They had a big win at London Irish at the weekend so they have got their mojo back.
I had four great years there. I know the players and coaches well and I am looking forward to going back there, catching up with Pat Lam, the coaches and players after the match. But I have a job to do first.
We have trained well this week and we have prepared well.

On Ethan Waller making his 100th appearance for the club

We talk about the Warriors Family and having a Warrior Mindset and Ethan is the perfect example of someone who demonstrates both of those values.
Off the field he is very popular, he’s Chairman of the RPA, he does a lot of work around our team culture and supporting other players.
On the pitch he has been a consistent performer at Premiership level since he came here from Northampton.
His scrummaging his sound and his work rate around the field is excellent. But I think that there is still another level in his game so there is probably another gear to come from him.

Injuries

Rory Sutherland withdrew from the Sale match with an oblique muscle injury in his side which he sustained in training last Thursday. It looks like being a four weeks injury so Rory is probably going to miss the Autumn Internationals.
Ollie Lawrence surprised the medical staff by recovering from a grade two calf injury to play against Sale. Those are usually 30-day injuries but Ollie told me that he knew his own body and that he would be fit to face Sale which he was. I’m now calling him the Miracle Man.
Graham Kitchener needed a head injury assessment against Sale and he is now going through the return-to-play protocols.
Kyle Hatherell took a bang to a hip on Saturday and we will assess him later in the week.
Sione Vailanu and Duhan van der Merwe are on international duty this weekend.
Chris Ashton is unavailable for selection this weekend.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#38565
DaveAitch wrote:
Wed Nov 03, 2021 6:19 pm
All as expected, except for the final sentence. :whistle:
Not unexpected here!

Looks like Varndell and Cueto are safe in their status as top Premiership try scorers of all time.

I believe Ashie only came to us because he thought he’d get game time and get the 6 trys he needs to top the table. And I’m not guessing…..when challenged on the issue by myself and another ST holder at a supporters’ event he didn’t deny it. All he said was if he got those trys it would be as good for Wuss as for him.
By A38
#39525
Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Bristol Bears at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the Premiership Rugby Cup

It’s a competition that we value as a club. As a result of COVID-19 there has been no Premiership Shield for two seasons and the Cup was also cancelled last season. Young players need games and they didn’t get that last season.
We were one of the clubs that were in favour of playing the Cup last season because we have a lot of talented young players and part of our vision is to give opportunities to our young homegrown players.
This is a competition that allows us to do that and also to give game time to players who need some minutes after the opening bloc of Gallagher Premiership matches.

Are you likely to rotate your squad?

First and foremost this is a game that we want to win and winning is an important part of our development. It’s our only game at home in November and we want to win in front of our own supporters.
Our selection will be balanced with a strong spine to the team, giving guys who have been on the bench in the first bloc of Premiership games some game time and some of our young players opportunities.
The Premiership as a competition is relentless and brutal. It’s the toughest competition in the world so going into the Premiership Cup and Europe gives you a different focus and gives opportunity for other players to play.
We value all our players so we do not see this as a devalued competition at all.

Will you be recalling some of the players that you have out on loan?

We’ve had around a dozen players out on loan at Championship or National Leagues clubs and that has been very beneficial for them.
We do have a call-back on all players who go out on loan. At the start of each week we review each player who is on loan so it’s an on-going process.
A number of players will come back this weekend because of the opportunities this competition presents for us.


What will be your selection policy for the European Challenge Cup matches next month?

We have not made our mind up how we approach those competitions yet. We did have a plan in place for the first bloc of Premiership games but after two of those games we had a load of injuries to senior players which dictated a lot of players coming in and new combinations.
We have a rough idea which way we want to go but, first and foremost, it’s about us being competitive and to earn respect with a never-say-die attitude.
We will assess each week based on how we are performing, the injuries we have and the opportunities we want to give people.
Those things will determine what our mindset will be to each competition but we want to be competitive in each of them.

What did the players and coaches do last week when you had no game?

The players – apart from those who needed treatment for injuries – had a complete week off which is one of the two down-weeks they must have during the season.
The coaching team caught up and did some planning and the players came back in on Monday in good spirits and with a real spring in their step. We’ve had two really good training days this week and we are looking forward to the game at the weekend.
Individually and collectively each week we review the week, how we can tweak things and how we can make things better and last week was an opportunity for us to do this.
There are a number of young guys – the likes of Alex Hearle, Jack Johnson, Will Butler and Tom Dodd – who have trained really hard for two months and had to be patient for opportunities . With no Premiership Shield it has been tough for them and they have had to be very patient so they are chomping at the bit and are really hungry to play this weekend.

Injuries

Melani Nanai is back training but this weekend is probably too soon for him.
Ollie Lawrence, Beck Cutting, Willi Heinz and Rory Sutherland should all be back either against Newcastle Falcons or Wasps.
Owen Williams is making really good progress from his grade three hamstring tear and operation. He’s working hard with our medical team but he won’t play before January.
Noah Heward suffered a significant ankle injury at Bristol and he will need surgery.
Chris Ashton is unavailable for selection.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#39527
Sounds as though we’ll be fielding a stronger team than might be imagined bearing in mind the cup is meant to be a development competition.

For which we will of course be criticised if we win, and mocked if we don’t.
W4rriorz1980 liked this
By A38
#40020
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/11/23/press ... -23-11-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Newcastle Falcons at Kingston Park (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the Premiership Rugby Cup win against Bristol Bears

I was really pleased on a few fronts. As we said last week, with no A league this season, a lot of players have been training incredibly hard since the start of pre-season and not getting their reward at the weekends.
So it was pleasing that, having got that opportunity, they performed so well and transferred what they had been doing in training into Saturday.
We had 13 homegrown Worcester players in the matchday squad, three debutants and 17 or 18 players aged 25 or under. To see them go out and play with intent and to express themselves as they did was good to see.

Anyone who impressed you in particular?

It really was a team effort based on the foundation of powerful performance from our pack at the maul, in the scrums and our lineout defence.
I thought Alex Hearle was outstanding and was involved in nearly all of our ten tries.
Harri Doel was having a fine game before he unfortunately he had to go off with a head injury right at the end of the first half.
Jack Johnson, Billy Searle and Gareth Simpson also had really good games but you can only play well as a back if your foundations are strong up front. It would be unfair to single out anyone in particular because it was very much a collective effort from all 23 players.
There are still some work-ons, there’s always room for growth and there’s some hard work for our players to do but I am really pleased for everyone at the club.

On Steve Diamond’s appointment as Lead Rugby Consultant

Nothing has changed from my perspective as Head Coach. I am still responsible for the preparation of the team and the coaching programme and managing and leading the rugby department.
The only thing is that I now report to Steve as Lead Rugby Consultant rather than Solly as Director of Rugby.
Steve has got huge experience as Director of Rugby at Sale and he will add real value to the club when he comes in next week.
There has been a huge amount of change at the club over the last 12 months or so with the number of players who left at the end of last season, new players coming in and changes in the coaching staff. Rugby is about chemistry and combinations and that takes time.
We also went through a period of adversity at the start of the season when most of our leadership group were injured.
But we feel that we are in a good place. A huge amount of good work has been done on the shop floor over the last six months and we have put some good foundations in place.
Having someone with Steve’s experience coming in is exciting for the club. He can guide, support and develop myself and all the other coaches and add value to all the good things that are going on at the club.

Have you had chance to speak to Steve yet?

I’ve had some really good discussions with Steve in person and on the phone and, on the back of those conversations, there’s no doubt that we can work really well together.
He’s refreshingly honest and direct. Those are characteristics that I like in a person and those are the type of people that I like to work with.
I have worked with a lot of direct people in the past, the likes of Shaun Edwards, Pat Lam and Warren Gatland have all been very direct and honest characters and individuals. I’m really looking forward to working with Dimes here.
It’s important that I have a good relationship with Steve. He is coming in to guide, develop and support with the experience that he has.
I have listened to Eddie Jones and he says that even with all his experience he is still learning as a coach. You have to keep growing and evolving.
As a young Head Coach my passion is coaching. I want to be coaching on the shop floor. I have no interest at my age on being a DOR, or to be managing up or getting involved in the politics.
I want to be coach, that’s what excites me and that’s what I am passionate about and that’s what I will be doing. Dimes comes in above that as Lead Rugby Consultant who can do all the other stuff.
He’s had experience of that at Sale. There are different challenges that he has had to face there. Probably in the early days there were financial challenges which meant that Sale had to punch above their weight.
One of Steve’s big strengths is around recruitment and how he managed working with agents. He’s done a good job there bringing some world-class players in.
Dimes has a good skill-set around the big picture side that can be of huge value to Worcester.
In terms of the coaching team it allows us to coach and to do what we are paid to do. So I am really excited about the relationship that we can build and the different skill-sets everyone can offer.

On facing Newcastle

They are a tough side. They are very physical, they are very good defensively and they have had some good wins this season.
You don’t need to over-think the game. It’s about mindset, physicality and being emotionally ready.
Dean Richards has done a fantastic job there in making them a difficult team to beat.

Injuries

Harri Doel didn’t pass his head injury assessment so he will not be available this weekend.
Niall Annett rolled an ankle in the final training session before the Bristol game. We are confident that he will be OK this weekend.
Isaac Miller needed a head injury assessment on Saturday.
Anton Bresler needed a head injury assessment on Saturday.
Will Butler suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury against Bristol and it looks like that could the end of his season. We really feel for Buts because he has worked so hard and waited patiently for his opportunity and he’s already had to deal with quite a few injuries in his career. But he will come back stronger.
Jack Owlett is going to be out for a couple of months because of a hip injury that has required surgery.
Willi Heinz will not be fit this weekend.
Duhan van der Merwe has had three tough games for Scotland and he has come back a little bit sore. We will make a call based on what is right for Duhan as a person.
Sione Vailanu is in a different situation to Duhan. He played for Tonga against England then had a week off and although he played against Romania last week it was off the bench. So he is pretty fresh and good to go.
Chris Ashton is still not available for selection.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#40027
JT’s comments re. Dimes are encouraging.

If it’s truly his feeling, and we have no reason to suppose it’s just pr telling us what we want to hear, then he’s taking Dimes on board effectively as a mentor.


And here’s the difference for the “we’ve heard it all before” cynics.Dimes’ proven track record at doing rather well with a small budget and a smallish squad of very mixed ability is way better than any of our previous supposed saviours. Much is also made in the trade press of his recruitment skills, and his ability to manage and refresh wayward bad boys.

I’m optimistic, why wouldn’t I be, and I don’t see any reason to expect anything other than Dimes replacing Solly from next season. I’d be more confident of that then I would be of predicting that JT will also be with us then. That one is very much in the air.

Oh, and Ashton is still unavailable for selection.
User avatar
By patgadd
#40031
TeflonTed wrote:
Tue Nov 23, 2021 8:53 pm
If it’s truly his feeling, and we have no reason to suppose it’s just pr telling us what we want to hear, then he’s taking Dimes on board effectively as a mentor.
I still can't help the feeling that he's saying it through gritted teeth; still, if he's willing to make a go of it there's hope yet.
By A38
#40625
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/12/01/press ... s-1-12-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Wasps at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’ what Jonathan had to say:

On the draw at Newcastle

The weekend threw up a lot of challenges for us with the postponement from Friday, having to stay an extra night in the hotel who hadn’t catered for us to be there so there were challenges around nutrition and food for the players.
Then, on the Saturday, we had snow and it was bitterly cold but at our meeting before we left the hotel we talked about our Warrior Mindset and having a no excuses mentality.
We have all been in situations like that where you have a long bus journey home having been on the wrong end of a result and you say: it’s the journey, it’s the food. We were determined not to make any excuses about our preparation and the difficult circumstances.
I was really pleased with the attitude of the players who came out owned it and got stuck into a Newcastle side that won at Exeter two weeks before and who were pretty much full strength. We had quite a few players out injured as well.
You are never going to be completely satisfied with a draw and we did have opportunities to win the game. We operated off little territory and possession so we can’t get too greedy.

On the recent improved form

The win against Sale was a big result for us. The win got a bit of a monkey off our back.
In the last three games pretty much all of our squad have got some game time which good for the group and there is a good vibe in the camp.
But we have achieved nothing yet so we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves. We know that there is still growth in the squad and it’s important that we keep momentum going.

There must be a lot of confidence in the squad now

I believe in the old saying that you are only as good as your last game. You have to roll up your sleeves every week and fight as if it was your first.
Where you get confidence from is your training week and how you prepare. If you cross the Ts and dot the Is as an individual and as part of the team and train above game intensity that gives you the confidence.
It can be dangerous to think: we are confident now because we have had a couple of wins because that’s where complacency then sets in.
It’s about hitting re-set on a Monday and saying: Ok we got a draw and these are things we did well in our last game. But there are also growth opportunities and we need to go out and train them.

On Wasps

They have had their own injury problems to contend with this season, that hasn’t been lost on us, and I feel for Lee Blackett.
But even with the players they have out they have still been able to put out a good team and they have some good athletes. Any team with good athletes is always going to be dangerous no matter who they play.
They are strong in the contact area. We have to make sure we are fully prepared and it’s going to be an exciting test.
Winning at home is a non-negotiable for us. From my experience coaching at Bristol, Sixways was always a tough place to play at.
We want to keep visiting teams honest and make Sixways an uncompromising place to come for them.

On Steve Diamond’s arrival as Lead Rugby Consultant

It has been quite a natural, easy process because of Steve and the man he is. He has been in rugby environments for a long time.
He came in for a 7am meeting with the coaches on Monday and he talked about what he thinks he can bring to the club.
Part of that is just getting to know people initially and to observe for the next couple of weeks to see where he can add value.
In terms of the relationship side of things he’s a really easy bloke to get on with. It’s been good to have someone with his experience in the league here.
It’s good to have him in the environment because he does have good experience as a Director of rugby in this league which is a real positive for us.

On comments in Eddie Jones’ book about Ollie Lawrence

I’ve not read Eddie’s book so I can’t comment on that. All that I can comment on the Ollie Lawrence I know from working this environment in the 18 months that I have been here.
Throughout that time Ollie has been part of the England squad and going into England camps has been good for him.
Being involved in England camps takes you to another level in terms of your standards and your training. When Ollie comes back from England camps he leads by example with everything around his work-rate, his kick chase. Everything that doesn’t require talent has gone to a different level.
He’s also matured as a person and he is now part of our leadership group. He wants to add value to the leadership group on and off the field.
Ollie is incredibly passionate about playing for this club and he has even played through injury. He missed the Northampton game with a grade two calf tear, an injury that was expected to keep him out for several weeks.
But he knocked on my door the following week saying that he wanted to play for the team against Sale which he did.
Ollie is just 22 and he is not the finished article. He’s a young man with real talent. Life is all about experiences and growing from your experiences. He adds real value in this environment and we are glad to have him here.

Injuries

Alex Hearle has a dead leg and is unlikely to be fit this weekend.
Gareth Simpson suffered a bang to the ribs at Newcastle and we will make a late call on him.
Perry Humphreys needed a head injury assessment at Newcastle and he is another player that we will make a late call on.
Jamie Shillcock came off with a tight groin at Newcastle and will be another late call.
Marc Thomas suffered a foot injury and he is going to be out for a few weeks.
Duhan van der Merwe came back from Scotland duty with a stiff neck which meant he missed out at Newcastle. He will be fit this weekend.
Melani Nanai is fully fit again.
Ollie Lawrence is fit and will be back in contention this weekend.
Rory Sutherland is fit and will be back in contention against Wasps.
Willi Heinz will not be fit this weekend.
Owen Williams is recovering well from surgery on his torn hamstring. He won’t be back before the end of January but we are confident that the surgery will reduce the risk of him suffering a recurrence.
Chris Ashton is not available for selection.
By A38
#41034
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/12/07/43025/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s European Challenge Cup match at Newcastle Falcons.

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On the win against Wasps

I wasn’t aware until after the match that it was our first win against Wasps in the competition since 2013 which just shows what a good team Wasps have been during that time.
The biggest thing is focusing on the momentum and upward curve that we are on.
There is still growth in our game and it was tighter than we wanted it to be at the end. Credit to Wasps for showing character to come back as they did but we also needed to show character ourselves to see the game out. I was really pleased with the five points.

Was that a game that you might have lost last season?

There’s a saying that you never lose you either win or you learn.
We have experienced a lot of fine margin games over the last year and as a player and as a team, when you go through those experiences you learn from them.
There have been plenty of times when we have lost those tight games but from those experiences you start to develop some resilience and composure in tight situations.
That’s two games now – the draw at Newcastle being the other – where we have shown that resilience and character.

How important was the Wasps win given that you don’t play at home again the Premiership until January 29?

It was very important. It has taken us to 19 points and tenth in the table, nine points behind Gloucester in sixth.
Our goal is to be a top six team in the long term and we are in touching distance of that.
We have two games on the road next but it’s important that we are a tough team to beat and, more important, that we win our home games which we have done in our last three.
It’s good momentum. I believe it’s the strongest league that there has been in terms of the quality and depth of each squad from top to bottom, there are no gimmes so you have to really embrace your victories.

On the European Challenge Cup

If you want to be a top player and a top six team you have to get used to playing every week and having a mindset where you go, you go, you go.
If you are a Champions Cup team you are going from the Premiership and having to raise the bar and your standards to take on the likes of Toulouse and Clermont.
An international player is used to playing tough games and having the durability and mindset to do that before going into international competition.
If we have the vision to being a top six Premiership club in the future and playing in the Champions Cup we have to get used to backing up performances and backing up results.
We can’t have the mindset that: it’s the Challenge Cup so we will have a down week. That’s not how top players and top teams operate.
We definitely want to go into this competition with the mindset to keep the positive momentum from the last few weeks going.
We will certainly be taking this competition seriously.

Does the fact that you drew at Newcastle only two weeks ago give you confidence?

You have reference points in life – some good, some bad. The bad ones are sometimes the ones that you learn from the most.
But the game two weeks ago was certainly a positive reference point for us. We dealt with the adversity and got two points.
Given the circumstances – the postponement and the weather conditions on the Saturday evening – we could have used every excuse under the sun for losing.
Hopefully we won’t have the same circumstances this weekend but we showed real resilience and character to cope with adversity.
There’s possibly a bit of reverse psychology now. It’s important that you press re-set each week and make sure that you earn the right to win.
You don’t fall into the trap of saying: we did all right there last time so it will naturally happen.
What we did there last time is a positive reference point. But we have to press re-set and make sure that we earn the right to win the game.

Can Warriors win the Challenge Cup?

We want to leave a legacy at this club. It goes all the way back to Cecil Duckworth when he first set out on the journey.
He wanted to leave memories, for us to be a top six club, to win stuff and to inspire the people of Worcestershire and our patch.
That has always been the objective of the club. All we are as current staff is custodians of the club and we want to leave a legacy.
I want to leave my position in a better place than I found it and that should be the goal for every player and every member of staff.
What does inspire people and leaves a positive legacy is being successful and winning. You have to be bold with your ambitions and your goals.
Why can’t this club win something? There’s no reason why it can’t.
That comes with having a one game at a time mind set and pressing re-set every week.
The Premiership is always the priority but we want to be bold and we want to be competitive in this competition.
If you get out of the group you are into finals rugby and then anything can happen.
We believe we have a talented enough squad to win big games on the day.
But we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. It’s about Newcastle this weekend and that is our immediate focus.

Injuries

Ashley Beck tweaked a groin muscle against Wasps and is a doubt for Friday.
Rory Sutherland sustained a dead leg against Wasps but we think he could be OK.
Gareth Simpson took another bang to the ribs against Wasps so he is a doubt this weekend.
Matt Garvey failed a head injury assessment on Saturday and it is touch-and-go whether he will be fit this weekend.
Ollie Lawrence has a little hamstring tweak so we will assess him later in the week.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#41066
Abmatt wrote:
Tue Dec 07, 2021 8:00 pm
So is Ashton available?
Not sure, and after a night in The Willy and just returned to Post Office Rd I’m even less sure. Walking tomorrow, and then Delhi Divan for recovery feed!
By A38
#41491
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/12/14/press ... -14-12-21/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup match against Biarritz Olympique at Sixways (kick-off 3.15pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On last Friday’s European opener at Newcastle

It was bitter-sweet. We came away with two points but we felt that it was a game that we should have won.
Two weeks before we drew at Newcastle in the Premiership when our set piece creaked as we were under pressure in the scrums and mauls but we took our opportunities.
We worked very hard on those aspects of our game and on Friday our set piece was dominant. Our scrum was solid and our maul, both in attack and defence, was good.
But we made too many unforced errors in our own half and turned over too much possession. I thought it was a case of us losing the game rather than Newcastle winning it.
But I was happy with the mindset and commitment of the players to the jersey, we just lacked a bit of precision at times.

On conceding a try after 15 seconds

It was one of those freak things that happen with the bounce of a rugby ball.
We practise taking kick-offs hundreds of times and 99 times out of 100 that sort of thing doesn’t happen.
For the next 50 years Joe Batley’s face is going to be on What Happened Next? On ‘A Question of Sport’ or whenever the fastest try in European rugby history is shown.
It might not be for the right reason but it’s given Bats some notoriety.

How important might the two points from Newcastle be?

It’s a very tough group so, although we were disappointed not to win, getting those two points was really important.
We have Biarritz at Sixways this weekend and in European competition you have to win your home games.
We respect Biarritz who are past winners of this competition and who have a proud history and pedigree.
We know that, no matter what side they pick, French players are good athletes, they have good off-loading ability and they are dangerous when the game becomes unstructured.
They won at Zebre at the weekend so we are expecting them to come here with a strong team and that will be reflected in our own selection.

Biarritz are bottom of the Top 14 at the moment, how much do you read into that?

It’s a very tight competition and they have had a couple of very good home wins.
They have played some good rugby this season, they have a good maul, they are not afraid to be adventurous and they like to play with width and tempo.
It’s important that we try to kill their spirit early doors and take our chances. If we leave the door ajar they have such a good instinct for the game that, if they are still in the game with ten to 15 minutes to go, they have the ability to win those tight games.

How excited are you about Biarritz coming to Sixways?

If I was a rugby fan, either an existing Warriors supporter or one who doesn’t necessarily come every week, I would be excited to come to this game.
Biarritz are a big club, it’s the week before Christmas so there is a festive feel-good factor.
We are scoring a lot of tries at the moment, Biarritz are also a good attacking side so I hope that we have a big crowd for what should be a really exciting contest.

Injuries

Melani Nanai has tested positive for COVID-19 and is completing his ten-day quarantine period so he will not be available this weekend.
Niall Annett had a head injury assessment at Newcastle and it is touch-and-go whether he will be fit to play against Biarritz.
Rory Sutherland suffered a dead leg against Wasps and we are assessing him.
Francois Venter passed a head injury assessment at Newcastle and is expected to be fit this weekend.
Kyle Hatherell has a sore shoulder and he is expected to be fit.
Ashley Beck should be back fit this weekend.
Gareth Simpson is recovering from the rib injury he aggravated against Wasps.
Willi Heinz has had a little setback with his calf injury which has delayed his return to play.
Ollie Lawrence has a hamstring injury which we need to assess further.
Owen Williams has been doing some straight-line running with the medical staff. It’s good to see him training again, but he had a major operation and it will be the end of January before he returns to play.

On Chris Ashton’s departure

Chris didn’t play the amount of games that he and we would have wanted for a few reasons, mainly calf and knee issues.
Things didn’t work out but we wish Chris all the best for the future.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#41499
Big injury list.

Not sure yet how Biarritz will approach selection, but it will certainly be a better way to spend Saturday afternoon than even more shopping.
User avatar
By patgadd
#41501
TeflonTed wrote:
Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:26 pm
Big injury list.

Not sure yet how Biarritz will approach selection, but it will certainly be a better way to spend Saturday afternoon than even more shopping.
Surely one's man does one's shopping for one?
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#41503
patgadd wrote:
Tue Dec 14, 2021 11:04 pm
TeflonTed wrote:
Tue Dec 14, 2021 10:26 pm
Big injury list.

Not sure yet how Biarritz will approach selection, but it will certainly be a better way to spend Saturday afternoon than even more shopping.
Surely one's man does one's shopping for one?
He’s self isolating after catching Covid from the scullery maid.
By A38
#41859
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/12/22/press ... -22-12-21/
Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Saracens (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

We seem to be entering another period of uncertainty with matches cancelled or postponed because of COVID and talk about matches being played behind closed door again.
You don’t have to be rocket scientist to work out that sports clubs are going to struggle if they have games called off or played behind closed doors.

I know that the Premiership clubs and Premiership Rugby are working together and are asking that if measures are going to be introduced that restrict attendances, what support will there be for Premiership club and how quickly is that support going to be available?

We have good ticket sales for our Premiership Rugby Cup match against Gloucester Rugby next week and festive fixtures are always big money earners for clubs.

The health and safety of the general public has to come first but if new restrictions are going to be brought in then Premiership clubs need to know what support there is going to be and how quickly they will be able to access it.

Have you had to change anything following the spread of the omicron variant?

Over the last 18 months or so we have learnt to be adaptable.
The health of the nation comes first in a pandemic and, with the spread of the new variant, we have re-introduced some of the COVID protocols that were in place earlier this year.
They are mainly around meetings and eating, areas inside where people are likely to come into close contact.
The players took it upon themselves to cancel their Christmas party which was due to take place the day after the Newcastle Challenge Cup match.
All credit to the players for trying to make sure that we try to keep each other safe.

On the Biarritz postponement

It was frustrating for everyone, not least our supporters who were looking forward to a big home game just before Christmas.
We were ready to play and so were Biarritz. It wasn’t called off because of a COVID outbreak but as a result of the French Government tightening up restrictions on travel to and from the UK.
So neither club was at fault but it was very frustrating.

Will the match be rearranged?

It went down as a postponement so the intention is to play it, it’s a case of trying to find a slot in a busy schedule.
After the Gloucester cup match we have a down-week and then we are into a congested bloc between January and the end of April.
Normally you get the odd spare weekend in March and April but not this year.

On facing Saracens

We know that Saracens had to cancel their Challenge Cup match at Pau because of a number of COVID tests in the camp.
But they will have completed their isolation period by the end of the week and we expect Sunday’s game to go ahead.
You have to respect what Saracens stand for as a club. When they face adversity they come out and show what a champion team they are.
They have played really well this season, there a few new combinations and they used their time in the Championship as an opportunity to bring through some of their young players.
But they have still got a lot of international players and quality and depth in their squad.
We recognise that they are again in adversity, not just with COVID, but having lost to Exeter and Edinburgh and they will want to bounce back this weekend.
But our focus is on ourselves and going there with a Warrior Mindset.
There will always be moments of adversity, sometimes big, sometimes small, during a game and our ability to respond to adversity has improved over the last six to eight weeks.
I must praise the players for the way they have faced challenges in recent weeks with COVID and the Newcastle postponement. They have taken everything in their stride.

Are you a fan of Boxing Day rugby?

Historically Boxing Day is associated with derby matches and big crowds and they were some of the best games to play in.
Saracens is not quite a local derby but we know that they will have a bumper crowd, they a great side and it will be a great occasion.

What have you made of Kyle Hatherell’s progress this season?

Last year, when we started looking at the footage of Kyle playing for Jersey in the Championship, we felt that he could make an impact at Premiership level because of his physicality.
I then had a Zoom call with Kyle and I knew that he had a growth mindset, that he would work hard, listen and get better.
He’s a bit of a late bloomer because he hasn’t come through the academy system and he’s built some character and resilience because of that.
His stats for his carrying game this season are up there with any back-row forward in the country .
There is still a lot of growth in his game and he is getting better all the time.

Injuries

Ollie Lawrence will be out for between three and four weeks with a hamstring injury. He had a scan last week and the injury is not as bad as we first feared.
Francois Venter has come through his head injury assessment and is available for selection.
Niall Annett has recovered from his head knock and is available for selection.
Gareth Simpson has recovered from his rib injury and is available for selection.
Rory Sutherland is 50-50 for this weekend because of the dead leg he suffered against Wasps.
Melani Nanai has completed his isolation period and is available this weekend.
Beck Cutting has returned a positive COVID test and his half-way through his isolation period. We expect him to be back for the Gloucester cup match.
Willi Heinz is probably going to be a similar time frame to Ollie Lawrence for his recovery.
By A38
#42059
https://warriors.co.uk/2021/12/27/press ... -27-12-21/

Academy Backs Transition Coach Jonny Goodridge spoke to the media today ahead of Wednesday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Gloucester Rugby at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Jonny had to say:

On the Premiership Rugby Cup

It’s a competition that we want to do well in which was reflected in the strong side that we picked for our opening match against Bristol Bears.
Wednesday’s team will be a nice blend of experience and some of our younger players who have not had many opportunities to pull on a Warriors shirt this season and are chomping at the bit to do so.
We had a hard Premiership match against Saracens on Boxing Day and player welfare is of paramount importance so it’s important that the players who played there get time to recover.
But we have a big squad with good depth so we have enough players to be able to put out two sides this week.

Does the absence of the Premiership Rugby Shield this season increase the importance of the Cup?

It’s a good way to give game time to players who have not had exposure in the Premiership and also to try some new combinations.
Some clubs choose to put out totally young sides, others try to get a blend of youth and experience, which is what we are going to do.
It gives everyone in the squad an opportunity to show what they can do.
We believe the Premiership Rugby Cup is an important competition and we want to go as far as we can in it.
If we can get the result on Wednesday it puts us in a good position for our last two group games.
The result against Bristol was a big statement and backing that up will be important for the squad and for the whole club in general.

What are you expecting from Gloucester?

They have had two good wins in the competition so far which suggests that they are also taking it very seriously.
They had a game on Boxing Day and they play again at the weekend so you can probably guess that the make-up of their squad on Wednesday will be different.
We can’t predict what they will pick. Our focus has been on ourselves and trying to get as much cohesion with the guys as we possibly can because we will have a few new combinations.
It’s just making sure we go out and express what we can do. We are in control of that. We bring our own energy and our own game plan. If we can get those right things should go well for us on Wednesday.

Tell us more about your role

I’m heavily with the Under-18s and their matches and training.
I also work closely with players coming into the Senior Academy and helping them to bridge the gap between Academy and first team rugby, helping to develop them as quickly as possible to push for first team selection.
They have come out of schoolboy and academy rugby and Premiership rugby is very different so it’s almost like learning a new game.
It’s a balance between physical development and also managing how much they play, where they play, what training they are doing and whether they need to do additional training or do they need to go out and play.
A number of the Academy players missed a whole year because of what happened with COVID.

You’ve had quite a number of players on loan this season, has that been beneficial?

We have good relationships with a number of Championship clubs – we’ve got players at Cornish Pirates, Ampthill, Hartpury and Coventry – Birmingham Moseley in National One and Stourbridge in National Two North.
It’s about trying to pitch what level players to help them succeed but not to make it too easy for them. It has to be challenging both mentally and physically.
It’s good watching their games to see how they are developing, those who re developing quickly and the guys who might need a bit longer.
It’s all competitive rugby. There are more games than the Academy League and it’s attritional so it’s demanding mentally as well as physically.

You will be running the team with Chris Morgan on Wednesday. Are you looking forward to that?

It’s enjoyable and something we are looking forward to.
We have taken the lead this week in the last couple of training sessions with the guys.
It’s nice to get the promotion for the week as it were. For us as coaches it’s like the guys who are coming into the side on Wednesday who maybe haven’t experienced this level before.
It gives us the opportunity to head things up, run things and be in charge of training sessions.
It’s been good and we’re really looking forward to Wednesday night.
Training has gone really well and the more senior players have really stepped up and helped myself and Chris out making sure that we can get as much good training as we can under our belts before Wednesday.
By A38
#42459
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/01/05/press ... -05-01-22/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bath Rugby at The Rec (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

Do you expect the Bath game to go ahead?

They have had a couple of games called off because of COVID-19. But it’s a similar situation to Saracens two weeks ago. They will have had players isolating but they will have come out of isolation by Sunday and be ready to play.
We expect the game to go ahead as scheduled and we are planning to play on Sunday.
We are in reasonable shape with COVID. This week we decided to PCR test all the players and playing staff on Monday in addition to their usual lateral flow tests.
We didn’t need to do that but we wanted to be vigilant with people coming back in having been away over Christmas and New Year.
We’ve returned two positive tests on the playing side but because those two individuals had not mixed with the wider group they have not infected the rest of the group.

Are you surprised that Bath are still seeking their first win of the season?

We can relate to the situation they are in because we were in that situation last year.
There are such fine margins in this competition. Bath are not a bad team and they have not got bad coaches. They have got some very good players in their squad and The Rec is always a tough place to go to.
They are in a difficult spot but professional sport is all about the top two inches and a little bit of confidence and Bath haven’t had that.
Sometimes when you are in this situation as a coach you do all you can to get the group out of it and sometimes it becomes more about desire, want and emotion and we know that we are going to face that on Sunday.
We know that Warriors have never won at The Rec so Bath will see this as an opportunity.
But we are highly motivated for this game. We were particularly disappointed with our first half performance at Saracens but there is a lot of good stuff going on in our game.
We have scored 30 tries already this season which the most Warriors have ever scored in the Premiership at this point in a season.
There have been some very clear improvements in our game this season particularly around our set piece, our line-out, our maul defence, our contact area, our ball retention and our off-loading. We scored five tries at Saracens and it should have been seven which is no mean feat away from home but we are conceding too many points.
We know Bath have some good attacking players. The challenge is going to be very different.
It’s an old-school pitch at The Rec. There is rain forecast on Saturday but it’s dry on Sunday.
We know this game is almost going to be like cup rugby with two teams who are keen to win the game, both emotionally up for it and a big crowd in and we are looking forward to it.

Does the pitch at The Rec impact on your selection?

It impacts on the selection of footwear and the need for longer studs.
We normally train on our 3g pitch but this week we have been training on the grass pitch we have at Sixways in preparation for Sunday.
Rain is forecast for Saturday so we are not expecting it to be the firmest surface at The Rec.

Any indication on whether the forthcoming EPCR Challenge Cup match against Toulon will go ahead?

As things stand we expect the game to go ahead.
As a club we were disappointed that the Biarritz match wasn’t played because we were excited to have our two home group matches against them and Toulon.
It’s critical that EPCR think carefully about the decisions they make around fixtures that are cancelled or postponed.
The Challenge Cup is a competition that we want to progress in and a competition that we value greatly.
If we were to miss a second home game it would adversely impact us not only financially but also on our chances of progressing in the competition, as you normally back yourself to win your home games.
So the choices that EPCR make are important and the consequences, not just for the two European competitions, but for each individual club are huge.

Do you have any explanation why Warriors have gone 17 matches without an away win?

Belief is the key word. As to why we haven’t won away there are a lot of factors. There has been a lot of change at the club in the past 18 months with a lot of new players and members of staff and we have also had injuries to senior players.
We would love to change the narrative. Where we are at in terms of the evolution of this team it’s important that we win our home games. To progress to become a top six side you have got to win on the road.
How do we do that? You put yourself in those situations and you learn from your mistakes.
We showed in difficult circumstances in two games at Newcastle before Christmas that we can go away from home and perform. It’s about mindset and belief.
You sometimes have to go through those experiences with a young group for them to learn, to grow and ultimately thrive in those environments.

Injuries

Melani Nanai suffered a knee injury shortly after he came off the bench at Saracens. The early indications are that is an anterior cruciate ligament injury and it could be season ending. You have to feel for Melani because he has already had a number of injury challenges to overcome.
Rory Sutherland has recovered from his dead leg and should be available for selection this weekend.
Ollie Lawrence, Owen Williams and Willi Heinz are all around two weeks away.
By A38
#42967
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/01/12/press ... -12-01-22/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup match against Toulon at Sixways (kick-off 5.30pm).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

On Toulon

We are delighted that the match is going ahead. Toulon have had COVID issues recently but the match is on and we are very excited at the prospect of the three-times Champions Cup winners coming here.
It’s a home game which brings in some important revenue, especially after the disappointment of the Biarritz match being cancelled, and it’s also a fantastic opportunity for our supporters to see one of the top clubs in Europe playing at Sixways.

Were you frustrated that the Biarritz match was cancelled rather than postponed?

If you want to progress from the group in any competition it’s important that you win your home games so to be awarded only two points for the Biarritz cancellation is frustrating.
We appreciate that it was not Biarritz’s fault that they could not travel but because of a change of travel policy from the French Government, but it was a game that we had hoped to win.
But, looking at it as a glass half-full, we are delighted that the Toulon match is going ahead and everyone at the club – players, coaches, staff and supporters – is excited to be playing against the three-times European champions.

What do you think you need to do to progress in the competition?

All we can do is control the controllables. If we can win at the weekend and against Zebre next week then hopefully it will be enough.

Has the Challenge Cup taken on more significance because there is no relegation from the Premiership this season?

There is no additional pressure. We want to win every game we play in every competition.
The approach we have taken this season is to be competitive in every fixture.
In the second half of last season we did rotate the squad to give our younger players opportunities for growth.
This season we have been more consistent in our selection and we are very motivated to be competitive in all competitions.
We have taken ten points from ten in the Premiership Rugby Cup and we also got two points at Newcastle in our opening game in the Challenge Cup last month.
Apart from the British & Irish Cup when I was still playing, Warriors have never won a cup competition.
This group of players wants to start playing finals rugby, to be involved in quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals and we want to inspire our supporters. We would love to have a home tie against a big team in the knock-out stages.
The Premiership is our bread and butter and, as our highest-ever finish is eighth, bettering that is another of our objectives.

Does the fact that Toulon have not played for three weeks mean they will be under-prepared for this match?

A lot of their team are internationals, their squad is full of very good rugby players and they will not have forgotten how to play rugby after three weeks. They will not turn into poor rugby players overnight.
Even if players have been isolating they will, as professional sportsmen, have been training.
The old saying that you need to play get match fitness doesn’t necessarily apply these days because the conditioning programme the players are on means that they can hit the ground running.
Toulon will be excited to be back playing again and, from what we hear, they are likely to come here fully loaded.
So the prospect of facing a fully-loaded Toulon side at Sixways is an exciting one for us and our supporters.

Injuries

Sam Lewis withdrew from the Bath match after he suffered a back spasm. He’s fit now and available for selection.
Billy Searle and Sione Vailanu are back training having completed their isolation period after they tested positive for COVID.
James Scott is still isolating.
Andrew Kitchener has got a few bumps and bruises so there is a question mark over whether he will be fit this weekend.
Melani Nanai is unlikely to play again this season but we should have a more accurate prognosis next week.

On Rory Sutherland’s three match suspension following his sending-off at Bath

The outcome is a three-match suspension which could potentially be reduced to two matches of Rory does an online World Rugby course.
We recognised that it was a head-on-head collision but we didn’t think that it warranted a red card.
The reason we came to that conclusion is that if you go on to the World Rugby website it gives example of what are red card, yellow card or penalty offences for head-on-head incidents and there are videos to illustrate each of them.
We looked at the videos and because there was some late foot movement involved from Will Stuart of Bath and Rory was quite static at the point of contact, we felt that there was mitigation to reduce it from a red to a yellow card. Unfortunately the judicial panel did not see it the same way.
As a club we recognise and support everything that is being done around head collisions, head injury assessments and the return-to-play protocols. But we felt that was a freak accident and a rugby incident.
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By Latecomer
#43026
No mention this week of Lawrence, Heinz and Williams, the first two at least have been 'a couple of weeks away' for a month or more now.
Indeed, Willie seems to have been out for an age with what was first reported as a minor groin strain if my memory is not playing tricks on me.
By A38
#43444
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/01/18/press ... -18-01-22/

Head Coach Jonathan Thomas spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s EPCR Challenge Cup match against Zebre in Parma (kick-off 3.15pm GMT).

Here’s what Jonathan had to say:

Can you still qualify for the Round of 16?

We spoke last week about the importance of winning our home games. We didn’t do that against Toulon so it’s a bit of an uphill task now.
The new format of the competition takes a little bit of getting used to. We were all familiar with the old format when you knew that third place in the pool wouldn’t be enough to take you to the knockout stages.
That’s no longer the case so we are still in the mix and we go to Zebre with the intent to be competitive and to win the game.
Consistency is important if we are to do that. Against Toulon we played some good stuff in the first 30 and the last 20 minutes but in that middle 30 minutes we didn’t fire any shots because of the pressure Toulon put on us at the breakdown.
We would have liked to react differently both tactically and in our intent.
But there were a lot of young players on the pitch on Saturday who have not played against French opposition before or a top European side like Toulon so it was a good learning experience for them.

On Zebre

They, like Saracens, Bath and Toulon have had COVID issues but we have heard nothing from Zebre to suggest that the game will not be played.
As we have discovered with all our recent opponents, if a team has had down week or weeks because of COVID they are fresh and raring to go.
Zebre also have a new coach who is forward orientated and so you would expect an emotional response from their players.
They are a physical side who will be good at the breakdown and they also have some good athletes so it will be a good test for us.
I played against Italian opposition for 12 years in the Pro-12 and whenever you came up against Treviso or Zebre there was never an easy game over there.
It is going to be a real challenge and I have stressed to the players that Zebre are proud rugby men and we must have respect for them as a team.
A lot of big European teams have been humbled in Italy over the years. It’s an exciting challenge because we don’t normally play against Italian opposition.

What challenges did Toulon pose?

In the Premiership every team is familiar with each other. There are slight variations of identity, how they scrum, how they maul and they attack and defend in a similar fashion.
Toulon made low chop tackles so they were able to get over the ball quickly.
When you are an experienced campaigner and you have played a lot you are able to adapt in those moments. On Saturdays we didn’t react quickly to the curve ball Toulon threw at us.
We had a good review on Monday, the players were disappointed but they will be better for the experience.
We are committed to bringing through home-grown players but turning them into Premiership or European players doesn’t happen at the flick of a switch.

What sort of team will you take to Italy?

We will take a reasonably strong side and one that is highly motivated to do well out there.
There will be opportunities for guys who have been benching or who have not been involved regularly recently.
Hopefully we will come back to prepare for Northampton next week in a good place.

England announced a 36-man squad for the Six Nations today without any Warriors players in it. Are you disappointed?

I’m disappointed for Ted Hill and Kyle Hatherell who had been mentioned as possible picks and for Ollie Lawrence who has been injured recently so hasn’t had the chance to press his claims.
Ted and Kyle have both played consistently well for us this season.
You also have to remember where Kyle has come from. His story is a fantastic example for all young players that you should never give up on your dreams.
The back row is always one of the most hotly contested areas for selection and none more so than in English rugby at the moment.
Both Ted and Kyle are versatile and adaptable. Ted has played most of rugby for us at six but over the last couple of months he has been at seven with Kyle at six.
Ted played some of his junior rugby at lock and he is an excellent lineout jumper. One of the best games he had for Warriors was at Newcastle at the end of last season where he played in the second row.
Kyle played most of his rugby for Jersey Reds at lock, he started this season there and he has moved up to lock from six on a number of occasions since then so that is a genuine option for him.
Although Ted is a young man he has been in this environment for some time. Kyle is quite raw having just come into the Premiership from the Championship so we wanted to give him the certainty of playing in one position. But he could play at number eight or at tighthead lock.

Injuries

Marc Thomas dislocated an ankle against Toulon. He will need an operation and will be out for between four and five months.
It’s very unfortunate for Marc because he has worked really hard on his fitness this season and each time he has had an opportunity he has picked up an injury and this one is quite severe.
Melani Nanai is still going through a consultation process so we are still waiting for a full prognosis.
Andrew Kitchener suffered a dead leg against Bath but we expect him to be available this weekend.
Perry Humphreys had to withdraw from the side against Toulon because he returned a positive COVID test. He will come out of isolation on Friday but he will not be considered for selection this weekend.

How frustrating is it for Melani facing another long lay-off?

Melani adds so much value both on and off the field. He inspires players around him with what he does.
Although he is a quiet individual he has got a huge rugby intellect. He builds good relationships and gives good one-to-one feedback to some of our younger players.
It’s difficult for all players who have long-term injuries, not just Melani. But we are very fortunate at Warriors to have Lynette Cutting as our Education Officer.
It’s important that players appreciate that there is life outside rugby and Lynette provides an invaluable service by helping them get on educational or vocational courses and developing skills away from rugby.
So many players have got qualifications through Lynette. It’s a brilliant service that Lynette provides and she works with all our players, not just those who are injured.
By A38
#43938
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/01/26/press ... -26-01-22/

Lead rugby Consultant Steve Diamond spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Northampton Saints at Sixways.

Here’s what Steve had to say:

How have the players responded to the news of the changes in the coaching structure?

Yesterday was a shock to the squad but they have taken it in their stride.
The players realise that where we sit in the league isn’t acceptable. If a coach doesn’t achieve the KPIs they are given then, unfortunately they lose their job. We are in a results-based business.
It’s the same for the players. When contract time comes around if you have not delivered for your club then the decision-makers who decide whether you get a contract make that decision therein.
For me it’s a great opportunity. There was a bit of a shock in the business yesterday but they trained very well yesterday, they have trained very well this morning, which is a good sign, but it doesn’t mean you are going to win a game. But I think everybody is tuned in to doing well for Worcester.

What areas do you need to improve on?

We’ve scored a lot of tries but the basics of our game are not up to scratch at the moment. Our set piece is not where we want it to be and our defence isn’t where we want it to be.
We’ve conceded twice as many tries as four or five teams in the league which is a ridiculous stat. That is where our attention is going to focused over the next month.
We have a good academy which produces good kids. We have a lot of lads who have been exposed to senior rugby this season and I will continue in that vein but we will be looking for one or two recruits to come in to bolster, certainly the pack.

Are you looking forward to coaching again?

I have been a long time out of kit, now I am back in it. We had a good contact session this morning which went very well.
On the technical side of the game, the lads know what they are doing. It’s just that ten per cent of desire that we are trying to bring.
You have got to practice to get that. You can’t just flick a switch on a Saturday afternoon and say: this is what we are about. You have got to simulate it during the week.
That is what we did this morning for ten minutes or so and it was very competitive. The second team, who haven’t been picked for the first team this weekend, showed to me that they want to be in the first team.

What have you made of performances since you arrived in September?

We have had some good results, we have got something out of most games. That is the sign of a team that has got good energy.
But we need to be finer tuned than that. We need to be winning home games. You don’t win home games by fluke. You need a bit of luck but you need to have a plan, you need to stick to the plan, you have got to have players who understand and agree with the plan and they implement it for you.
We are facilitators really it’s just getting people to buy into the psyche of it.
We have some world-class players certainly in the backs. We have players with the ability to beat two men, to beat men one-on-one, we have got pace and speed in the team and we have brilliant decision-maker at ten in Fin Smith.
We need to add to our all-round game. We need to get some discipline into how we defend.
The bits I am talking about are the bits that don’t require world-class skill. It’s just hard work, getting back on your feet when you have been put down, getting in line and communicating and when, in the hour of need when you are breathing in diesel, you are able communicate to your mates on the field.
Culture isn’t something done in the bowling alley or going out to the pub. Culture is about when you are under pressure on the rugby pitch that you fight for each other and that is what I will be building over the next month or so.

How bright a prospect is Fin Smith?

Very bright. In fact we have had the England Under-20s coaches in this morning begging us to release him so he can play for them, but he’s going to be playing for us.

What do you make of Northampton?

They are a good side. They have put us to bed a couple of times and we need to close the gap on them.
They are well coached they have a great policy in the club where the younger lads, Phil Dowson and Sam Vesty, are going to be in charge next year.
They have a great squad, they play an attractive style of rugby and it will be real challenge but I’m sure we will up for that challenge.

Are you likely to change the side much?

I have told the lads not to knock on my door over the next month if they are not in the team. I will be looking at people over the next month.
We have put a game plan together that the senior players buy into and that will permeate down to the rest to the squad.
If you can stick to the plan which we have all – players and staff – agreed can work then you keep your place in the team. If you can’t then we will look at other people.
I’m not a coach who rests people on a rotation basis. I think that’s an easy excuse for coaches.
What we have to get here is some seniority, a pecking order created by peer pressure of who trains well, who plays well pretty much keeps their spot.
It’s up to me to go to those who are not in the squad and show them a pathway back into the team.
It’s all very well dropping someone if they make an error but you have to pick them up and show them a way back otherwise there’s no point having a big squad.

How will you judge success this season?

In some people’s eyes I have a long pre-season between now and September but I don’t see it like that.
We have 12 games left, seven of them at home, and we will be putting everything into those home games and picking certain away games because you are not going to win every game.
We are not going to be shackled and tied up with worrying about structure and not taking risks. With back-line we have got we are going to be taking risks and playing.
If the opportunity arises where we can get some possession and we can keep the pressure on territory-wise I have no doubt that we can score tries.
Hopefully it’s going to take a good team to beat us.

Injuries

Ollie Lawrence is around three to four weeks away.
Owen Williams will be involved this weekend.
Willi Heinz is still three or four weeks off with his calf strain
By g2forumsm
#44100
TeflonTed wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:48 pm
Don’t understand the comment re. Fin.

I thought we’d established that World Rugby release periods mandated that in stated release periods U20’s squads were incuded, hence selected players must be released.

See regulation 9
https://www.world.rugby/news/155042
However, it was always my vow that U20 was down to the club and that there are several l instances over the last couple of years when players were not released
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#44103
g2forumsm wrote:
Sat Jan 29, 2022 9:57 am
TeflonTed wrote:
Wed Jan 26, 2022 5:48 pm
Don’t understand the comment re. Fin.

I thought we’d established that World Rugby release periods mandated that in stated release periods U20’s squads were incuded, hence selected players must be released.

See regulation 9
https://www.world.rugby/news/155042
However, it was always my vow that U20 was down to the club and that there are several l instances over the last couple of years when players were not released
The regulations are quite clear though. If selected, players go!

But, and there’s always a but, in the case that the U20 player is already holding down a first choice Premiership starting place, as it seems Fin is, it might be better for everyone (except the U20’s) for him to progress his Premiership career at this point.

And he might well be perfectly happy to do so, we can’t know.

Dimes’ comment on the subject is a bit odd to me, but overall I just hope Fin is happy.
By A38
#44484
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/02/02/press ... -02-02-22/

Lead Rugby consultant Steve Diamond spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Leicester Tigers at Mattioli Woods Welford Road (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Steve had to say:

On the performance against Northampton Saints

There was great endeavour but we made two or three basic defensive errors midfield in phase play which led to breakaway tries and we didn’t convert our opportunities in attack.
If you look at it statistically, apart from points for and against, you would have thought we had won the game with territory, possession, line breaks, tackles made, passes made, metres made. But they count for nothing.
What I always planned to do is bring it down to basics, cut the plays down a bit, make sure everyone understands their role on the field and, over a period of time, we will improve. So I’m frustrated more than disappointed.
We have to get our basic defence plan in place and, when we get the ball, we have to keep it. On Saturday we gave three or four penalties in the opposition 22 when we were in attack.
Those are freakish stats. We are not thinking clearly under pressure. What we have to do is replicate those scenarios in training.
We have got buy-in from everybody, the coaches and players, it’s a case of doing the drills and repeating it and making sure it becomes second nature to them.
They reckon that to be good at something you have to do 10,000 hours, We don’t have those hours. I have got them for 16 hours of their 168 hours a week, so I have got ten per cent of their lives.

On the defensive lapses

It’s an understanding of role and an understanding of the opposition, what they are trying to do and how they are trying to manipulate you.
From what I have seen over the last two months we have had failings in that area that are similar so it’s a common occurrence.
It’s people not buying into what their role is and that is part of the job that myself and Jonny Bell are working on at the moment.
It’s making sure there’s an understanding and then implementing that plan.
It will take two or three weeks to get it repped but we have shown a real desire to understand it and the session yesterday was more intense and a marked improvement on what I have seen in the last six weeks or so.
It’s not reinventing the wheel it’s putting the basics in place from certain scenarios. To defend from lineout and scrum is reasonably easy but to defend if you are sucking in diesel after eight or nine phases and you are a tighthead prop you have got to understand how to get into the line and defend.
It’s about being connected and we are not connected a lot of the time in phase play.

New signings

The most important thing I have got to do is to make sure that the players who stay here and who we re-contract are able to make the club a highly competitive unit.
The easiest thing to do is to go and find four players. They are there already.
We are in a market place where this is a time where you don’t want to be a player because the salary cap has come down by a third, wages have come down and there’s a glut of players on the market. So finding new players is easy.
Anyone who is in the job I do knows that. Working out the wheat from the chaff here is difficult and I need time to do that.
Players are put to me every single day. I look at them, we put them in a file and we do an analysis on them if we are looking at that position.
At the moment I am more interested in working with the players that are here and making sure that they are here for the right reasons and they can do the job that we want them to do. It’s going to take six to eight weeks for me to do that.

On Leicester

They played Sale, who are very good side, at the weekend. We face them both over the next two weeks.
Those are daunting tasks. If you don’t get your basics in place and you can’t fulfil your duty then those sides will run away with the fixture so we need a big concerted effort over the next few weeks.
Steve Borthwick has done a brilliant job at Leicester. He’s taken them from nowhere, he’s enhanced the squad minimally.
He’s worked with a lot of players who were there, like I will be doing. He took his time to decide who wanted to keep and who he wanted to let go.

No Duhan van der Merwe or Rory Sutherland this week

Duhan and Rory are two inspirational players for us but other teams are similarly affected. They have players of international quality away.
You have to learn to be without those players for ten weeks a year and one of those periods is coming up for us.

What are your immediate targets?

It would be easy to say win some games. But before we win some games we have to get the performances right.
We have certainly got the skillset in a lot of areas. We have to make sure that we turn up with the right attitude and with the knowledge, skill and motivation we will get the performances.
That will come in performances before it comes in the results.
I have come in here at the right time. We have a good squad of players and if we can gel quickly then we will be a highly combative force in the next month and moving into the rest of the season

Injuries

Fin Smith and Andrew Kitchener are going through the return-to-play protocols
Jamie Shillcock had a hip flexor injury but he is back in training.
Sam Lewis has a dead leg and won’t be back this weekend

On Scott Baldwin’s release on compassionate grounds

It’s very sad that Scott has left us. The owners, players, coaches and myself send our best wishes are with Scott and his family. These things are more important than rugby.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#44488
No shrinking violet is he Dimes!

All positive stuff, and makes perfect sense with all the analytical comments.

As for performance v Saints, I didn’t notice his rose tinted glasses on the day.

And only 16 hours a week? Strange number…mind you, I suppose 16hrs a week of Dimes chewing at your heels is quite enough.
User avatar
By Latecomer
#44505
Interesting there is no mention of Owen Williams after he pulled up clutching his hamstring again at the end of Saints game (didn't look great).
Also no further news on Ollie and Willie ................
Front row options are going to be a bit lean this week too.
By A38
#44994
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/02/09/press ... -09-02-22/

Lead Rugby Consultant Steve Diamond spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Sale Sharks at the AJ Bell Stadium (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Steve had to say:

On going back to Sale

We have got a lot to do. We have been comprehensively beaten over the last two weeks and going up to Manchester as a rival or old flame, as describing me, is something different to what I’m used to.
It’s a new experience but it’s something that I am looking forward to.
I suppose it’s a bit like a divorce. Of the last 30 years I was there for 26 of them. Some divorces end nicely and some don’t. I was fortunate that mine ended in an amicable way. When divorces end in an amicable way then you get invited back into the house now and again.
Sale have got a younger model looking after them and Worcester have picked me up, an old lag. We will see over the next two or three years who has got the best deal won’t we?
Sale’s squad, their position and basis behind the scenes took a long time to build. A lot of people were involved in that and they deserve a lot of credit. I was a figurehead for a long time
But you move on to pastures new and I’m excited about what we are trying to do at Worcester over the next few years.

On Alex Sanderson

I made him captain at Sale in 2001 when he was the youngest captain in the Premiership. He moved to Saracens with me when I left in 2004 and he stayed on after I left in 2006.
We have always maintained a good friendship. There’s a rivalry which is obvious and, to be fair to Al, the score is about 20-0 to him because he has coached Saracens and I coached Sale and, more often than not, we got beat.

Are there similarities between the two clubs?

Both clubs have always engendered their own players through their academies.
I spent a long time talking to the academy staff last night about how we can improve things and get more kids coming through.
Everybody is good at these things but everybody can also get better at these things. That’s the job we have here at Worcester, to produce young talent to complement the experienced, gnarly players that we looking to bring in over the summer.

What are your ambitions for Warriors?

We want to be respected in the Premiership as a highly combative team and we want to be respected in Europe.
Those footsteps need to start slowly. Over the next month everybody will be informed who is staying and who is going and then we will start the recruitment drive.
I’m not going to be ruthless with it. It’s going to be fair. Everybody is going to be given the opportunity to play and show their wares.
We will streamline the squad a little bit. It will be a healthy, vibrant environment going into next season where players want to play for the club.
Facilities-wise the club is outstanding, location-wise it’s brilliant. We just need a bit more housekeeping done behind the scenes which we are doing at the moment.
Four or five of those decisions have been made already and the people who will be leaving have promised me that they will be very diligent and work as hard as they possibly can until we pass them on to their next journey in life.
There are some great players here but there are some who haven’t fulfilled their potential. Over the last two weeks and over the next three or four weeks they will be given that opportunity.
If, luckily, they take it, then brilliant. If they don’t, we will make decisions on those people.

How will you make decisions on which players to keep?

The senior players at this club and the coaching staff, who are very diligent, plan how we are going to play.
There are two groups of senior players – attack and defence – and how we analyse the game is based on what we have said we are going to do and what the game plan is.
The way to stay in the team is do as we ask you to do. It’s not me per se who is asking them to do it, it’s the coaching team and the senior players.
So, the game plan is driven by the players on the field. It’s who can fit into that plan on a regular basis.
It doesn’t mean that if you have one poor game or miss a tackle you are out. It’s: can you stick to the plan 80 per cent of the time during game? If you can, great, there’s a career for you.

You said after the Leicester match that you thought the players had been overworked

For the last ten years of my coaching career I have done very little contact in training.
How that manifests itself is in your injury status and for ten years Sale had the lowest injury status in the Premiership by a country mile.
At Worcester it’s not as good as that and part of that is an over-training mentality. If things don’t go well on the field everything is reactionary. By the time you get a week out of the way you have been in for five of the seven days.
That is not conducive to playing sport at a professional level. You can’t just bring them in for longer hours to train harder.
You have got to give them a good reason and a why and that is what I try to do with the help of the current coaches.
And the current coaches have impressed me. They are diligent, they are hard-working, they know their stuff and they seem like good people.
The hardest thing in life, especially in sport, is to find good people. It’s easy to find good coaches, there are lots of them about, but they tend to flit between jobs.
If you are like me and you can hold jobs down for ten years then you build an infrastructure around you where people have the ability to do their jobs.
Steve Diamond is top of the tree at Worcester in name only. Mark Irish does the forwards, Jonny Bell does the defence and Mark Jones does the attack and they are good at what they do. They are as good as I have seen.

On Finn Theobald-Thomas’s England Under-20s call-up

He wasn’t in the initial squad but he’s now been picked and it’s a great opportunity for him.
In the hooker, prop and scrum-half positions Premiership clubs need four to get you through a season.
Finn’s been elevated to the matchday squad by England which means he’s in the top five or six players in the country in that position.

On Ted Hill missing out on England selection

Ted has been unlucky. He’s a fantastic player but there is a plethora of players in his position.
As we saw at Leicester that he is a fantastic athlete and player and he can get better. I’ve not met anyone who trains harder than him and he has a brilliant manner about him.
He will get picked in the future without a doubt.

Injuries

Fin Smith and Andrew Kitchener are both available this weekend
Ollie Lawrence is still out with a longer term injury.
Francois Venter took a knock on his calf at Leicester and we are awaiting the result of a scan.
Owen Williams is not quite 100 per cent but we feel that another week or two on the training paddock will get him back there.
By A38
#45384
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/02/15/press ... -15-02-22/

Lead Rugby Consultant Steve Diamond spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bristol Bears at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Steve had to say:

On the performance at Sale

Sale have a deeper squad and a stronger squad. We did really well to stay in the fight for the first half but we just got out-muscled in the second half.
Combine that with the strength of Sale’s bench with players like Raffi Quirke coming on. He made two or three breaks and decisions which resulted in tries so he was a game-changer.
Yellow cards do come from pressure but ours in the last two weeks haven’t. They have come from errors and if we can cut them out, we stand a chance of being even more competitive.
We have had words with the squad and individuals about that. It’s unnecessary.

What have you learnt about the squad so far?

We have a resilient bunch of lads who care about what they are doing.
We have not been as good as the opposition in the last two weeks. We have given our last two opponents opportunities that we could have avoided.
Last week there were simple one-on-one misses that gave Sale two tries playing against the wind in the first-half. We should have gone in at half-time 12-0 up.

Are you looking forward to being back at Sixways this week?

We are looking forward to playing under the lights at Sixways.
We know how important it is to perform at home and everyone is keen to do that and we are looking forward to welcoming Bristol.
Bristol are a super-star team. They have world-class players all over their team and their league position doesn’t reflect their skill-set.
They will be difficult to contain but we will be doing our best to do that.
We need to be more consistent in our defence and in our execution of taking opportunities. We are working our way towards that and if can do that then we stand an opportunity of winning the game.

Is this a game that you have targeted as a possible win?

In my experience going to Sale is always a difficult job for most teams, Worcester included. With the squad they were able to field last week it was always going to take a big push to get a result there.
Home games are different. In this league you have got to be highly competitive in all games but more so at home.
The basis of that is simple; you have your family, friends and the great supporter base that we have. Hopefully you put in a great performance that generates a win and that’s what we hope to do this week.

Injuries are mounting up. Are you looking to bring anyone in on loan?

We can weather the storm this season. It will be a good opportunity for some of the younger lads to get a run-out and see how they fare in this league.
It’s a moving feast, as someone gets injured there’s usually someone coming back to fitness. It’s not ideal but we are more than capable of handling the situation.

Injuries

Tom Dodd has been for a scan on his knee injury. We are awaiting the results but looks like being out for a length of time.
Kyle Hatherell has a chronic shoulder problem which we are managing this week.
Ted Hill has a stiff back.
Sam Lewis has also had scans and we are waiting for a diagnosis from the radiologist.
Rory Sutherland is being looked after by Scotland and by ourselves. He has a badly bruised shoulder and rib. I don’t know whether it’s fractured or not but he will be out for between four and six weeks.
Duhan van der Merwe is available to play this week.
Willi Heinz is recovering from his calf strain and hopefully he will be ready to go in the next two or three weeks.

On the death of Evesham wing Jack Jeffery

I was shocked when I heard the news on Sunday morning. It’s not just in Worcestershire, it’s the whole rugby world that is in shock at such a tragic accident.
The owners, the Supporters Club and everyone at the club will be doing everything we can to support Jack’s family and Evesham.
The club is liaising with Jack’s family through Evesham about a fitting tribute to him at Friday’s game.
User avatar
By TeflonTed
#45386
Dimes continues to be refreshingly bullshit free.

The only bit I really don’t understand is 57’s calf strain.

How long does a calf strain take to recover from? I really don’t recall many calf strains taking anywhere near as long as this.
By A38
#45873
https://warriors.co.uk/2022/02/22/press ... -22-02-22/
Lead Rugby Consultant Steve Diamond spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against reigning champions Harlequins at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Steve had to say?

On the performance against Bristol Bears

We won the first 20 minutes and the second half but had a little patch in the second quarter when we went off script. But apart from that it was good to get the win.
In our de-brief on Monday I asked the players why they went for touch instead of goal in the second half which would have extended our lead and they said that the wind was too strong.
So the game management was good and the bench made a difference when they came on.
Seb Atkinson didn’t get on but he will get a good run this weekend.

Was there a spring everyone’s step on Monday?

There was and the lads were also relieved. It’s difficult to build team spirit when you lose on a regular basis.
I brought them down to earth though. One or two were walking around like they were playing for Barcelona. I had to remind them that we are more like Aston Villa at the moment.

On Harlequins

From turnover ball they are very good.
Last week in the second quarter we gave several penalties away. With Danny Care against us this week, if we do the same again, we will be under the sticks and not knowing what has happened.

You have spoken before about the reduction in the salary cap next season, what impact do you think that will have?

It’s going to make the Premiership more competitive. The clubs that prosper that can recruit within the cap.
We are not going to be playing Premiership Rugby Shield games again next season which means that clubs are going to operate with leaner squads.
With an A League you have got to have a bigger squad and you are effectively having to manage two teams.
You couldn’t do that with the reduction in the salary cap and so, for the time it is the right thing to do.
Once the revenue streams for clubs recover and are bolstered then perhaps we can look at bringing the A League back.

What are you looking for in your
recruitment of new players?


The players we bring have to be better than anything we have got already.
Ideally they will be players from England but if not then I will look at Georgia, Romania, South Africa, New Zealand because there are lots of players available because of the financial situation in rugby around the world.
At the moment I have got a good contact working for us in South Africa and names of players are regularly being put to me.
But I want to give the players that are here now the chance to prove that they are right people to be here.

Injuries

Ted Hill trained today and we will make a decision on him later in the week.
Kyle Hatherell won’t be fit to play this week.
Willi Heinz should be back next week.
Jamie Shillcock sustained an ankle injury against Bristol. We initially thought that it was more serious but he will still be out for a week or so.

On injuries in general

Injuries don’t worry me. They are a short-term problem.
Injuries are something that every club has to put up with. You always have knocks and bruises to deal with and you just have to get on with it.
If someone misses out because of injury there is another young lad coming off the rank.
You would like your best players to be on the pitch but that rarely happens.
What I can say is that anyone that steps into the team at the moment is saying: pick me.
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