By A38
#2913
Another season starts:-

http://warriors.co.uk/2019/09/10/press- ... -10-09-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of the Premiership Rugby Sevens at Northampton on Friday and Saturday.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the pre-season training camp in Spain

It was an excellent week. The facilities were fantastic, the weather was good which allowed us to start training at 7.30am. It was hugely beneficial and the players enjoyed it
Last year we went to Spain during the conditioning period of pre-season. This time it was more rugby-focused

We have had two four-week blocks of pre-season followed by a week off. We were off last week but the players came back in on Monday and we have a very tough week this week

On the reasoning behind not playing any pre-season friendlies this year
The season is starting later because of the Rugby World Cup and most clubs have decided not to play pre-season friendlies but to use the Premiership Rugby Cup as warm-up matches
We hope to give most players an opportunity in the four cup matches. We do have good strength in depth and good competition for places

What sort of squad will go to the Premiership Sevens?

It’s a good opportunity to give young and developing players an opportunity to play plus one or two more experienced guys depending on bumps and bruises
For me it’s a development competition and the opportunity for youngsters to show what potential they have and to gain valuable experience
The squad will be coached by Gordon Ross and Mike Hill and managed by Mark Hewitt

Injuries

Marco Mama: Marco is back in full training and he’s looking good. Marco is the consummate professional, he looks after himself and he knows and understands his body
The medical staff here and at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford looked after him really well and he’s made a good recovery
Last edited by GoldFinch on Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:10 am, edited 1 time in total. Reason: New season
By A38
#3267
http://warriors.co.uk/2019/09/17/press- ... -17-09-19/

Alan Solomons spoke to the media ahead of the Premiership Rugby Cup match against Leicester Tigers at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On facing Leicester

It’s the first game of the season and pretty much all the clubs are using these cup matches as preparation for the Gallagher Premiership
Whatever team clubs put out will be a good team because there is such strength in depth
The players will be keen to get into the season after a long pre-season

Is it a chance to assess Leicester before the opening Premiership match next month?

I think we have a reasonable idea about Leicester already as I am sure they have about us
For us Saturday’s match is more about our performance and focusing on our own game rather than analysing Leicester

Any clues about selection for Saturday?

In our first two games most of the senior squad will be involved and possibly some of the Academy boys as well
Unless there is a specific reason for not selecting someone everyone will get some decent game time

On last weekend’s Premiership Rugby Sevens

The feedback I have had has been very positive. We took a young squad to Northampton with quite a few Academy players in there and they acquitted themselves well.

Injuries

Marco Mama is fully fit and back in training but we are likely to hold him back until next week
Ryan Bower suffered a very unfortunate injury at Saracens last season which ruled him out for the rest of the season. He is fully fit now and we will bleed him back into the team through the bench
Francois Venter has a calf injury so he won’t be considered for selection this week
Matt Moulds took a bang to a knee in the training camp we had in Spain. He had keyhole surgery on Monday to have the injury cleaned out. He’s been back in today to receive treatment
By A38
#3928
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match at Bath (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On beating Leicester
It was a good start and very positive all round for us
It was our first game for some time and it gave us the opportunity to give game time to some of the younger players and those, like Ashley Beck, Jono Lance and Ryan Bower, who did not play much last season because of injuries
To put into perspective, Leicester sent out a very young side but there were plenty of positives for us

On facing Bath
There is no doubt this will be tougher;
1. Because we are playing at Bath and
2. We expect Bath to send out a reasonably strong side
Every club will do what suits them best to prepare for the start of the Premiership but I would guess that Bath will play a reasonably strong outfit against us

On selection
We said that we would give everyone who is fit and available game time in the first two cup games to give them the chance to compete for places
After this match we will review the first two games in context and see what do for games three and four

Injuries
Dean Hammond has come through the protocols having failed a Head Injury Assessment against Leicester. But he would not have played this weekend anyway as he played last weekend
Melani Nanai is fit, he’s available and he is going to play. He’s settled in really well, he’s gelled well with the other players and he’s a class player
Marco Mama is fine. The complications he suffered to a dead leg came at the end of last season which is some time ago. He’s fit and ready to go
Jono Kitto suffered an abductor muscle injury in training before the Leicester match.
Matt Moulds is making good progress from the keyhole surgery he had on his knee injury.
Francois Venter is not that far away with his calf injury but we want to be conservative with him.

On Warriors players in the Rugby World Cup
Really pleased for Ed Fidow scoring two tries on his World Cup debut for Samoa against Russia
It was great to have Ed here for a few weeks, he’s a really nice guy and he can play – the experience and exposure will be good for him.
Joe Taufete’e will look forward to playing for USA against England. It will be a tough challenge for USA but Joe will not hold back. It’s great to see him playing on the world stage
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By A38
#3934
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/10/01/press ... -01-10-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Exeter Chiefs at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the defeat at Bath
We started quite brightly, had a nice break down the left, got a penalty, won the lineout but then gave a penalty away
There was a momentum swing when Bath kicked a penalty and in the next 14 minutes we gave away two pretty soft tries
They scored a third try and at 24-0 after 30 minutes we were staring down the barrel but what pleased me most is the way we fought back. We scored a try just before half-time and had a lot of pressure in that third quarter. Alex Hearle and Ollie Lawrence both went close before Ollie scored
But we then lost both tighthead props in quick succession which made it difficult, we gave away penalties at scrum-time and they got a penalty try
But we showed resilience at the end and scored two really good tries which gave us a bonus point and came within a hair’s breadth of a second

What sort of team are you likely to play against Exeter?
It’s a six day turnaround so you can expect that the majority of players who played last week will not feature against Exeter

What do make of Exeter?
They are a fantastic side, they are a really fantastic club. They are well-led, well-coached and well-supported. They are one of the top sides in England
They have done outstandingly since they came into the Premiership. The way they built things over time has been outstanding. I have nothing but respect for them

Are you looking forward to the first match under the new Sixways floodlights?
Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham, our co-owners, have invested significantly in the facilities
The new big screens, Fanzone and PA system were in use for the Leicester match. They all made for a fantastic experience for everyone
We are looking forward to playing under the new floodlights and I hope that all our supporters turn out in force because Sixways has become a great venue to watch rugby in

Injuries
Nick Schonert has a tear in a medial ligament. He is seeing a specialist on Thursday when we will know more detail
Will Butler has a sprain to his upper ankle and he will be seeing a specialist on Friday
Richard Palframan failed a head injury assessment at Bath and will not be considered this week
Farai Mudariki has a slight ankle injury
Melani Nanai came off for a head injury assessment at Bath which he passed
Matt Cox is still recovering from illness
Francois Venter is tracking well in his recovery from a calf injury but will not be risked this weekend
Anton Bresler has not recovered from his ankle injury.
Matti Williams has recovered from a groin injury and is available for selection
Abmatt liked this
By A38
#4185
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/10/08/press ... -08-10-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match at Wasps (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the performance against Exeter Chiefs
It was an incredible performance. They put out what was close to their strongest available side. We had a thread of experience in our team but we also had a lot of inexperienced players
We made more than 300 tackles and a completion rate of 92 per cent. We also played with 14 men for 20 minutes with three minutes to go we were only 20-19 down
The effort the players put in was remarkable.

On Wasps
I think they will basically play close to their strongest XV
We know that they will play with width and tempo and it will be a tough challenge for us.
We have to start better when we are playing away. That is something we spoke about after the Bath match and it is something we need to address

On the Premiership Rugby Cup so far
This has been a preparatory period for the Gallagher Premiership for all clubs.
We have competition for places in the squad and over the four games we have tried to give everyone who is fit and available the opportunity to showcase their talent.
The first match against Leicester they put out a young side so we have to see that in perspective.
The second game at Bath we started slowly but then built our way into the game and and we came back well to get a try bonus point.
The Exeter match was a tremendous effort against a strong side.

Injuries
Nick Schonert will be out for at least three months with a grade two tear of a collateral medial ligament. His right knee is in a brace. Premiership regulations allow injury dispensation for a player who is out for in excess of 12 weeks and that is something that we considering.
Farai Mudariki rolled an ankle in training and he is going to have that scanned.
Francois Venter has trained today but it is probably a week too early for him to play.
Will Butler is having an operation on his ankle injury today. We should know more about how long he will be out once the specialist has performed the operation.
Anton Bresler has trained today and he will come into consideration for Saturday.
Matt Cox will train on Thursday.
Jono Kitto trained today and will definitely come into consideration this weekend.
Ryan Bower and Isaac Miller both failed head injury assessments last Friday but both should be fine this weekend.
By A38
#4490
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/10/15/press ... -15-10-19/

Warriors Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Leicester Tigers at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Premiership Rugby Cup campaign
We have given everyone the chance to play and compete for places and we have learnt a lot of valuable lessons.
It has been very beneficial in preparing us for the Gallagher Premiership season.

On the performance at Wasps
Although we conceded an early try, it didn’t deter us and I thought that we were really good in the first 20 minutes, we carried through the half.
I thought we edged the first half but we didn’t take the opportunities that came our way.
They scored a penalty just before half-time and there was a massive momentum swing at the start of the second half when they kicked an early penalty and they scored again from the kick-off which put them 18-3 up.
We kicked a penalty and got it back to 18-6 and we had another penalty which we missed, which would have made it 18-9. But when they scored again it was 25-6 and the game was gone.
One thing that we battled with was the aerial contest. We lost that and paid a price for it because a lot of the try origins came from mistakes in the air. We need to be good in the air. Perhaps we have to spend extra time practising that and that is something we have started immediately.

On facing Leicester
All the sides have good strength in depth and they are all well-prepared and well coached. You will not have an easy game.
Leicester are a good team and a good club. They will be well prepared and well coached and it will be a tough game that’s for sure.
What happened last season is history and I never go too much on history. They have built a bit of momentum in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

On Ed Fidow & Joe Taufete’e
They both have done well in the World Cup. They both had tough pools but all the nations have been competitive.
It was be a great experience for them. It’s good for them to play tier 1 nations and they will have learnt a lot.
We expect them back towards the end of this week but they won’t be available this weekend.

Injuries
Andrew Kitchener went for a head injury assessment against Wasps and he is still going through the protocols and he is unlikely to feature this weekend.
Matt Moulds is unlikely to play in this first block of Premiership matches.
Francois Venter has trained last week and this week and he is available for selection.
Michael Fatialofa has recovered from a knee injury and is available.
Justin Clegg also had a head injury assessment playing for Hartpury at the weekend.
Matt Cox has trained well this week and it’s good to see him back.
Farai Mudariki is likely to be out of action for between four and six weeks.
Sam Lewis popped a rib a couple of weeks ago and that is still giving him some discomfort.
By A38
#4753
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/10/22/press ... -22-10-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Northampton Saints (kick-off 2.00pm).

Here’s what he had to say:

On the opening day win over Leicester Tigers

It was very important to get the campaign off to a good start and to get four points.
The game never really got pace into it. It was very stop-start and we were unable to inject the tempo we would have liked.
There were 13 penalties against us, a lot of them at the breakdown, and we will be certainly looking to reduce that this week and going forward.

What aspects of the win pleased you?

I was very pleased with Duncan Weir’s kicking and we had some good passages of play in attack.
Ted Hill had an exceptional game and I would be shocked if Ted is not a major figure in the next Rugby World Cup.

On facing Northampton

The game will have a lot more tempo in it, that’s for sure because Northampton like to get pace into their game and Franklin’s Gardens is a fast track to play on.
Northampton won away at Saracens at the weekend. Although Saracens are missing a number of players that was still a very good win on the road so we are in for a tough game.

Will Joe Taufete’e and Ed Fidow play this weekend?

They both arrived back at the end of last week and they have been straight into training.
It’s easier for Joe because he has been part and parcel of the club for some time.
Ed has not played a match for us. He is still getting used to our systems so he will need a bit of time to bed in, We will assess his progress at the end of the week.

Injuries

Andrew Kitchener has an infected thumb and he has not trained this week.
Justin Clegg has come through the HIA proptocols after the head injury he sustained playing for Hartpury.
Sam Lewis should be fine this weekend. We took him out last week to allow him to recover from his rib injury.
By A38
#5014
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/10/30/press ... -30-10-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Exeter Chiefs at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:
On last week’s trip to Northampton Saints
I thought we played really well in the first half but in the second half we compounded errors with penalties.
At 20-9 we were in a good position. We were awarded a penalty which we elected to kick to the corner. We won the lineout but we didn’t put points on the board.
After that we a combination of errors and penalties were our undoing and we have taken some harsh lessons from the game.
We are looking to get our penalty count into single figures and also to reduce our contact errors.
On facing Exeter
Their game at Bath last week was played in pretty difficult conditions. It was wet and the pitch was pretty muddy but credit to Bath on the win.
We have had some good games against Exeter over the years. They are a quality side and they have established themselves as one of the top two teams in England.
We need to perform at our absolute best. If we do that we will give ourselves a chance.
Injuries
Francois Hougaard will be out of action for at least three weeks with a shoulder injury which he sustained at Northampton.
Andrew Kitchener is back running again but he won’t be considered for selection this week because of his hand injury.
Marco Mama has recovered the knock to the head he suffered in training last week and will be available for selection this weekend.
Nick Schonert is making good progress from his knee ligament injury and he has been running this week.
By ROLLO
#5018
If Solly thinks that being 20-9 down is a good position, I would hate to be in a poor one.
Solly is a likable fellow but comments like that are complete and utter bilge water IMHO and do not fill me with confidence.
#5028
Take it in context. 20-9 down with an attacking penalty in the corner that could have made it 20-16. That's a good position. He then admits that failure to capitalize on that position did for them.
I know that some people would like him "to tell it like it is", but I believe that is counter productive.
By A38
#5370
http://warriors.co.uk/2019/11/06/press- ... -06-11-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Harlequins (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Exeter match
It was a game we should have won. An act of indiscipline gave away a penalty and Exeter the opportunity from which they scored a try.
We then botched an exit, they got a lineout on our 22. We defended really well and Ethan Waller actually won the ball back only for Harry Williams to reclaim it and he scored the winning try.
We have reviewed the Exeter game and it has been put to bed now. We have to move forward not look back. We have to play with fire in our belly and ice in our head and our exits have to be top notch every single time.

On Harlequins
They are at home and they are going into it on the back of game that didn’t work out for them at Northampton.
They are likely to have Danny Care and Mike Brown back and they will be super-motivated.
Paul Gustard has made a great impact since he joined them before the start of last season. They have a strong defence and it will be a tough challenge for us at their home ground.

On likely team selection for Harlequins
We have a only six day turnaround between matches so we will have to take that into consideration when we select the team.
Ed Fidow has had a couple of weeks to acclimatise after the Rugby World Cup and he will definitely come into consideration this weekend.

Injuries
Sam Lewis is going through the return-to-play protocols after he went off for a Head Injury Assessment on Saturday.
Chris Pennell suffered a deep laceration to a thigh against Exeter and hasn’t trained this week.
Duncan Weir took a blow to a hand and he has been for an x-ray.
Marco Mama suffered a knock to a leg.
Ryan Mills got through the game but has a sore shoulder.
Jono Kitto trained today. We will see how he is on Thursday.
Andrew Kitchener is back in training having recovered from an infected thumb.
Caleb Montgomery has a sore wrist which has been troubling him for several weeks.
By A38
#5664
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s European Challenge Cup match against Enisei-STM in Krasnodar.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On beating Harlequins
We played really well and we managed the game well in difficult conditions.
We didn’t start particularly well but we clawed our way back into the match and Jono Lance’s penalty on the stroke of half-time was vital because it meant we were only five points down.
If you look at the game as a whole we had 15 penalties to their ten, we turned the ball over 13 times, they turned it over 20 times. In terms of territory and possession we had the better of the game and we deserved to win.

On the first four Gallagher Premiership matches

We would have liked to have got the win against Exeter but nine points is a decent return from four games. But there is still a long way to go in the season.
We were missing a number of players who would have come into consideration against Harlequins so to play as well as we did speaks volumes for the strength in depth we have in the squad.

On facing Enisei
It’s an opportunity for rotation and give opportunities to some of the players who haven’t played recently and to rest those who have been playing.
It’s about not only keeping the squad playing but keeping the squad fresh. We also have to take into consideration that it’s only a six-day turn-round from Harlequins.
We don’t know a lot about Enisei but we know that they are one of the top clubs in Russia. They are likely to be a physical side.

What is your travel schedule like?
We will leave Sixways at 4pm on Wednesday and we travel overnight. We are due to get to our hotel in Krasnodar at lunchtime on Thursday.
We will have a team run at the stadium on Thursday afternoon to get the journey out of our legs and then we are flying straight back after the match.
We have a flight at 1am on Saturday morning and we are due back at Sixways around 3.30 on Saturday afternoon.
It’s not ideal but it’s long, long trip and it’s the best way that we could do it.

Injuries
Chris Pennell is recovering from his lacerated thigh and he is due to train on Wednesday.
Ryan Mills and Duncan Weir will also be back in training on Wednesday and we hope they will be available for the match at Castres next week.
Matt Moulds has been back in training this week.
Nick Schonert has been back in training this week. Nick has recovered well from his knee ligament injury which is a credit to him and our medical and conditioning staff.
Francois Hougaard will continue his rehabilitation from his shoulder injury at Sixways while we are away in Russia.
Andrew Kitchener has recovered from his infected thumb and he will come into consideration this weekend.
Marco Mama took a blow to his right leg on the same spot that he suffered the dead leg towards the end of last season. He suffered some internal bleeding and has seen a specialist who says that there is nothing untoward. It’s roughly a six week injury but we hope Marco will be back sooner.
By A38
#5971
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/11/19/press ... -19-11-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup match at Castres.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the win against Enisei-STM in Russia
It was a long trip but everything went smoothly and we were well looked after.
There were eight members of the Three Pears Warriors Academy in the 23 and another six who have come through the Academy.
The boys played really well and managed the game well. We applied pressure throughout the game and although they scored a couple of tries in the second half we finished strongly.

On facing Castres
They didn’t put out their strongest team against Dragons last weekend but I would expect them to do so on Saturday.

If you look at their form in the Top 14, Castres are very strong at home. They fiercely protect their home ground so it’s going to be a very tough game.

The Enisei trip was tough. We left the hotel in Krasnodar at 2.30 on Saturday morning and went to the airport for a 5.30am flight to Moscow and we didn’t get back to Sixways until 3pm on Saturday. Everyone is feeling the effects this week.

This week we will leave Sixways on Thursday evening and stay overnight at Heathrow because we have an early flight on Friday and we don’t get back until Sunday.

So we will have had back-to-back heavy trips and we will rotate the squad.

Will Ryan Mills make his 100th appearance for the club in Castres?
Yes he will. Ryan has been a fantastic servant of the club and integral part of it for some time now. He’s an extremely talented player and to play 100 games for the club is a wonderful achievement.
Jamie Shillcock will also be in the squad and will be in line to make his 50th appearance for the club which is another notable landmark.

Injuries
Matti Williams suffered an abductor muscle injury in Russia and he will need to have that scanned.
Dean Hammond suffered a foot injury. He’s been for scans and we are awaiting the results.
Chris Pennell has taken a full part in training this week and he will be available for selection this weekend.
Duncan Weir has also trained fully this week and is available for selection.
Francois Hougaard has recovered from his shoulder injury and is available for selection.
Nick Schonert has recovered from his knee injury and is available for selection.
#5973
It’s a punishing schedule over these 2 weeks. Has any other club had anything approaching?

Much better news on injuries, let’s hope the returnees benefit from a bit of game time without getting broken again.
#5991
Kudos to the Warriors medical team and Nick's fitness that he is back so soon.The conundrum is will Solly risk him for part of the match v Castres to get him back to match fitness or save him for arguably the more important game v Sale?

I doubt he'll run out for the Cavs on Monday but you never know.
By A38
#6305
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Sale Sharks at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On Ted Hill signing a contract extension

I am absolutely delighted. It’s fantastic news for the club.
We have made it clear we want to build the club through the medium of our young players and Ted is one of our leading lights.
He is one of the best young players in England but he is Worcester born-and-bred and he wants to stay with us.
He’s also a fantastic bloke which is also important for the club.
I think he will become a permanent fixture in the England side, it’s just a matter of time. He’s a superb rugby player, he’s very humble and he goes about his business in a very good way.

On the return of Jonathan Thomas as Forwards Coach next season

JT was a fantastic player who played for Wales 67 times, he played for Warriors and he also captained the club. He also lives in the county and he shares the ambitions we have for Warriors.
I worked with him when I was a consultant at Bristol. JT is a fantastic bloke, an outstanding leader and an exceptionally gifted young coach.
We want to have a strong Worcester flavour, not just in the playing squad, but also in our coaches. Mike Hall has already re-joined us from Bristol as Manager of the Three Pears Warriors Academy.

On the trip to Castres

The result could have gone either way but I didn’t think that we were totally on our game. We had a couple of line breaks that could have led to tries but didn’t.
We conceded two soft tries albeit there was what seemed to be a clear forward pass in the build-up to the first.
The positive is that it was good preparation for what is going to be a very tough afternoon on Saturday.

On Sale

It’s going to be another tough game. They got strength in depth and they made some significant signings from South Africa.
It’s still very early in the season but we are reasonably pleased with the start we have had.
We’ve made a solid start. We were disappointed that we didn’t beat Exeter but in our last Gallagher Premiership match at Harlequins we handled the dreadful conditions well and deservedly came away with a win when we were missing seven players.

Injuries

Matt Moulds, Francois Hougaard and Nick Schonert all returned from injuries against Castres and are available for selection again this week.
Dean Hammond has suffered a Lisfranc injury, similar to the one sustained by Alex Hearle. He won’t require surgery but he will be out of action for around 12 weeks.
Matti Williams has an adductor muscle injury and will be out for between six and eight weeks.
Andrew Kitchener suffered a rib injury against Enisei-STM. He won’t be fit this week but he should be ready to face Dragons the following week.
Marco Mama is still two or three weeks away from playing.
By A38
#6660
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup match against Dragons at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the win over Sale Sharks
It was a massive win for us and four invaluable points.
We struggled to get any ascendancy in the first half because we turned over possession 12 times and we then gave away an interception try.
But we played intelligently when they went down to 14 men, we secured possession and dominated territory. We also reduced our error count.
We scored two tries, had one disallowed and had another opportunity with a kick down the right hand corner where the decision was to award them a penalty

On facing Dragons
They are a tough outfit and are particularly tough at Rodney Parade. They are very gritty and they some good players so they will be tough fixtures.
The players who will play on Saturday will enjoy playing here at Sixways in front of our home crowd.

Are you likely to rotate your squad?
The Sale match was a very physical one so there will be a rotation of players this week.

On re-signing Francois Venter and Nick Schonert
Francois is an outstanding player. He has got international experience, he’s a hard, physical player with a good skill-set, a good bloke a good team man.
Sharky has become one of the pre-eminent tightheads in the Premiership and he has come close to selection for England on several occasions.

Injuries
Francois Venter rolled an ankle late in the first half against Sale. He will have scans later this week.
Caleb Montgomery has had surgery on a wrist injury and will be out of action for around 12 weeks from the time of the operation.

http://warriors.co.uk/2019/12/03/press- ... s-3-12-19/
By A38
#7046
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/12/10/press ... -10-12-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s European Challenge Cup match against Dragons at Rodney Parade.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On beating Dragons at home
A credit to the players for getting the win and the bonus point.
But, looking at the game again, we gave away too many penalties and turned over too much possession which is why we could not build any pressure.
Against Sale we retained the ball better in the second half and had considerable more possession than we did against the Dragons.

On the return match
I have been to Rodney Parade with both Edinburgh and Ulster and it’s never an easy place to go to.
They are playing at home. It’s going to be a tough fixture but that is what we need ahead of the next block of Gallagher Premiership games.

Are you likely to rotate the side?
With a Cavaliers match against Wasps A at Sixways next Sunday everyone is going to have the opportunity to get some game time this weekend.

On Ethan Waller signing a contract extension
It’s fantastic news. He’s a superb player. With Nick Schonert on the other side of the scrum also signing an extension, it’s great news for the club.
Ethan is a great team man, he’s popular with everyone.
His work around the park is exceptional, he’s a strong scrummager as well.

On Gareth Simpson signing his first professional contract
Gareth came here on trial last year and proved himself. He gets his head down and works very hard.
He is versatile because although he is scrum-half he can also play at ten and on Saturday he came on at full-back.

Injuries
Chris Pennell is going through the return-to-play protocols after he failed his HIA on Saturday. We are optimistic that he will be able to play on Friday.
Jamie Shillcock sustained an ankle injury on Saturday and probably won’t be considered for selection this week.
Ollie Lawrence also suffered an ankle injury. It doesn’t look too serious.
Matt Moulds suffered a dead leg on Saturday.
Tom Dodd took a blow to his ribs and it’s probably too early to consider him for selection this week.
Perry Humphreys trained fully today and he should be fine for this weekend.
Francois Venter suffered an ankle injury against Sale. He is due to see a specialist later this week but, at this stage, it looks like he will be out for between five and six weeks.
Will Butler is due to start training in the next week or so and we hope that he will be back playing by the end of the month.
Tom Howe was unavailable last weekend as he was attending his brother’s wedding but he is available again this weekend.
By A38
#7272
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Gloucester.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Dragons European Challenge Cup match

We turned over too much ball and compounded that by the number of penalties we gave away.
Discipline and errors make a massive difference in conditions like we had last Friday.
We did really well to come back from being 13-0 down to lead 16-13 but, having said that, we were a long way short of our best.

On the prospects of progressing from the group

To some extent it’s out of our hands. We need to win our last two games against Enisei-STM and Castres and get a bonus point in each match too.

On facing Gloucester

They are a good, strong side, particularly at Kingsholm.
We’ve prepared reasonably well but we have a tough block of games coming up over Christmas with Gloucester away followed by London Irish at home and then Saracens away.

On Niall Annett signing a contract extension

It’s great news for us. Niall is a great technician at the set-piece. He’s a very intelligent guy, he’s got excellent skills and a fantastic work rate.
He’s been an integral part of the club for several years and he’s very positive about what we are trying to achieve and it’s great that he wants to stay and be part of that.

On Cavaliers’ Premiership Rugby Shield win against Wasps A on Monday

The lads did splendidly and it shows the depth we have in the squad.
Competition for places is healthy because it drives the development of players and it drives performance.
What pleased me and impressed me is that while things went swimmingly in attack we were physical in defence and we defended well throughout.

On Ethan Waller’s red card at Dragons

Ethan’s disciplinary hearing is in London on Wednesday morning. It’s now part of a disciplinary process and it would be inappropriate to comment further.

On Matt Sherratt’s appointment as Attack and Backs Coach for the 2020/21 season

Matt has a close connection with Worcester as he started his career here in the Academy.
He’s also close friends with our Academy Manager Mike Hall and Jonathan Thomas, who is joining us as Forwards Coach so that should be good for the synergy of the coaching team.
He’s got good experience with Bristol, Cardiff Blues, Ospreys and Wales. He was Wales Attack and Backs Coach in the Six Nations when Rob Howley was acting Head Coach while Warren Gatland was with the British and Irish Lions.
Matt has a good reputation as a coach, he’s a really good bloke and I am looking forward to working with him.

Injuries

Francois Venter is seeing a specialist today so that should give us a clearer picture of the extent of his ankle injury.
Niall Annett has a tear in a rotator cuff in a shoulder. It’s a grade one tear and he is likely to be out for between four and six weeks.
Matt Moulds has recovered from his deal leg and he will be available for selection this week.
Ryan Mills has trained this week having missed the Dragons match with a hamstring injury.
Ollie Lawrence’s ankle is still not quite right so we will have to assess that.
Marco played the first half for the Cavaliers on Monday. It will probably be too soon for him to play for the Cavaliers again at Gloucester on Saturday.
By A38
#7424
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/12/23/press ... -23-12-19/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against London Irish at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the defeat at Gloucester

It was still evenly poised with 20 minutes to go but the tipping point was the yellow card for Ryan Mills as they scored three tries while he was off the field. That made it 22-3 and the game was gone.
Some of our decision-making could have been better but we gave away 15 penalties to Gloucester’s six and we also had 14 turnovers and a lot of them were in attack.
You have got to have a laser-like focus. You can’t expect to build pressure if you can’t retain possession.

On facing London Irish in front of a sell-out crowd

The Commercial Team have done a tremendous job. There have not been too many sell-outs in the time I have been here.
The players will love it. There is nothing better than playing in front of a packed stadium.

What do you expect from Irish?

We will have to be on the money. You see from the results over the weekend that if you are a little bit off your game you will get punished.
Irish are a very physical side. Stephen Myler is an outstanding goal-kicker. They have got good players and they are a good team.

Will the players get time off for Christmas?

Christmas Day falls on Wednesday this year which is our normal day off which is quite fortuitous.
We will finish a bit earlier on Tuesday and will start a wee bit later on Thursday so the players can travel to be with their families but otherwise it’s a normal week for us.

Injuries

Anton Bresler took a blow to a bicep but he will be fine.
Cornell du Preez and Sam Lewis both had Head Injury Assessments at Gloucester and passed them.
Marco Mama has been training this week but he has only had 40 minutes of rugby in around seven weeks.
Will Butler had a tiny setback in his recovery but we hope that he will be fit to play against Enisei-STM in the European Challenge Cup next month.
Ropate Rinakama is with the club until the end of the month. It’s been great to have him around. He’s a fantastic bloke and he will be a fantastic asset to any club fortunate enough to have his services. He came in to cover for Nick Schonert but Sharky has regained fitness.
Farai Mudariki is back in training.
By A38
#7599
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Saracens.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the London Irish win

We turned over too much ball – around 22 during the match – and that made a huge difference. We could not build any pressure.
In the first half we left at least three tries – including the one Tom Howe had disallowed – out there.
But the key thing is that we won and we also denied Irish a bonus point. Winning the game was the biggest positive to come out of the game.

On facing Saracens

It will be a massive test. They are the best team in Europe and they are likely to be smarting from losing at Exeter yesterday.
They are an outstanding team who can field virtually a full international side.
It’s a major challenge and we need to be on our mettle to compete against them. But whoever goes there will relish that challenge.

Are you likely to rotate the squad?

There may be some enforced changes because of injury. But we have had three tough games on the bounce so there is likely to be some rotation.
We have got good depth in the squad and when appropriate – as we did at Harlequins – rotation will be used.

Injuries

Duncan Weir has got to see a dentist to assess the damage to his teeth and jaw, which already has a plate in there.
Nick Schonert failed a head injury assessment and he will have to go through the return-to-play protocol.
Melani Nanai has had an injection in a shoulder which we hope will clear up the injury that ruled him out of the Irish match.
Marco Mama is available this weekend.
Ollie Lawrence is in the Cavaliers squad against Northampton Wanderers this evening.
Will Butler was sent home today because of illness.
https://warriors.co.uk/2019/12/30/press ... -30-12-19/
By A38
#7874
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/01/07/press ... -07-01-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s European Challenge Cup match against Enisei-STM at Sixways.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On Michael Fatialofa’s injury

Michael is still in intensive care and his condition remains serious.
He’s in good hands and he has the support of the entire club – owners, players and staff – as well as the whole rugby community.
Everyone’s thoughts and prayers are with Michael and his family.
Michael is a very well thought of. He’s a popular member of the squad and he is very highly-regarded by the other players.

On the Saracens match

You have got to give full marks to Saracens. They were outstanding and they were on top of us throughout the game.
There are some harsh lessons to be learnt from the match. Rugby is a collision sport and Saracens certainly won the collisions on the day.
They got onto the front foot, they won quick ball and they were clinical in their finishing.

What were the positives?

Ollie Lawrence combined well with Ed Fidow and Ed had a bit of work to do to score it but, if you are brutally honest, there were few positives to take away.

Will you rotate the side for Enisei?

Some of the lads will play again but there will be changes and opportunities will be given to some of our younger players.
In order to give ourselves a chance of reaching the quarter-finals we are going to need a bonus point win in each of our two remaining pool matches.
The focus really has to be on our game and making sure that we get our performance right.

Injuries

Ryan Mills suffered a bruised foot against Saracens. It’s not as bad as we initially feared.
Conor Carey ruptured an Achilles tendon at Saracens.
Sam Lewis suffered a suspected fractured cheekbone at Saracens.
Callum Black is going to see a specialist about a foot problem.
Duncan Weir has had dental work done but his jaw is still painful.
Nick Schonert has trained today and he may be required to be on the bench on Saturday because we are running short of tightheads.
Cornell du Preez is coming on well and he should be fit to face Castres next week.
Perry Humphreys took a knock to the ankle but he should be fine against Castres.
By A38
#8147
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/01/14/press ... -14-01-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s European Challenge Cup match against Castres at Sixways (kick-off 8.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the 66-10 win against Enisei-STM

The boys did really well. We scored some good tries and it was good to see so many youngsters out there.

On facing Castres

The way the Pool One table looks it seems that it will be the game that will decide who goes through to the quarter-finals.
I would imagine that Dragons will get five points out of their game against Enisei. We will have a tough game against Castres but, as move back into the Premiership, a game against quality opposition is just what we need.
We will wait and see what side Castres bring but we know from playing them over there that they are a good team.

Are you likely to make changes?

We will freshen things up a little bit. We look to bring some players back so we will make some changes this week.

How do you assess the European Challenge Cup campaign?

It’s been good in patches. We have played well at times and not so well at other times.
Neither of our away performances against Castres and Dragons have been up to the mark. We would have liked to have performed better in those games but we have performed reasonably well at home.

Cavaliers are going well in the Premiership Rugby Shield. What have you made of their season so far?

They have made a scintillating start with four bonus point wins.
We play Leicester Tigers Development at Sixways on Monday which will be our fourth home match in five.
But the win down at Gloucester before Christmas was terrific and we are delighted to see young homegrown players coming through.

Is there an update on Michael Fatialofa’s injury?

Michael remains in a serious condition in intensive care.
I visited him in hospital on Sunday. Everyone has been very supportive of Michael, His wife, Tatiana, and his family are doing their best to support Michael.
The response from across the rugby community has been terrific and everyone at Warriors is keeping Michael in their thoughts and hoping for a positive outcome.

Injuries

Conor Carey has ruptured an Achilles tendon and he will be out for the rest of the season.
Sam Lewis has not fractured his cheekbone as we first feared. He won’t be considered for selection this week but he could be back next week,
Callum Black is likely to be out for between six to eight weeks with an ankle injury.
Ryan Mills has some fluid in the tendon of a foot and he will not be considered this week.
Niall Annett and Melani Nanai have both suffered labral tears in a shoulder and we are seeking specialist advice.
By A38
#8535
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/01/21/press ... -21-01-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Wasps at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Castres European Challenge Cup match

At 27-12 we should win the game but there was a big momentum swing when we were penalised at the driving maul.
In the first half Castres tried to move the ball and hardly mauled at all. But once they realised that the driving maul was causing us some problems and they were getting some traction from it they used it well.
Europe was a mixed bag for us. We played well in parts but didn’t perform so well in others.

On Ted Hill’s England call-up

It’s fantastic news and fully deserved. I hope that he makes it into the squad for the Six Nations Tests.
England have a powerful squad and Eddie Jones has some particularly tough decisions to make in the loose forwards.
But Ted was outstanding for us at the weekend. He’s an extremely level-headed, he’s a good team man who loves Warriors and who has grown up in Worcester.

On Warriors’ Three Pears Academy

Ted is a fantastic example. First that he’s been a regular here having come through the ranks from Worcester to England. It sends out a huge message when a young guy comes out of school and makes it to international rugby. We have some really good youngsters and it’s important to see that they are getting game time.
Our vision for the club is that we build it through the medium of the academy.
The important part is that the young players see it happening. Seeing Ted, Ollie Lawrence and Nick David making it into the first-team shows the younger guys the vision we have and I want them all to stay.

On Cornell du Preez’s Scotland recall

I’m not surprised at all. Cornell has played really well for us and put in some terrific performances.
He’s a Test Match rugby player who is tough as nails.

On the news that Saracens will be relegated at the end of the season

It doesn’t alter anything from our perspective. We want to finish as high as we can in the table.
The Premiership is competitive, full stop.
When I was involved in the Super 12 there was no promotion or relegation but you knew that if you were ten or 15 per cent you would ship 50 points.
The Premiership will be as competitive as ever.

What do you make of Wasps?

I have watched quite a few of their Premiership games and they have played really well at times.
They were unlucky to lose to Northampton but they won down at Bristol.
They have some quality players across the board and they like to play with tempo and put width and pace into the game.

Injuries

Callum Black will miss this match but we hope he might be back during the course of the next block of Premiership matches.
Niall Annett’s shoulder is still not right.
Conor Carey is out for the rest of the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Andrew Kitchener has taken bangs to his shoulder so he won’t be available this weekend.
Francois Hougaard has some fluid in a toe and won’t be considered for selection this week.
Melani Nanai is probably going to require surgery on his shoulder injury.
Ed Fidow pulled a hamstring playing for Cavaliers last night.
Justin Clegg is seeing a specialist about his knee injury but we hope he will be available when we return from our break.
Dean Hammond should be back playing between mid and late March.
Alex Hearle is making good progress and he could be back around late February.
Tom Howe trained today and should be fine for Saturday.
Joe Morris is unlikely to play again this season.
Farai Mudariki is close to coming back.
Oli Morris is on the verge of coming back but wasn’t quite ready to play for Cavaliers last night.
Michael Fatialofa’s condition shows some positive sign of improvement. We are hopeful that he will make a full recovery but he remains in intensive care in hospital in London.
By A38
#9443
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/02/11/press ... -11-02-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bath Rugby at Sixways (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Wasps match

I spent plenty of time to review the game carefully.
A key factor was the penalties we gave away in the second half. We gave away seven penalties in that half and six of them had consequences for us.
We were 13-5 up at half-time but we then gave away two double penalties in the first ten minutes of the second half which Wasps kicked to make it 13-11.
The final penalty count was only 11-9 against us but it was the big consequences of a number of those penalties that cost us.

Were the players ready for a break?

Yes, not only physically but also mentally. We have been going for 19 weeks on the trot now from the Premiership Rugby Cup, into the Premiership and then the European Challenge Cup.
Everyone is mentally and physically fatigued so we gave everyone a ten-day break.
We came back last Thursday and had a tough session on Friday; the boys have practised well.

On facing Bath

It’s going to be another tough game. The weather forecast suggests that conditions are not going to be the best.
Bath are a big old side and it’s going to be a very physical contest.
They are a well-balanced team but they do have a pretty big pack.

On Ted Hill, Cornell du Preez and Duncan Weir’s involvement in Six Nations squads

I am disappointed that they have not got the game time but it’s always a positive to train with an international team and it’s good that they are part of the set up.
I know that Ted’s time will come with England. Cornell has been playing well and it was disappointing that he missed out with Scotland against England but you can understand the thinking with Magnus Bradbury coming back at number eight and Adam Hastings has been going well at fly-half for them.

Injuries

Melani Nanai is out for the season. We decided it better for him to have an operation on his shoulder injury now so that we can rehab him by the end of the season and have him back completely fresh and ready to go for next season.
Tom Howe has a calf injury. We initially thought he would be out for around eight weeks but his latest scans are more encouraging and we hope that he will only be out for between four and six weeks.
Dean Hammond should be ready to play again around mid-March.
Noah Heward took a blow playing for London Scottish on registration last week and so he has to be stood down for 13 days.
Andrew Kitchener is fit and should be fine for this weekend.
Francois Hougaard is fine and should be ready to go this weekend.
Justin Clegg still has some bone bruising on a knee and is two to three weeks away.
By A38
#9777
https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/sport/1 ... ds-19-feb/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Sunday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Bristol Bears.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Bath match

It was really disappointing to lose. I thought we had done enough to win it.
We had lapses of concentration at key moments but showed resilience to come back from conceding an early try to lead 13-10 at half-time.
Early in the second half we gave away a penalty in that middle third of the pitch, they kicked to the corner, we had a lapse in our defensive system, they got in behind us, we got a yellow card and from the penalty they eventually scored.
Ten minutes later when we were still down to seven in the pack they got another penalty which they kicked to the corner and although we went back up to 15 men they mauled their way over for another try.
Those soft moments cost us.

On facing Bristol

They are a good side and they had a good win at Northampton on Sunday.
We have got to be on our mettle and what will be key is that we do not give away soft points.
We will have to play really well to secure victory. In parts our performance against Bath was really good, it was the soft moments that let us down.
The focus has to be on our performance. If we get our performance right we will get the right outcome.

Injuries

Justin Clegg has started running again this week but he is not yet into full training.
Dean Hammond and Ed Fidow should be ready to play around mid-March.
Tom Howe is also tracking well and he should also be ready for the next block of Premiership matches.
Ashley Beck missed the Bath match through illness but he is fully recovered.
Francois Venter ruptured a thumb ligament against Bath and he will be out for between four and six weeks.
Perry Humphreys has recovered from a hip injury and is available for selection.
Jamie Shillcock has recovered from a thigh injury and is available for selection
Duncan Weir and Cornell du Preez returned today from training with Scotland.
Ted Hill didn’t train with England this week because of a slight niggle but he is fully recovered and he trained with us today.
Niall Annett is fully recovered from his shoulder injury and he trained fully today.

On reports that the future of some players from Africa and Polynesia may be affected by an end to the Kolpak regulations when the United Kingdom leaves the European Union

Not everyone is in the same boat. Some of those players have British passports, others have leave to remain and others are married to British women.
It’s not something that is giving us too much concern. It might only affect two, at the most three players.

Will the decision to relegate Saracens mean greater rotation of the squad in the second half of the season?

You have got to be fair in your selection. You would like to give youngsters the opportunity to play so that they gain experience but that selection has to be on merit.
We have a number of injuries at the moment which gave Nick David and Scott van Breda opportunities against Bath.
Ollie Lawrence has come into the side on merit this season and Ted Hill has started every Premiership match apart from one when he was away with England.
The young bucks will get their opportunities but selection has to be fair and it has to be seen to be fair.
Seeing young Worcester players coming through excites me no end.
By A38
#10061
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/02/26/press ... -26-02-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Leicester (kick-off 3.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On Ryan Mills’ future at the club

Ryan and I have had good discussions, we have a good relationship. Ryan is a fantastic bloke, a terrific player and his contribution to Warriors has been immense over a number of years,.
He is reaching a point in his career where he wants to have experience and a different challenge.
As a club we are reaching a point in our development where we have seen Ollie Lawrence come through in the midfield, we also have Will Butler and Alex Hearle who are good young centres, we have two experienced international centres in Ashley Beck and Francois Venter and we also have Scott van Breda who can also play there.
Ryan wants to see what is out there and we have mutually agreed that he can do that and we will see what that brings.

On Joe Taufete’e joining Lyon

We have got two really good young hookers coming through in Beck Cutting from the Academy and Isaac Miller.
Matt Moulds has been captaining the side and Niall Annett is an outstanding all-round hooker.
Joe has given great service to the club, he’s a terrific bloke, he’s a good team man, I’ve really enjoyed working with him and I think he’s going to do fantastically in the Top 14.

On the Bristol match

We put in an immense defensive shift and made almost 300 tackles.
We had some really good opportunities that we didn’t close out. One or two were clear opportunities that should have been taken. In any tight game where you get opportunities you need to take them.
I also thought the penalty count against us was too high – 14-4. That made an enormous difference.
The defensive effort merited more than a losing bonus point.

Is the penalty count a concern?

There is a protocol with the RFU which we are going through. There will be some penalties naturally that we query and discuss.
It’s not just the penalties we give away. You have to look at the other side and penalties that were perhaps not given that you need to have a close look at.
Consistency there is the key.
We can control certain things like the situation where we have a clear opportunity to score and we don’t take that opportunity and we don’t and where we give away soft penalties.Where the margins are fine like they were at the weekend it’s soft moments that end up costing you.
There have been too many soft moments and we need to overcome that. The only way we will do that is by pointing them out, by applying ourselves to that and saying this is not acceptable and by looking at it in terms of our practices as well.

Injuries

Ashley Beck suffered a ‘stinger’ on Sunday. It’s not as bad as we first feared and hopefully he will only miss this weekend.
Tom Howe is making good progress from his calf injury. He trained today and it’s possible he will come into contention this weekend.
Francois Venter has undergone surgery to repair the ligament damage to a thumb.
GJ van Velze has tweaked a calf muscle but he’s fine now.
Callum Black will hopefully be back for the next block of Premiership matches.

On facing Leicester

They are one of the great clubs, not just in England, but in the world.
They will be missing their international players but they are still a very good side.
Results against them in the past have no relevance to what happens on Saturday.
By A38
#10552
Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Northampton Saints at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the importance of the supporters

It’s perfectly understandable that the fans are frustrated because everyone wants to win.
Last season we won a number of games – Leicester home and away, Saracens and Bath at home – with late scores, this season things haven’t quite gone our way.
The lads are putting in a huge amount of effort. Anyone who watched the Bristol match at Ashton Gate would appreciate what an unbelievable performance to restrict a side that plays a possession-based game to one try, and that came from a tap penalty.
We are so close and it’s important that our supporters stick with us through thick and thin.
My message is: keep the faith, come to Sixways on Friday and support the boys. The supporters have a big part to play in helping to get the boys over the line.
Having a big crowd behind the boys under the floodlights on Friday night is vital.

On the Leicester match

Losing Anton Bresler midway through the first half and Graham Kitchener at half-time had a major impact on us and it affected our set piece in the second half.
It meant that Ted Hill, who was carrying an injury, had to play the whole of the second half in the second row. We went from 60 per cent possession playing into the wind in the first half to 40 per cent possession with the wind at our backs in the second half.
The margins at this level are so fine. We will get across the line, you cannot give up.

On the recent run of defeats

We could have won any one of the last four games. If we had we would have been in a very different position.
We have got to keep things in perspective, stay keep focused, keep working hard and be persistent.
The commitment of the players is unbelievable. To put in 294 tackles at Bristol, then put in another big shift at Leicester six days later and then have another six day turn-round for Northampton requires a huge effort.

On the development of young players

What has been a big positive is that our young players are getting the opportunity to get some valuable game time.
It’s important that they are not just thrown in but that they develop in a balanced way and learn from playing alongside more experienced players.
Ollie Lawrence has had either Ashley Beck, Francois Venter or Ryan Mills alongside him in the centre.
Nick David played his first game on the wing with Chris Pennell at full-back, Kai Owen has had either Matt Moulds or Niall Annett alongside him in the scrum, Andrew Kitchener has played alongside either his brother or Anton Bresler in the second row and Ted Hill has been playing a back row alongside the likes of Marco Mama and Cornell du Preez.
These youngsters are going to be so much better because of the experience they have gained playing first team rugby this season and learning from the senior players around them.

Injuries

Anton Bresler failed a head injury assessment on Saturday and won’t be fit this weekend.
Graham Kitchener also failed a head injury assessment at Leicester. He is going through the return-to-play protocols but I’m more optimistic about him for Northampton.
Ted Hill should be fine to play against Northampton.
Marco Mama suffered a foot injury against Leicester and will be out for between five and six weeks.
Ashley Beck is still not 100 per cent right. With a blank weekend next week he should be fit to face Gloucester.
Dean Hammond and Ed Fidow should both be back by the end of the month.
Callum Black is back running and will hopefully be fit to return during the next block of Premiership matches.

https://warriors.co.uk/2020/03/03/press ... -03-03-20/
By A38
#14959
(Nice to be back.)

http://warriors.co.uk/2020/08/05/press- ... -05-08-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today as the squad continue to prepare for the resumption of the 2019/20 Gallagher Premiership season.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the return to training after the Coronavirus lockdown

It has gone very well. We went smoothly from Stage One to Stage Two and we have an excellent COVID management team in Gené Willis, Nick Tait and Peter Kelly.
The players have bought into the protocols that are in place. They know they have to complete an app before they come in, have their temperature taken and they understand the principle of social bubbles.

On the schedule when the 2019/20 season resumes

Between August 15 and September 13 we play seven matches so it’s going to test the squad.
There is no way you can expect players who have played in a match to play in another four or five days later so we, and all clubs, will be utilising our full squad. Fortunately we do have reasonable strength in depth.
A big factor in preparation for the completion of the 2019/20 season is that we have not been able to play the series of friendlies that we would normally play prior to any competitions. That carries with it an element of risk of injuries but there is no alternative because we have to complete the season.
These nine games almost become like a pre-season and an opportunity for growth in our squad.

How have Jonathan Thomas, Mark Irish and Matt Sherratt settled in?

They are a new coaching team who are doing a great job. There is terrific alignment and synergy in the coaching team.
They have limited time and difficult conditions to get to grips with things but I’m confident that we will make a good fist of it when we start playing.
They are terrific people, excellent coaches and the players have been very receptive to them.

What will it be like playing behind closed doors?

It will certainly be a new experience for me. I’ve watched quite a bit of cricket on TV recently and the cricketers seem to have adapted well.
Yes, it’s strange that there are no spectators watching but the players have just got stuck in.

On Ryan Bower’s move to Leicester

We have Ethan Waller and Callum Black, who were our numbers one and two last season and we have two young looseheads coming through in Kai Owen and Lewis Holsey who are both terrific prospects.
Bowser has been a terrific servant for six years and it’s fantastic that he has got this opportunity back at Leicester.

On Billy Searle’s contract extension

Billy is a 22-year-old English player who we think has got terrific talent hence the reason for extending his initial contract.

Goals for the rest of the 2019/20 season

We would like to finish in the top eight the consequence of that would be an opportunity for us to play in the European Champions Cup next season.

Ted Hill’s appointment as Club Captain

I have been really impressed with the way Ted has taken to his responsibilities.
He is a highly intelligent and articulate young man.
I coached the University of Cape Town for many years so I am used to 19-20 year-olds coming through and captaining the side.
By A38
#15127
http://warriors.co.uk/2020/08/11/press- ... -11-08-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Saturday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Gloucester at Sixways (12.30pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

Are you excited about playing again?

I think everyone throughout the Premiership feels the same. It’s great to be playing again and everyone is looking forward to the weekend.

You have retained the majority of the squad will that continuity be an advantage?

Although we have very few new players we do have a completely new coaching team so there hasn’t been continuity there.
But they are all terrific coaches who have done tremendously in a short period of time.
The five of us – Jonny Goodridge has been doing the skills and kicking – are working really well together.

What do you expect from Gloucester?

They are similar to us in that they have a new coaching team in place although they have had some movement of players with Jonny May, who is a Gloucester man, coming back from Leicester.
They are always a team who like to put width on the ball with Danny Cipriani at ten. They are not lacking in physicality but they have pace to burn out wide but they do like to put width on the ball.

What will it be like playing in the heat?

It has been very hot in training this week but, looking at the local weather forecast on BBC Midlands Today, they are saying 21 degrees on Saturday so I hope Shefali is right.

It’s been a long break between matches how difficult will that be?

I’ve been involved in professional rugby since 1996 and I’ve never known a five month break between matches so it will be interesting to see how things develop.
But from when we start we will play seven matches in four weeks so each club will have to develop a strategy on how they are going to handle that and utilise their whole squad.

Injuries

Matt Moulds is recovering from foot surgery and he is not available at the moment.
Callum Black and Conor Carey are both recovering from ankle injuries but we hope that they will return during this block of matches.
Ed Fidow has a groin injury
Perry Humphreys is out with an ankle injury
Jamie Shillcock has a shoulder injury which we hope will only keep him out for a couple of weeks.
By A38
#15575
http://warriors.co.uk/2020/08/18/press- ... -18-08-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match at Wasps (7.45pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Gloucester match

It was a disappointing afternoon. We started brightly but we lost Melani Nanai to red card after 17 minutes and that altered the complexion of the game
We made seven line breaks but we only converted one and from two of those they scored at the other end so they were 14 point swings
We also allowed them a little bit too much momentum which also gave us problems
Until Melani went off there was very little in it and the sides looked pretty even. But playing for over 60 minutes with 14 men when you haven’t played for five months does make it very difficult.

How do you view the remaining eight matches in the 2019/20 season?

It’s like having a pre-season. We have a new coaching staff who only came into the club at the start of July
This period gives them the chance to work with and observe the whole squad and I think that will be of huge benefit as we build for the 2020/21 season.

On Wasps

Of the games I watched on television over the weekend they looked the best of the sides. They played really well so this will be a great experience for our lads who go out there
As I have said before the schedule is such that we will be rotating the squad. We have a six day turn-round for this match, then five days before we play Harlequins and four days before we go to Exeter
But the schedule is the consequence of the Coronavirus pandemic. There is an appetite to complete the 2019/20 season and the benefit of that is that all of our young players are going to get opportunities to play. That is going to be hugely beneficial to us in the long term.

How strange was it playing behind closed doors?

Fans are a very important part of the game, especially your home support so it almost completely negates home advantage
It is very strange playing in front of empty stands. It’s not ideal but what’s the alternative? These are exceptional circumstances and we just have to get on with it.

On Rugby Against Racism

Warriors, as a club and as a playing group, abhor racism in any form
We are a diverse and inclusive group and, as a club, we fully support the Rugby Against Racism initiative and its aims
Our support for Rugby Against Racism was demonstrated by the players wearing the campaign’s t-shirts before kick-off
One of the core values of being a Warrior is respect which means understanding and embracing different cultures, views and beliefs and the way individuals choose to express them.

Injuries

Kai Owen has a hamstring injury
Callum Black has trained this week and is available for selection
By A38
#15930
http://warriors.co.uk/2020/08/24/press- ... -24-08-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of the Gallagher Premiership matches against Harlequins on Wednesday and at Exeter Chiefs on Sunday.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the performance at Wasps

We did really well for the first 60 minutes, the first 20 in particular when we went 14-3 up.
We had an opportunity to put ourselves in a powerful position on the 50 minutes mark when we kicked two penalties to the corner, mauled infield but then got turned over.
The game swung when we won a penalty in our own half, won the lineout but then got penalised. They kicked the penalty to the corner and they drove over for a try.
The bench was also an important factor. They brought on more experienced players and that made a huge difference. Lewis Holsey, who is a fantastic prospect, is only 19 and he came up against a tighthead who has played a game for the All Blacks.
We had seven Premiership debutants, four of whom have recently progressed to the senior squad from our Academy and two who are still on the Academy.
Those boys played really well which was a big plus for us but Wasps’ experience told in the final 20 minutes.

Is it likely to be a different side that will face Harlequins?

Because of the COVID-19 situation the games are coming thick and fast so we have a five day turn round between Wasps and Harlequins, four days for Exeter and five days before we face Bristol then Bath.
So it’s inevitable that you will see squad rotation which gives all of your youngsters opportunities. It also gives our new coaching team to bed in their systems.

Is the aim to finish in the top eight or build for the 2020/21 season?

Obviously we would like to finish as high as we can in the league but this period is also critical preparation for next season.
In the nine games in this block everyone will have had an opportunity to be viewed and to get used to the systems that the new coaching team are building in.

On facing Harlequins

It’s about our performance. We have to play well but we also have to play well for 80 minutes.
If we get our performance right we have every chance of getting the outcome we want.
I would like to see us bring the same energy and urgency on Wednesday that we brought on Friday night.
It’s also about dealing with momentum swings in the game as well and staying focused for 80 minutes.
Quins have become a very physical outfit and their defence has tightened up under Paul Gustard who is a defence coach out of the Saracens stable.

What have you made of performances in the two matches so far?

Our attack is a work in progress but a big work on for us is our discipline. Wasps had 79 per cent territory and possession in the last 20 minutes and we gave away 17 penalties, six of them in that period.
We have also shone a alight on our play off the ball.

How do you rate Exeter?

They are a terrific side. I really admire the way that they have built their club. Rob Baxter and everyone at the club has done a fantastic job.
I will be surprised if they don’t win the Premiership because they are a quality team.
We need to make sure that front up because they are a physical power team.

Injuries

Will Butler and Tom Dodd both have to go through the HIA protocols but there were no new injuries on Friday.
By A38
#16432
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/09/01/press ... -01-09-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Friday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Bristol Bears at Sixways (kick-off 6.00pm).

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Exeter performance

Having the experience of playing against that level of opposition will stand our young players in good stead for the future.
Exeter are an incredibly good side. They took a second XV to Ashton Gate last week and beat a powerful Bristol team. So we are talking about an exceptional team full of British Lions and internationals.
The schedule is such that you cannot play the same team week after week and each club will have their own approach to selection and squad rotation.

On Matt Cox’s 100th appearance

Matt has been an excellent servant for many years and I thought he played exceptionally well at the weekend. As soon as you do that then you play yourself into contention for the 23 in the next match.
I also thought Matti Williams and Isaac Miller made very positive contributions when they came on for the last 20 minutes.

On Bristol

We expect Bristol to put out their best possible side having rested a number of players against Sale Sharks at the weekend.
It’s going to be a tough fixture, but it always is against Bristol.

Which of the young players have impressed you in recent weeks?

Noah Heward has done splendidly. He’s still only 19 but he has really grasped his opportunity.
James Scott has got valuable game time at lock, Alex Hearle, who made his Premiership debut at Exeter, is a talented young player who will benefit from that experience and Gareth Simpson has also gained valuable Premiership experience.
Kai Owen is ready to come back from injury having missed the first four matches back.
The Academy have done a splendid job as have the clubs where these players have been on dual registrations.
The new intake of eight Academy players joined us for training today. They will be part and parcel of the squad going forward and there some very good young players in that group.

Injuries

GJ van Velze dislocated a shoulder. We have got to wait for the swelling to go down and he will then have scans which will determine whether he is treated conservatively or whether he will require surgery. But he will miss the remainder of the 2019/20 season.
Tom Dodd withdrew from the side at Exeter because he was not cleared to play having suffered a head injury at Wasps.
Sam Lewis is going through the HIA protocols and a five day turn-around is probably too short for him to play against Bristol.
Matt Moulds has had a scan on the foot he had surgery on. The specialist is pleased with his progress but Matt is unlikely to play this season.
Conor Carey is also progressing well but he is also unlikely to play before the 2020/21 season.
Perry Humphreys is still troubled by his ankle injury.
Ed Fidow is back in training this week having recovered from his groin injury.
Jamie Shillcock is still a couple of weeks away.
Melani Nanai has completed his three match suspension and is available for selection this week.
By ROLLO
#16448
WRC on the SN site states categorically that Marc, Ed and Joe are all fit so we should ask Solly why they are not getting picked. Hope they are not all Baldwin's ( tongue in cheek comment )
By A38
#16806
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/09/07/press ... -07-09-20/

irector of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Wednesday’s Gallagher Premiership against Bath Rugby.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the Bristol performance

We did well in the first half and deservedly but we had three other scoring opportunities – two of them went to the TMO.
There was then a massive momentum swing when Bristol scored two tries in the first ten minutes of the second half, both from breaks by Semi Radradra, the first from a scrum five metres from their line and the second from a scrum on their ten metres line.
We turned over the ball 13 times in that second half and gave away six penalties so we could not build any pressure.
To arrest those momentum swings we need to get field position and hold onto the ball for longer, reduce our penalty count and our turnovers as well

What do you make of Bath?

They are a very well-balanced team with some big men up front.
It’s never easy at The Rec.

How do you assess performances since the 2019/20 season resumed?

I take a longer term view of things and this period has been massively beneficial for us.
All our young players have been given valuable game time and they have been exposed to our new coaching staff.
For a new coaching staff to have a substantive impact takes three months but I am already seeing the new systems that the coaching staff are bedding in having an impact.
I can understand the frustration of supporters at our performances in the second half of games.
We have to look at ourselves and stick to our processes and processes. At the moment if things go wrong we tend to go into our shells a little bit.

On the new coaching team

Jonathan Thomas is a fantastic coach and he has taken on responsibility for our defence for the rest of this season. He has instilled a good defensive system which is system-based.
Matt Sherratt has simplified our attack which has made a huge difference. The players have adjusted and adapted well.
Mark Irish is an excellent technical scrum coach and Jonny Goodridge has come in as our new Academy Backs Transition Coach and also as our Skills Coach.
But changes do not happen overnight. It takes at least three months to have a substantive impact. Going into the 2020/21 season we will be much better prepared as a result of the coaches having had this time to work with the players.

Are you still enjoying coaching?

I love rugby. I watched my first game when I was about three or four years old. I just love the game.
I worked as a lawyer for 20 years and I used to say that the law is my living but rugby is my life.
I am enjoying working with our new coaching team. We have some great players here and we are building something here with all our young Worcester lads that I believe we are going to see the benefits of in years to come.
I am very privileged to be able to do what I do.

Injuries

GJ van Velze is still waiting to see a specialist to assess his dislocated shoulder.
Joe Batley has an injury to a ligament in a foot under a big toe and should be back for the start of the 2020/21 season.
Marco Mama has been out with an Achilles tendon injury and has now suffered a groin strain.
Ed Fidow has recovered from hamstring and groin injuries and is available for selection.
Jamie Shillcock will not play in the block of matches up to London Irish.
Perry Humphreys has had an injection in his ankle and will also not play in this block of games.
By A38
#17751
http://warriors.co.uk/2020/09/23/press- ... -23-09-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today as the squad prepare for next week’s matches against Saracens and Sale.

Here’s what Solly had to say:

On the London Irish win

It was important that we showed the mental resilience, having turned around a point down, to dominate the second half.
We knew that we were on top and if we stuck to our task that we would break them down. We did that and we scored some really good tries in the second half.

On facing Saracens

They are a fantastic team and they showed that with their performance against Leinster in the European Champions Cup on Saturday.
They were without Owen Farrell, the best fly-half in the world, but Alex Goode stepped in had a a terrific game.
They really showed their quality. Saturday’s performance was exceptional and I do hope that we get a Saracens v Exeter final.

How will you approach selection for the last two games of the season?

It’s been a very hectic period since we resumed playing and for most of the time we have four or five day turnarounds between matches.
Player safety considerations have largely dictated selection. We finish with two back-to-back games. We will worry about Saracens first and see how things look after that game.

How might the Government’s latest guidelines to restrict the spread of COVID-19 impact on the club?

The pandemic has affected every area of our life, not just rugby or sport.
But it’s a very fluid situation, things change very quickly and we hope that we will be able to welcome spectators back sooner rather than later.
No one anticipated the impact that the pandemic would have. A lot of it is beyond our control but sporting bodies, including Premiership Rugby and the RFU, have approached the Government to discuss potential support and we will just have to see how that unfolds.

What has it been like playing matches behind closed doors?

Everyone wants to play in front of crowd and we want to have spectators back as soon as it safe to do so.
The TV coverage has been superb and I have watched a lot of rugby over this period but people want to be there to witness it live and we need spectators to generate an atmosphere.
Having said that I think that the standard of rugby that has been played, whether that is the Champions Cup, European Challenge Cup or Gallagher Premiership, has been very high and that is a credit to everyone involved.

Would a delay in the return of Championship and National Leagues rugby have an impact on some of your younger players?

We have very strong links with Championship and National Leagues clubs a lot of our players have gained significant benefit from playing senior rugby on dual registrations.
Players will not get those opportunities if those clubs are not playing.

On reports linking Warriors with Southern Kings loose forward Bobby de Wee

That is purely speculative. Obviously the Southern Kings have gone into liquidation and their players are now looking for other clubs.

How upset are you at the demise of Southern Kings?

It’s heart-breaking because I coached them against the British and Irish Lions in 2009 and when they won the IRB Nations Cup in 2011.
They had a vibrant and flourishing academy and some fantastic rugby-playing schools so it is very upsetting to see what has happened.

Injuries

GJ van Velze has undergone surgery on a dislocated shoulder and will be out for three months.
Will Butler will see a specialist later this month to decide whether he requires surgery on his ankle injury but he expects to be back playing again by mid-December.
Graham Kitchener has a stress fracture of the foot and will be out for four weeks
Joe Batley will be back in training on Friday and he should be available for selection next week
Marco Mama has been training fully and is available for selection
Sam Lewis has some floating bone in an elbow and probably won’t be available next Wednesday
Francois Venter is still troubled by the hamstring injury he sustained at London Irish and next Wednesday is probably going to be too early for him.
Perry Humphreys is back in training
Tom Howe sustained a knee injury at London Irish and is unlikely to play in the next two matches
By A38
#17752
This paragraph was in the Worcester News report. There was no mention of recruitment above.

Recruitment review

"We have just started that process and it is ongoing. It is still in its infancy at this point.

"I think it will take a little while, remembering we will be focusing on the games coming up, two in four days, and then we have a short break.

"It will probably be when we kick off the next season (before insights materialise)."
By A38
#17984
http://warriors.co.uk/2020/09/28/press- ... -28-09-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today ahead of Wednesday’s Gallagher Premiership match against Saracens at Sixways and Sunday’s trip to Sale Sharks.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

How welcome has the break been after the win at London Irish?

Very welcome because matches had come thick and fast – we played seven between August 15 and September 13.
We’ve got back-to-back games again this week so we had a full session today, we’ll have a captain’s run on Tuesday and then we play on Wednesday. We’ll have another captain’s run on Saturday before we play Sale on Sunday.

Are you looking forward to playing Saracens?

They are an outstanding club and whatever side they bring will be a first-class team and it will be a big challenge for us.
I thought they were very unfortunate on Saturday against Racing 92. They lost Duncan Taylor early on although Dom Morris did really well when he came on.
They also lost Brad Barritt and it needed that fantastic kick from Finn Russell to set up the winning try to deny Saracens.
But we would like to finish our season strongly.

Sale are pushing for a top four place

They are a very powerful side with a strong contingent of Springboks so it will be another tough challenge.
We will put out a good side against Saracens on Wednesday and then assess everyone on Thursday before we select for Sale

Saracens have already been relegated but it looks like it might be some time before they play again unless Championship clubs get Government support

There’s a lot of uncertainty at the moment, not just in rugby but in commerce and in all aspects of life.
It’s not just the Championship. The National Leagues and community clubs don’t know when they will be able to play again. Sport across the board and across the world has been similarly affected.
The pandemic has created a lot of hardship and there’s not a lot we can do about it until we get a vaccine. With no crowds allowed into grounds at the moment, and possibly for six months, Government support is going to be vital.
Sport adds great value to society in many ways particularly the part clubs play in their local communities.

How worried are you about the future of professional rugby?

Everyone is in the same boat. We are fortunate that our owners, Colin and Jason, are very hands-on and they communicate well.
They are fully committed to Warriors and they met the Sports Minister, Nigel Huddleston who is also a local MP, last week and those discussions were very positive.
As a club we are fortunate that we have land at Sixways that can be developed to generate non-matchday revenue and Colin and Jason are working hard on that.
But, without crowds some form of assistance from Government is needed

What have you made of the season overall?

It has been strange because of the interruption cause by the pandemic.
The real positives are that we have had the opportunity to blood a lot of our younger players and that our new coaching team have been able to bleed in their systems.
Next season will be action-packed but we won’t be playing seven matches in four weeks as we have done recently.
The highest position the club has finished in the Premiership is eighth so I certainly think that next season we should be looking at that and to better it.

How close do you think Ollie Lawrence is to playing for England?

We don’t know whether Eddie Jones intends to use the Autumn Internationals to blood some young players.
Ollie is up against some quality opposition in the centre – Manu Tuilagi, Jonathan Joseph and Henry Slade to name just three – but Ollie does offer something a little bit different.
He’s very motivated and he is getting good advice from the good coaching staff we have here.
He works very hard and he is ambitious to represent his country.

Injuries

Perry Humphreys is available again so he will come into contention for the first time since the resumption.
Sam Lewis has floating bone in an elbow. Wednesday might be a bit soon but we hope he will be fit to play at Sale.
Lewis Holsey has dislocated a shoulder in training and will need surgery similar to that undergone by GJ van Velze.
By A38
#18732
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/10/05/press ... -05-10-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today about Premiership Rugby decision to postpone the final Gallagher Premiership match of the season at Sale Sharks until Wednesday after a COVID-19 outbreak at Sale.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

What do you think about the decision to postpone the match?

The over-riding issue here is the safety of players, staff and their families. Darren Childs, PRL’s Chief Executive, has said safety is of paramount importance and PRL, the RFU and Public Health England have to make sure that they make it their priority when they make their decision.
Safety is of particular importance here because of the extraordinary number of positive tests at Sale – 16 players and three staff members. That is a red flag to me.
I’m not a medical expert but these looks to me like a cluster of positive cases rather than 19 individual people testing positive.
We have also read reports and comments on social media about Sale players celebrating late after they won the Premiership Rugby Cup two weeks ago, which is another obvious cause for concern.
Add to that the number of positive tests – around 350 – at universities in Manchester, the increasing number of cases in the North West and Manchester in particular and that we are also seeing a second wave of COVID cases.

Northampton, who had to forfeit their match at Gloucester, seem to have been treated very differently to Sale

Northampton have found themselves in a situation where, through no fault of their own, they were unable to field a team because they had insufficient front row forwards due to a number having to go into quarantine having played against Sale last week.
They were not given special dispensation to register other players to allow them to fulfil the Gloucester fixture and that has caused them hardship.
That has also had the knock-on effect of us not having the chance to qualify for the Heineken Champions Cup next season. You can’t say how things might have gone but if Northampton had played and beaten Gloucester and we could have beaten Sale then we would have finished eighth.

Do you expect Wednesday’s match to go ahead?

We are preparing for playing on Wednesday. We were ready to play on Sunday. We had a captain’s run on Saturday morning and we announced our team at 12 noon on Saturday as we were requested to do by Premiership Rugby. Sale did not announce theirs.
But it was academic because Public Health England said it was not safe to play on Sunday.
We trained this morning in preparation for Wednesday but the decision on whether the match goes ahead has to be taken by Premiership Rugby, after consultation with the RFU and Public Health England, purely on the grounds of the safety of players, staff and their families – it’s important that we don’t forget the families in this.

When do you expect that decision?

I’m not sure but it has to be soon. The kick-off has now been fixed for 7.45pm on Wednesday so you would think that the very latest you could make that call is on Wednesday morning.

What communication have you had with Sale?

Steve Diamond called me on Friday morning and told me what had happened. Since then we have had no direct communication.
When Steve told me the number of players and staff involved I thought it would be very difficult for Sale to field a team on Sunday.
Nick Tait, our club doctor, has requested some information from Sale that will ensure that we are fully informed about the potential risks of playing on Wednesday but we have heard nothing back.

Will you field the same team as you announced on Saturday or will you make changes?

It will be pretty much the same. The only injured player that might have come into contention was Nick Schonert but he will not have recovered from his head injury in time.

Were you surprised that the match was postponed rather than you being awarded a 20-0 win and five points?

I understood that when the competition resumed in August, any team that was unable to fulfil a fixture because of COVID-related issues would have to forfeit the match and the other team would get five points.
That is what happened to Northampton but the decision was made to resolve our game differently.

Do you think the fact that Phil Winstanley, Premiership Rugby’s Rugby Director, having played 90 games in Sale’s front row with Steve Diamond had any bearing on this decision?

It’s a very difficult situation and we have a lot of sympathy for Phil Winstanley. But given the associations he has with Sale, it may have been better for someone else from Premiership Rugby to have taken the lead on this matter.

If any of your players have concerns about playing on Wednesday will they be able to opt out?

There has always been the option to opt out throughout stages one to three of the return to training and playing processes.
If someone does not want to play on Wednesday we will respect their decision.

How do you think so many Sale players gave positive tests at the same time?

I don’t know. We’ve seen the reports about late night partying after the Premiership Cup win which, if they are correct, might be an explanation.
What I would say is that we have been very stringent about the measures we have implemented here at Sixways.
Gené Willis, our COVID-19 Manager, Nick Tait, who is also our COVID-19 Doctor, and Peter Kelly, our Managing Director, have all done a fantastic job in ensuring the players and staff are educated about the measures that have been put in place to keep everyone safe and healthy.

The players were supposed to start a three weeks’ holiday today, how do they feel about having to play on Wednesday?

It’s not ideal but we have said that they will now get those three weeks starting from Thursday.
Everyone needs a break, physically and mentally, and it would not be right for them to lose that time off for something that is not our fault.

Do you think there will be legal consequences whatever decision Premiership Rugby make?

It’s a big decision but it has to be made for the right reason which is the safety of players, staff and their families, they have a duty of care to do that. What the lawyers make of the consequences of that I can’t say.
By A38
#19073
https://warriors.co.uk/2020/10/07/press ... -07-10-20/

Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today following the cancellation of tonight’s Gallagher Premiership match at Sale Sharks.

Here’s what Alan had to say:

On the decision to cancel the match and award Warriors a 20-0 win

The decision had to made solely on the basis on the health and safety of players, staff and their families.
It’s tough from a rugby perspective but the safety of the personnel involved was of paramount importance and the decision has been made for the right reasons.

Should the decision have made earlier?

There was a process that had to be gone through. We were not part of that decision-making process.
We said that we would get all the information we required to fully inform any decision that we may have had to make.
But the decision was made by PRL, the RFU and Public Health England not by us.

How disruptive has this been?

It has been disruptive because the players and playing staff were due to start a three-week break starting on Monday and some of them had needed to change or re-schedule their holiday bookings.
But the matchday 23, the travelling reserves and the other staff who would have gone to Sale have been very focused over the last few days. We trained on Saturday and again on Monday in the readiness for the match.

What do you make of the season overall?

It has been a strange season because of the pandemic. I don’t think the world has had to face any disease as serious as this since the Spanish Flu in 1918.
Every country is affected, it affects every area of our lives and it is not just rugby or sport that is having to contend with it.
We have managed to complete the season with just one cancellation and the real benefits for us have been that we have been able to give valuable game time to all of our young players and our new coaches have had the opportunity to bed in their systems.
It has been very strange playing matches with no spectators in the grounds.

Do you have sympathy for Sale?

Of course we do. Steve Diamond has put together a very good side and they have played well throughout the season.
They had an opportunity of making the play-offs and perhaps going on to win the competition. Not to have that opportunity is very sad. But we are living in these difficult and challenging times.

Do you think changes need to be made to the way positive COVID-19 tests are treated to prevent a repeat of this situation?

I am sure that PRL, the RFU and PHE will look closely at what has happened and plot a way forward from here.
Until last weekend there had not been an issue, so that would suggest that the testing process has been robust.
Obviously PRL, the RFU and PHE will want to know what has happened in this situation.
I cannot praise our own COVID medical lead Nick Tait and our COVID Manager Gené Willis enough for the stringent measures that they have been put in place here and for the players and who have been so professional and complied with those measures.

Do you think that matches should automatically be postponed if a certain number of positive tests are recorded?

From what I understand, that is the system they have in France which is why Racing 92’s Top 14 match against La Rochelle was postponed and their facility was closed after a number of positive tests.
If we had been in France then the decision on this game would have been taken on Friday.

When did you know the match had been cancelled and what was the reaction of the players?

We found out this morning but we were not able to tell the players and staff until the official announcement was made by Premiership Rugby.
We had the coaches and hotel for our team meeting and meal booked but we told the players to stay at home until they heard either way whether the match would be played.

The decision means that Warriors miss out on the top eight and Champions Cup place. Would the squad have been ready for that?

The fact that we have been able to play our youngsters in recent matches means that we have a lot more strength and depth in our squad.
Playing in Europe’s top competition would have been a great challenge for us but there are going to be some good teams in the Challenge Cup next season and we will look forward to that.

What do you need to do better to make it into the top eight?

The way that we prepare is absolutely critical. We need to do everything at a high level and make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of making the top eight.
The level of the Premiership is so high. I think that it is the best domestic competition globally.
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