Professionalism and all its perils, Leicester review, Worcester preview

Professional Rugby is now 21 years old. Everyone involved in the game has learnt some very hard lessons about sustainability, planning and good old fashioned economics. The first league season, when still amateur, played in 1987 consisted of 12 teams.

Leicester

Wasps

Harlequins

Bath

Bristol

Gloucester

Orrell

Moseley

Nottingham

Sale

Waterloo

Coventry

Bristol currently reside in the Championship, hopeful of a swift return to the AVIVA Premiership while Orrell, Moseley, Waterloo, Nottingham and Coventry have all faced significant financial problems. All now resigned to spending their time well away from the limelight of the top flight. Rugby has moved on and unless a big money backer who is prepared to swallow huge losses enters the fray, these clubs will remain in the hinterland of English Rugby. At the recent Fans Forum held at Kingsholm, owner Martin St Quinton stressed that the large losses being generated by a number of clubs is unsustainable and he and the board at Gloucester were not prepared to jeopardise the clubs future without sustainable investment.

It was in this backdrop of financial insecurity that Gloucester attempted to find additional investment through the Syrian-French billionaire and Montpellier Herault owner Mohad Altrad. However it was his existing relationship with another European rugby side that eventually prevented any deal going through. Arguments about conflicts of interest were exaggerated and played upon by those who argued against any investment and ultimately those concerns won out.

To their credit Gloucester have not stood still and they have concluded a number of commercial deals which have helped to limit the potential damage that losing out on the Altrad deal could have caused. Greene King, Westons Cider and 21Bet have all become major partners and last week Mitsubishi extended their shirt sponsorship until 2022. According to the press release this is the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in the Premiership and also means the car manufacturer will become the longest main shirt sponsor in the clubs history. The advantage of these deals is that it provides some economic certainty while also being linked to a generally well-known brand who already work with the RFU and England Rugby.

The commercial side of the club appears to have been revitalised in the last 12 months and although not necessarily as interesting to supporters as the contract negotiations for players, it is probably of greater importance for the wellbeing of the club into the future.

Leicester 24-10 Gloucester

When Johann Ackermann arrived at Gloucester he told everyone that this was a long term project and not to expect immediate results and changes overnight. Unfortunately for him the opening weekend victory against Champions Exeter Chiefs suggested he may have been a little pessimistic. The subsequent two matches and performances have given credence to his original statement. Gloucester’s opponents, Leicester, were uncharacteristically suffering from a slow start to their campaign with defeats to Bath and Northampton respectively. An apparent weakness in the pack, a traditional strength, had led some to suggest that Gloucester may not have a better chance to end their 10 year losing streak at Welford Road.

Since his arrival, Ackermann has certainly tried to imprint his philosophy and style on the Cherry and Whites. A marked change in defensive structures and a willingness to run with the ball rather than relying on a kicking game which was so heavily criticised by many Gloucester supporters. However all the planning and preparation can only go so far, particularly when players continue to make simple errors or ‘switch off’ at critical times. One would imagine a key point made in the week leading up to Saturday would be to keep an eye on the 9/10 partnership of Ben Youngs and George Ford who are well known for their propensity to play at a high pace. Youngs especially has made a habit of taking quick penalties and catching defences napping.

Leicester started like a side out to prove a point and within 20 minutes the Tigers were 21 nil up, on course for a try bonus point while Gloucester simply were trying to stop a rout. Ben Youngs had scored twice, both tries preying on a lack of concentration while winger Malouf added a well worked third try. Gloucester eventually managed to gain a foothold in the game, but each time they found themselves in a dangerous position, a penalty or error cost them the opportunity for points. Against Harlequins they turned over the ball to the opposition 22 times, against Leicester this increased to 25. The Cherry and Whites conceded 17 penalties, many when attacking the Tigers line. A rethink of the tactics at the breakdown may be needed when coming up against combative back rows such as Leicester, Saracens and Bath.

The second half showed a marked improvement, although it would be difficult to imagine the performance getting worse. Almost immediately Gloucester scored through Josh Hohneck with a further penalty from stand in fly half Billy Twelvetrees taking the score to 21-10. Leicester were suddenly rattled as Gloucester began to find gaps and opportunities, but each time they were let down by poor handling and rushed decision making. 50/50 passes and risky offloads are a great way to break down a stubborn defence, but sometimes patience can be an equally good tactic. There were occasions where Gloucester created overlaps and mismatches, but on too many occasions a combination of a hesitant Willie Heinz and a back row reluctant to engage at the breakdown meant slow ball and a loss opportunity.

In the end, preventing a try bonus point for Leicester will probably do nothing for Gloucester’s league position, but psychologically it may be seen as a small win. In previous seasons the final result could have been significantly worse and although this may be down to Leicester’s own shortcomings as well as Gloucester’s second half tenacity, Johan Ackermann will be looking for as many positives as he can. Once again the scrum operated effectively and the famous Leicester driving maul was all but negated. The lineout was much improved from last week, there were also encouraging performances from Charlie Sharples and Olly Thorley. Leicester for their part will curse their inability to obtain the try bonus point, but will be happy and relieved with their opening win of the campaign. They have a wonderful set of backs and a number of exciting young players in Genge and Thacker but there still appears to be something missing from the ‘engine room’. If they can work out what it is and correct it, the Tigers will once again be challenging for honours at the end of the season.

  

Preview: Gloucester vs Worcester at Kingsholm

Worcester Warriors have come a long way in the last 20 years. Certainly helped by their major benefactor Cecil Duckworth, they have become an established presence in the professional era, if not always in the Premiership itself. They have attracted a loyal and vocal following, although a perception, possibly unfair, still exists among the more traditional rugby clubs that many of their casual supporters are not entirely focused on the game rather how many pints can be consumed before, during and afterwards. This isn’t a peculiar problem to Worcester, but as an away supporter at Sixways the atmosphere can be a little rowdy more akin to a football game at Villa Park.

Worcester have never quite managed to find their feet in the top flight. They have had successful seasons, finishing 8^th in 2005/2006 and reaching the semi-finals of the European Challenge Cup in the same season. Warriors were also beaten finalists in the Challenge Cup two years later, losing to Bath at Kingsholm. But despite these occasional highs, they often find themselves fighting for survival at the wrong end of the table. This year, Worcester have failed to win a single point and only scored one try each game. Already a challenging situation for Gary Gold has been made more difficult by a crippling injury crisis and the absence of star name and talisman Francois Hougaard. Added to this the contract rumours regarding England and Lions centre Ben T’eo, one would suspect the midlands club will once again be struggling.

Gloucester have only lost once at home to Worcester although games between the sides are normally close affairs. Geographically the Warriors are Gloucester’s nearest rivals, but from the home fans perspective they would barely treat them as such. Bath and Bristol are the traditional foes with Exeter and Worcester only recently being mentioned as a ‘Derby’. Certainly most supporters wearing Cherry and White on Friday evening will come expecting a victory (possibly with a try bonus point) and although the management and squad would never say so in public, they will be thinking the same. The danger, of course, is allowing any complacency to creep into the dressing room and affecting the performance. Worcester can be a dangerous side and always up their game at Kingsholm. However, Gloucester should have too much, particularly with the potential returns of Owen Williams, Ben Morgan and Fraser Balmain.

The key changes required for Gloucester will be patience with the ball, increased aggression at the breakdown and a concerted effort to reduce the amount of penalties particularly when in possession. So far this season Gloucester have found themselves in good positions but failed to capitalise, so it is vital that the team start to remedy this if they are going to push further up the league.