REFLECTIONS ON WIN OVER LEICESTER
“Around 20 minutes in after we scored the first try we got some fixes by way of breakdown policy. We had a policy going into the game of creating good pictures so the referee Adam Leal could set the game up in his words but we did not do that so there were strong words said by Ben Curry in the huddle which were to say ‘Leave the ball alone’. Have more faith in the defensive system and that felt a lot more comfortable. Then there were the scrum fixes which started to turn around the 20-minute mark. Bevan [Rodd] gave quite an in-depth review of what he was doing wrong and I was so happy that he fixed that on-field because he has not played against real-calibre players for quite a while [due to injury]. That is part of his learning process and he came through that really well.”
RETURN OF JONNY HILL
“He has been remarkably unaffected by it [mentally]. He is pretty laid back anyway when you speak to him. There is a side you do not often see when he loses it, you think where has that come from. He has got a bit of anger in him but generally very laid back and takes everything in his stride. Things wash over him more than most people. He has been very involved here [during the injury and ban], consistently so with all the lineouts, in the unit meetings, team meetings. It has probably given him some worth throughout the weeks. He has been training for a number of weeks now so he has been able to get stuck in and get his fitness back to where it should be.
“He is training really well and in good form. He is playing for a contract and he wants to stay here. I told him to get back playing and then he is in a position of strength. It is not a case of let’s see if he is good enough, he is going to be good enough but I do not want to low-ball him. He is buzzing to get back on the field. He is coming back a week after the likes of Bevan Rodd and Raffi Quirke returned from injury which has bolstered the squad so we are in a good spot at the moment. Jonny is coming into a pack that is performing, where he has got to add to be part of this pack.
“He has got it in him to have the occasional brain-fart but people who play on the edge and are competitive you expect that. It is no different to the likes of Maro Itoje, who are in the thick of it with all the lineouts, scrums and mauls. There are going to be mistakes and ill-discipline in there.”
LUKE JAMES
“He is a centre/fullback and he is still versatile. He can give you something in attack and make things happen as you saw at the weekend, which we have been struggling to find consistently in the centre partnership this year. The biggest question mark was defensively could he stack up against big, powerful ball carriers and yes he can. He showed that. He had an even better game that I thought. He was brilliant. I am really happy we showed faith in him. To come in after not many games recently in that sizeable a game and perform like that.”
LUKE COWAN-DICKIE
“He is playing out of his skin. It is the best he has been playing ever I would say. His lineout stats are the best in the Premiership. Very positive [contract negotiations]. We are going to announce it at some point. Everyone is saying yes, he wants to stay, we want to keep him. We have come to some understanding of what it’s worth financially. I haven’t been given the all-clear to announce it, it is not official. I would be very surprised if he went somewhere else at this stage of the negotiations.
“The lads love him and I love him. They adore being around him and the energy he brings. He is an energy giver in so many ways, a really good role model, humble to his core. Characters are contagious and they rub off on you. He is just one of them that you feel more energised being around.”
ATTACKING PERFORMANCE
“I thought we attacked well against Newcastle and Gloucester with some variation in our attack with bonus-point wins. You can argue Leicester are better defensively so it should rank higher as an attacking performance than those other two games. People don’t talk about our attack much which is not a bad thing. I thought it was quite special at the weekend; the variety, when to strike and strike fast on transition, when to manage the game and structure it. There are many ways to skin a cat but if you look at the Harlequins vs Bristol game they looked like they were in quicksand after 30 minutes. It was so hectic and then you wonder does that kind of mentality bleed into the international game where you do not have any energy left in the tank in the last 20 minutes. There is a skill in not just attacking and attacking from everywhere but to be able to manage the game. You can use different weapons during the game and still have enough in the tank to finish strong , which we looked throughout the game. The attack goes hand-in-hand with your game management and set-piece. They worked in combination rather than isolation at the weekend.
"If it was different from the norm [not being talked about as much as other clubs when they attack well], I would probably get annoyed but I have become accustomed to the stereotype and to a degree we are trying to break that. Moving forward if we keep doing what we are doing and we do it week in, week out then it will be irrefutable in terms of where we are looking to get to as a club, team and organisation. We have nowhere near done it yet. There is a long, hard fight until February, which is the next break, but the first round out of nine in this heavyweight stretch it was a decent one and pretty happy with how we can build on it going forward.”
RESTING PLAYERS
“There is a mandatory rest for all players to have two weeks away from rugby over the season, not just the internationals but everyone. Most of our players we have the opportunity to play them through and find the time when is best for them. It is a case-by-case scenario; how they are feeling, what have their minutes been like, how their bodies are holding up. They cannot go through nine games, we know from last year so at some point between now and February they will be getting a rest.”
INJURY UPDATE
George Ford- tiny awareness of the MCL in his knee, the angle of coming through the ball when it is on the ground, still very comfortable kicking from hand, did not feel he could kick as freely from the floor so gave it to Rob du Preez but he is fine, available for selection
Sam Bedlow and Waisea Nayacalevu fit and available this weekend
Tom O’Flaherty has minor groin issue, smallest grade one, should be back for Racing game
OTHER NEWS
Expecting a tough challenge against Glasgow, who are flying in the United Rugby Championship, defending URC champions lost just one game this season, very abrasive and aggressive team
Done some preparation for the 4G pitch up at Glasgow, not doing running sessions on them in preparation for those type of pitches due to number of injuries picked up previously, only do scrummaging on it now as the change of surfaces can cause injuries
Last year lots of injuries and long run of games forced changes in the Champions Cup whereas this season we have just had 3-4 week break from the Premiership, influx of returning players from injuries, we are good for it, strongest squad to pick from for ages, we want to go for it and pick strongest side we can, minimise rotation and maximise cohesion, still necessity to rest certain players with mandatory rest, “we are going for both competitions this season and we have the squad to do it”
Champions Cup is a special competition
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