REFRESHED SQUAD
“Yes, I feel like we are in a good spot. Only time will tell because it has got to transfer onto the game this weekend. But we have had two good performances, one great win and we have managed to give a rest to everyone who could be involved this weekend. We feel fresh and ready.”
MAGNITUDE OF FRIDAY NIGHT’S GAME
“It is ginormous. We haven’t really spoken about it but the players know. It is basically one versus two; there are two points separating first and fourth. There is bragging rights, getting the monkey off your back, there is the sell-out crowd and wanting people to come back, sets you up for a great Christmas. Outcomes cannot define Christmas, it can’t do but it will make that first turbo-charged bucks fizz taste all that bit sweeter on Christmas morning if we get the performance we want.”
REGRET AND MISSED OPPORTUNITY FROM THE FINAL DEFEAT TO SARACENS?
“Yes, bits of regret. I thought we had them there at the sixty-minute mark. How many teams probably say that about fixtures against Saracens. They are the best team at finishing other teams off. But we certainly had opportunities down on their try-line. We stuck in there as we were always chasing the game. We certainly didn’t put the best of ourselves but we are still a growing team as I maintain. We still have a lot of growth in us. This will be good to see how far we have come since that final with largely a similar team.”
SHOULD GEORGE FORD BE IN THE FRAME TO CAPTAIN ENGLAND?
“He is one of the best leaders I have had the privilege of working with and that includes the likes of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and Jamie George. He is exceptionally emotionally intelligent. He can put across his messages really efficiently which is difficult. I find it difficult even speaking to you. He is able to thin slice down to the exact point needs to convey and that is as important on-field as it is off-field. He is demanding in terms of standards without being oppressive and autocratic.
“Sometimes he takes too much on by way of giving direction of what needs to be done but also motivating and keeping energy levels high. To do both is really difficult. What we have been trying to do is let him delegate some of the responsibilities so it is not all on him. We wanted to make sure the responsibility of leading was shared and not just on his shoulders. He takes it on because of the kind of person he is. He is ready for it, any leadership role. He is a massive leader for us and I think he could fill those boots in a different style to which Owen did.”
RAFFI QUIRKE INJURY
“We thought initially it was just swelling and he would be back in a week. I then got a call on Monday afternoon saying it was a Grade two because he strained three tendons which is another blow off the back of all that has gone before with Raffi. I feel really sorry for him. There are no consistent injuries here; broken jaw, torn hamstring, broken wrist, now he has rolled his foot. It’s just bad luck on bad luck. That would normally mean four to six weeks and we will assess it on a weekly basis to see if we can get him back before that.
“I don’t know if you can pull someone back. The way he plays makes him such a good player. I am hoping in time he will get better in terms of decision-making, when to go for a gap and when not to go. Certainly we have spoken about not sticking his head into rucks. He does that less. I struggle to pull someone back by way of their intensity but clearly looking at a string of injuries it’s probably worth a conversation. I am just letting him get over this bit at the moment and I will address that in a couple of weeks. It is not like he is ill-disciplined or reckless, he is just very powerful and maybe overly physical for his size. It leads to him picking up all these different types of injury. I would much rather have where he is right now and make him more robust than perhaps take away some of his x-factor.”
NYE THOMAS
“We had a good chat with Nye today (Tuesday). What is horrendous for Raffi is brilliant for Nye. He came on again against Leinster and showed he has got some real talent. What we haven’t witnessed yet, although we do see it a bit more in training, is his decision-making for game management. All those games he was sat on the bench for they came down to the wire more often than not. At some point we are going to have to show faith in him and put him on the field to close the game out because how else does he get that experience without us pushing him forward. He has got four to six weeks now on the bench or starting for him to gain that experience. Once you have got it no-one can take it away from you. I am quite excited about Nye getting this opportunity. Through someone else’s misfortune the door opens for him.”
MANU TUILAGI
“I still haven’t sat down with him yet (to discuss a new contact). We are going to sit down in the New Year. I know there are some French clubs coming in for him which is exciting for him. He is training really well again. We have got to see how robust he is now through this next stretch to the Six Nations. I reckon he has got another year or two at this quality at this level.
“It has taken a while for the thinking between club and country to be aligned. How many conversations of this nature around Manu being injured and then re-injured and whose fault it was have we had? Touch wood we are getting it right. A lot of it is on him; he looks after himself better. Manu is excited all the time about playing rugby.”
INJURY UPDATE
Bevan Rodd- had another scan, going to be a bit longer, might need an operation to reattach a ligament to the pea-sized bone in his toe, could be a few weeks
Raffi Quirke- thought it was just swelling initially, but on Monday afternoon medical staff told Alex it was a Grade 2, strained three tendons (foot injury)
OTHER NEWS
Players had Christmas lunch on Tuesday, Alex got a bottle of wine and a pack of cigarettes (he doesn’t smoke!) in the Secret Santa
Players will get four days off after Saracens game- it has been a really hard slog since the start of the season
Attack has come on this season, more well-rounded game
Differences between George and Owen Farrell- Owen is more physical and aggressive, George is an extremely calming influence which is good for us as a physical team, George is probably a better tactical kicker, George is exceptional as shifting point of contact
Serious thought about temporarily moving Asher Opoku-Fordjour across to loosehead for the next few weeks with the injuries to Bevan Rodd and Simon McIntyre
Rob du Preez capable of playing 10 and 13 at a high level
Defying journalists pleased Alex last weekend, he was hacked off by people underestimating us, 19-year-olds going up against British and Irish Lions and didn’t give an inch
Recruitment meeting took place on Tuesday- “on radio silence as we want to control the narrative on the players we are retaining”, been told to keep his mouth shut
DOR meeting in London on Wednesday to look at PGA, Al won’t be there with Saracens game on Friday so CEO going down, extended EPS squad, reducing senior players in squads being discussed, consideration that if you reduced squad sizes you cannot just sack 10 players immediately, needs a period of time, in terms of hybridised contracts that is something the club wants more clarity on, we have got a few out of the 10 players who met with Steve Borthwick that would be in the 25 players with hybrid contracts
The likes of Luke Cowan-Dickie and Manu Tuilagi getting offers for more than we can offer them
We are where we want to be in the league, still doesn’t think aside from a couple of games, against Bristol and Stade, we have hit the kind of form that he wants the side to be at, teething with players coming back from World Cup, understanding the new leadership group with Jono Ross moving on, still growing into roles and responsibilities
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