'As a kid it sometimes takes a landmark event like the 2003 World Cup win to get you involved'
Legacy is a word often cheaply bandied about in sport. Host an event and the boffins on the organising committee will frequently be heard vaguely going on endlessly about what benefits might accrue in the long term.
It’s nice then to come across conclusive proof that some big rugby tournament has left a positive footprint somewhere along the line. Take Gloucester’s Tom Savage. But for England’s exploits in winning the 2003 World Cup, the long-serving Premiership lock might never have picked up a rugby ball.
“I was mainly into cycling and a few other sports and it wasn’t until I was around 15 or 16 when I fell into rugby,” said the late bloomer to RugbyPass about the accidental way he first fell into the sport. “It was because of the 2003 World Cup. A local senior side [Bishop’s Castle] introduced a junior section. A few mates went down from school and it all kicked off from there.
“My dad was always a keen rugby watcher, so he sat us down and made us watch it. He then saw there was an option to go and play locally, so he went and signed us up. That played a huge part in it, a landmark event in the sport. As a kid it sometimes takes something like that encourage you to get involved.
“I liked to watch Jason Robinson play. There was always that excitement when he got the ball, you knew something was going to happen. He was always good to watch, but I’m a million miles away from the type of game he played.”
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Gloucester have reaped the benefit of that Savage imagination ignited by Robinson’s dancing feet, the second row making nearly 200 appearances for them in a hectic rise up the ranks that was greatly assisted by current Championship outfit Hartpury.
The Gloucestershire minnows were only working their way through from their 11th tier of English rugby’s pyramid system when Savage was on their books some time ago, but those ties still bind.
He still gets along to matches at College Stadium and while the club’s immediate focus is on winning their relegation battle with London Scottish, Savage believes the tier two league is an invaluable breeding ground for professional level talent and is worthy of greater financial investment by the RFU.
“It’s vital for English rugby to have that level of competition. You might have someone who has just missed out on a pro contract through lack of experience or they might have had a bad season and they need to find rugby. As a pathway it’s hugely important,” he said.
“There are examples of guys who have been at Gloucester who needed more game time and they signed for a championship team and got minutes week in week out. It’s crucial. It’s great how Hartpury have worked their way up the ranks and I was a massive part of that nine, 10 years ago. It’s great to see where they are today. A lot of years’ work has gone in.
Very well done to @HartpuryRFC for their win against the Reds today and steering a little clearer from the bottom of the table! The link to the photos is below! ?? pic.twitter.com/92fI0EOhS5
— Oliver Pinel Photography – Jersey Reds (@PinelPhotos) March 23, 2019
“The Championship is hugely important for the game and the more money you can pump into something like that to help those sides to keep progressing and raising the standard of the league the better really.”
Gloucester, though, are naturally Savage’s priority. He hasn’t featured in Johan Ackermann’s recent selections: his contract is due to expire this summer and there have been rumours of a switch to Japan for the soon-to-be 30-year-old.
But the club’s current Premiership buoyancy – they’re in third place on the back of four wins in the last five, the latest coming last Saturday versus Wasps – has him hopeful a first semi-final appearance since 2011 is on the horizon for a league founder club starved of success.
Only four clubs – Bath, Wasps, Leicester and Gloucester – have spent all 32 seasons in the top flight, but whereas the other three have shared 22 titles between them, the Cherry & Whites are still searching for their breakthrough silverware.
“It’s so tight,” said an excited Savage about a play-off race that has just five rounds of fixtures remaining. “We’re taking it one game at a time and just focusing on that – that is all we can do.
“It’s all in our hands at the moment and we’re not resting on our laurels. We are putting the work in at training and know there is still more growth in this side towards the back end of the season when we hope to be where we want to be.
There's simply no stopping @JakePolledri from that distance ?
Back from wearing the Azzurri colours, the @gloucesterrugby flanker powered his way over to put the cherry on the cake against @WaspsRugby ?
Catch all the #GallagherPrem highlights on Monday on @channel5_tv ? pic.twitter.com/w1g8u7BOdW
— Premiership Rugby (@premrugby) March 24, 2019
“It doesn’t matter whether clubs are lying first or in 12th, anyone can beat anyone this year so you need to be near your best every week because if you do have a drop, you have to make sure that dip is not too big and you can still grind out the result.
“It’s fine margins. I remember that year with Laurie (Fisher in charge) and we were on the wrong end of an error, a tactical mistake or a refereeing decision. That could have made a difference that season but we have taken our learnings and are reasonably happy with where we are at the moment. We just need to keep knuckling down and keep grinding out the results. If we do that we will be in a good spot at the end of the year.”
Not playing while he is fit and ready to contribute is an usual situation for Savage. He has rarely been injured throughout his professional career, a knock in a pre-season game last August at Ulster sidelining him for a few months similar to a ruptured pec muscle injury in 2013/14.
Other than that, he has consistently been free of injury, an enviable run of availability in a sport where so many players suffer far more serious setbacks.
“I don’t think I missed a Prem game for three seasons at one stage. If you manage to wrack up those numbers you can consider yourself fortunate with how boys are picking up knocks these days. Unfortunately that is part of the game.
“It’s got to be a bit of luck. You can get these freaks accidents in rugby where the body breaks down, a limb gets trapped somewhere. Aside from that I take huge care. I take a lot of pride in how professional I am with my recovery, my nutrition and the way I tackle my training.
“It has a huge part to play and the more you do off the field it kind of keeps you on the field. I’m enjoying the season. The competition to play in the second row is really tough but we’re driving each other and working hard to do the best with the team.”
Comments on RugbyPass
A wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
11 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
11 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
24 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
35 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
35 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
17 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to comments