1
Dean Richards on what's really holding England back and the obvious solution
Dean Richards believes ring-fencing the Gallagher Premiership is the only way to boost England’s chances of future World Cup and Six Nations success.
ADVERTISEMENT
Richards’ view will be treated with some scepticism as his Newcastle team are facing the threat of relegation and they head into Saturday’s clash with Sale at St James’ Park three points adrift with just six rounds of Premiership matches remaining.
However, Richards, who will be in the mix when England have to find a replacement for head Eddie Jones , is adamant ending relegation is the only way to help England’s cause as it would reduce the pressure on clubs to constantly play their leading players. Mark Wilson, the England flanker, was back in training with Newcastle just 48 hours after playing in the 38-38 draw with Scotland and will be facing Sale on Saturday.
Richards, the Newcastle director of rugby, said: “I have always been a staunch believer in promotion and relegation up until the last two or three years. Such is the investment in the teams from owners and development of academies and stadia it is now getting to stage of looking who can offer that ( outside the Premiership) and there are very few clubs out there. You are getting to a stage where you would be looking to bring fencing in.
Continue reading below…
“If you are England and are looking at the Six Nations results and the boys are a bit tired wouldn’t you be thinking it would help us ( national team) in our preparation for the Six Nations or for a World Cup. Now is the ideal opportunity to get everyone together for the good of the game in England it would be the best thing.
“On paper, I think England have got a better team, with their best players on the pitch, than Wales but such is the ability to prepare the players accordingly then Wales performed better and came away with a Grand Slam. That is not saying their didn’t deserve it – they thoroughly did- but I don’t think Eddie Jones perhaps had the same opportunity to prepare his team as Warren did.
“The England players looked a bit tired and jaded in the second half and I would like to think it would be different in the World Cup but it doesn’t help your preparation in terms of mindset and confidence. “
ADVERTISEMENT
Richards is confident of dragging Newcastle out of their current position and added: “We don’t think there is any pressure on us at all because we are not expected to stay up. We will go out without any pressure after everyone wrote us off three games ago and so if we stay up then happy days.
“I am not being blasé about if we go down or not because it is important that there is a Premiership side in the region. But, it is also important there is a club here in 20 years and so you have to marry that with budgets and I am sure that if we went down then we would come straight back up but that is not the intention.”
Comments on RugbyPass
smith at 9 / mounga 10 / laumape 12 / fainganuku 14
36 Go to commentsBar the injuries, it’s pretty much their top team …
2 Go to commentsDon’t disagree with much of this but it appears you forgot Rodda and Beale, who started at the Force on the weekend.
9 Go to commentsExcept for the injured Zach Gallagher this would be Saders best forward pack for the season. Blackadder needs to stay at 7, for all of Christies tackling he is not dominant and offers very little else. McNicholfullback is maybe a good option, Fihaki not really upto it, there was a reason Burke played there last year. Maybe Havilli to 2nd five McLeod to wing. Need a strong winger on 1 side to compliment Reece
1 Go to commentsTo me TJ is clearly the best 9 in the competition right now but he's also a proven player off the bench, there's few playmaking players who can come off the bench as calm and settled as he is, Beauden can, TJ can and I doubt any of the scrumhalves in contention can, if they want to experiment with new 9s I want him on the bench ready to step in if they crumble under the pressure. The Boks put their best front row on the bench, I'd like to see us take a similar approach, the Hurricanes have been doing similar things with players like Kirifi.
36 Go to commentsROG has better chance to win a WC if he starts training and make himself eligible as a player. He won’t make the Ireland squad but I reckon he may get close with Namibia (needs to improve his Afrikaans) or Portugal. Both sides had 1000:1 odds to win the RWC in 2023 which is an improvement on ROG’s odds of winning a RWC as a coach. Unlike Top 14 teams, national teams can’t go shopping and buy the best players - you work with the available talent pool and turn them into world beaters.
2 Go to commentsthat backline nope that backline is terrible why would you have sevu Reece when he’s not even top 5 wingers in the comp why have Blackadder when there’s better players no Scott barret isn’t an automatic the guy is more of a liability than anything why have him there when you have samipeni who’s far far better
36 Go to commentsAh, good to find you Nick. Agree with everything about Cale. So much to like about his game
49 Go to commentsNot too bad. Questions at 6, lock and HB for me. The ABs will be a lot stronger once Jordan and Roigard return. Also, work needs to be made to secure Frizzell back for next season and maybe also Mo’unga; they’re just wasting time playing in japan
36 Go to commentsOn the title, i wonder for many of those people it is a case something like a belief in working smarter, not harder?
1 Go to commentsForget Sotutu. One of those whose top level is Super Rugby. Id take a punt on Wallace Sititi Finau ahead of Glass body Blackadder.
36 Go to commentsI’m a pensioner so I've been around a bit. My opinion of SBW is he is an elite athlete and a great New Zealander and roll model. He has been to the top and knows what he's talking about. To all the negative comments regarding SBW the typical New Zealand way, cut that tall poppy down.
17 Go to commentsI'm not listening to a guy moralise over others when this is the guy who walked out mid season on Canterbury RLFC when he had a contract with them, what a hypocrite. All the Kiwis sticking up for this unprincipled individual because they can't accept justified criticism, he has zero credibility or integrity. Those praising him are a joke.
17 Go to commentsI’d put Finau at 6 instead of Blackadder but that’s the only change I’d make. Can’t wait to see who Razor picks.
36 Go to commentsTamati Williams, Codie Taylor, and Same Cane? Not sure about Hoskins Sotutu at test level. Wasn’t that impressive last season. Need a balance between experience and talent/youth.
36 Go to commentsInteresting insight. Fantastic athlete, and a genuine human being.
17 Go to commentsThey played at night in Suva last weekend and it’s an afternoon game forecast for 19 degrees in Canberra this weekend. Heat change is a non issue.
2 Go to commentsWishing Rosie a speedy recovery
1 Go to commentsObscene that SA haven’t been knocking
1 Go to commentsChances of Blackadder being injured seem too high to give him serious consideration. ABs loosie combination finally looked good with 2 committed to tackling and clearing rucks in the centre and Ardie roaming. Hoskins/Ardie together would force one of them into where they don’t excel and don’t get to use their talent, or require a change in tactics. If we continue to evolve last years systems I would take Papali’i and Finau at 6 and 7 (conceding that Blackadder will be injured) and Ardie at 8.
36 Go to comments