‘You’ll get the blame whether it is your decision or someone else’s’ - Cockerill fires warnings to Murphy over Leicester job
Richard Cockerill is inextricably linked to Leicester Tigers, 23 years as a player, head coach and Director of Rugby. It was an association that was ended in January last year when he was sacked with the club lying fifth in the Premiership.
It was a decision that clearly rankles with the 27-times capped England hooker, who led the Tigers to Premiership success in 2009, 2010 and 2013, with the club reaching the playoffs in each season of his tenure. Since his departure from Welford Road Aaron Mauger and Matt O’Connor have been and gone and now it’s Geordan Murphy in charge of the club.
“I was either a finalist or a semi-finalist and that wasn’t good enough. So people can bring their own conclusions from that.”
“I don’t want to comment too much around the hierarchy, but the reality is if you sack me, you sack Aaron Mauger, you sack Matt O’Conner – were all three of us that poor that you have to keep making change,” he said in an exclusive interview with RugbyPass.
“Now it’s Geordie, who is a good man and you just hope he gets looked after because there’s another guy that – if you’re not careful – is going to end up out the door and the same people are making those decisions.”
“I love Leicester Tigers as a club because it is my club, I was there a long time, I have no angst against them, but to have sacked three coaches in less than two years, it’s more than the coaching isn’t it.”
Asked whether politics is the big problem at Leicester, Cockerill replied “I think you just need stability. You need support within the group and it’s one thing Leicester haven’t had in the last 20 months is stability.”
Cockerill played alongside Murphy, winning multiple Premiership titles as well as two Heineken Cups in 2001 and 2002. Murphy was also part of Cockerill’s coaching staff and despite a relatively quiet and reserved public demeanour, Cockerill says there’s more to the former Ireland international.
“Even though he’s a very affable, nice Dubliner, he’s got a steely edge about him which probably not many people have seen before, so I think he knows what he wants from the team and he knows how he wants it run.”
“I just hope he gets the support from behind the scenes so he can go and do that. There is clearly a lot going on, there is a lot of interference from above Geordan’s head, so hopefully he will be given the opportunity, hopefully he will be given free reign to do what he thinks is right because he understands the game very well and he is a good man.”
“I have spoken to him briefly and messaged him just wishing him good luck and basically that – be your own man and run it how you want it to be run, because as I well know – you’ll get the blame whether it is your decision or someone else’s around how things are done, you’ll always take the consequences, you’re the man in charge.”
Cockerill is now into his second season with Edinburgh Rugby, in his first campaign the Scottish side had their highest league finish and points total, also making it into the Champions Cup on merit. They just missed out on a PRO14 semi-final, losing 20-16 in a playoff against Munster at Thomand Park. Cockerill admits it’s been cathartic after how it ended with Leicester.
“Yeah it was a good experience for me. A lot of people have asked why Edinburgh, why weren’t you looking for a bigger team and look they came at the right moment and the timing was good for them and it was good for me. It is a very different project from a management and coaching point of view, develop a side from a pretty low base, whereas Leicester and Toulon have different bases and different expectations.”
Cockerill says he found a “lethargic” club when he arrived at Edinburgh, but he’s not been afraid to shake things up.
“When you have a club that has some good players and has been a little bit lethargic over the last few years, you’ve just got to make change and to make change you have to make tough decisions and people have to leave and you have to make decisions that potentially people don’t like because ‘we’ve always done it like this, so we’re going to continue like this’. No, we are going to change this, because it doesn’t work.
“People don’t like change, because they are in their jobs and they are getting paid and they are comfortable and they are still getting paid and we’re still not winning. So we have to make change.
“For me that is part of the experience, I’ve not had to do it before. I think I am a strong enough character to make change and make tough decisions and I think I am better for it, better for doing it and I will be better wherever I go next in the next 15 years of my coaching career to have this experience of building a team. But yeah we’ve got over some challenges and we are still not as good as I’d like us to be and there will be more challenges to come.”
Having put his “life and soul” into Leicester Tigers, Cockerill’s attentions are firmly now on Edinburgh, his Scottish adventure has been fruitful for both sides, so much so that he signed a contract extension in April to take him to 2021. It’s that kind of continuity that has been missing in the East Midlands for a while.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Oh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
2 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
2 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to comments