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Extended deal highlights how Worcester can't get enough of the wisdom of Solomons
Worcester director of rugby Alan Solomons has committed himself to the club until the end of the 2021/22 Gallagher Premiership season. Solomons’ existing contract expires at the end of next season, but he has now signed a two-year extension.
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“Jason Whittingham and I both think Alan has done a great job of managing the team and rugby department since starting at Warriors,” explained Warriors co-owner Colin Goldring.
“We both support his vision and plan to achieve a sustainable top flight team with the Warriors academy at its core, supported by top-class talented and experienced players. We are delighted that Alan has signed his contract extension which ensures continuity and stability.”
Solomons joined Warriors in October 2017 as a consultant, but he was appointed director of rugby two months later. The South African helped Warriors secure their Premiership status in his first season in charge, before leading them to a record-equalling nine Premiership wins, a place in the European Challenge Cup quarter-finals and the Premiership Rugby Cup semi-finals this season.
“I’m honoured to be afforded the privilege of being part of Warriors’ continuing journey and look forward to working with Colin and Jason and all concerned to realise our vision for the club,” he said.
? BREAKING NEWS ?
Alan Solomons has extended until 2022.#TheNextChapter
? https://t.co/tQfZ9GGabD pic.twitter.com/2T7AW79KXP
— Worcester Warriors (@WorcsWarriors) June 13, 2019
A former lawyer, Solomons was head coach of Western Province and the Stormers Super Rugby team, taking the Stormers to their first-ever home semi-final in 1999. He was also part of South Africa’s coaching team that guided the Springboks to a record-equalling 17 consecutive Test wins and finished third in the 1999 Rugby World Cup.
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Solomons won a Celtic Cup and finished a Celtic League runner-up during a three-year stint at Ulster. Following a brief period at Northampton, he was then a high performance consultant for the International Rugby Board from 2007 to 2010. In 2009 he also coached the Southern Kings in their debut match against the British and Irish Lions.
Elite coaching is increasingly no country for old men, but 68-year-old Alan Solomons is bucking that trend https://t.co/iqJG6Owv7U
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) April 14, 2019
He next coached the Eastern Province Kings to three successive Division One finals, lifting the trophy in 2010 and 2012 before taking the Southern Kings into Super Rugby in 2013.
Solomons then coached Edinburgh, taking them to a first-ever European Challenge Cup final and winning back-to-back 1872 Cups against Glasgow.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Except 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.
33 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
33 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
33 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.
33 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. 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.
33 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.
33 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.
1 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.
33 Go to commentsArdie’s preferred position 7? Where do they get these writers from? I've no idea where he's playing in Japan, but the previous two seasons he wore the 7 jersey exactly twice.
17 Go to commentsNot good to hear Ulster described as “financially troubled”. Did not think it was getting to that level. I would hope the Irish system of spreading players of talent away from Leinster would kick in now. Better to have a Leinster fringe player with Ulster or Connacht, then getting only a few games a season in Dublin. 10, for example, would seem to be a case for spreading the talent. I would not be at all adverse to a SA man coming in as head coach/DR. Ludeke is worth trying. Certainly got a long and impressive coaching career at this level…..149 games in SR, then Japan, 30 years experience. And Ulster’s ledger of successful SA coaches and players is on the positive side. Is talk of Ruan Pienaar interested in coming back as a coach…..could be a good combination with Ludeke. And Pienaar and family would have no settling in to do, one would judge. He loved life in Ulster when there, by all reports.
1 Go to commentsSome thoughts to consider here, Sam. Thanks
2 Go to comments