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Harlequins statement: Tabai Matson is no longer the head coach
Tabai Matson is no longer the head coach at Harlequins, Billy Millard instead taking charge of first-team affairs for the 2023/24 season with the former Fijian international taking up a newly created role at the club. It was the summer of 2021, just weeks after the Londoners has spectacularly won the Gallagher Premiership title, when Matson was appointed head coach in succession to the ousted Paul Gustard.
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Matson, who previously had a short stint in England at Bath, arrived following the conclusion of his role as head coach of the New Zealand U20s side, but results haven’t been the best at Harlequins. They relinquished their league title with a semi-final loss at Saracens last year and they only managed a sixth-place finish in May.
A statement read: “Following the conclusion of the 2022/23 season, Harlequins have undertaken a review of the coaching department, taking into account the arrival of new experienced coach Danny Wilson, and has now refined the roles and responsibilities to support the club’s aim of delivering sustained success.
“Billy Millard, who joined the club in 2018 and was integral to the 2021 Gallagher Premiership title, will move from his role as director of rugby performance to director of rugby and have a direct responsibility for the men’s first-team squad, the coaching team and support staff.
“Danny Wilson, who officially joins Harlequins this week, has been appointed to the role of coaching coordinator and will also be responsible for the lineout and contact areas. Danny brings with him huge experience having successfully coached in the URC, internationally with Scotland and most recently in the Premiership with Leicester Tigers.
“The experienced duo of Nick Evans and Adam Jones will remain in their positions as attack coach and scrum and transition coach respectively, with former Ireland international Jerry Flannery now having sole responsibility as defence coach. Flannery will be supported by former Quins centre and transition coach Jordan Turner-Hall.
“Tabai Matson has transitioned into a newly created director of performance development coaching role. He will oversee a range of initiatives across the performance programmes of both the men’s and women’s teams designed to support success of the club on and off the pitch.
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“This will include leading the men’s Skills programme, leading our transition player programme, overseeing the strategic partnership with London Scottish to ensure the development of those talented senior academy players, mentoring our developing coaches and further key new club initiatives that will shortly be announced.”
Harlequins chief executive officer Laurie Dalrymple stated: “We are committed to ensuring we deliver an identity of performance that continues to be reflective of this club’s DNA and we recognise we have an exceptionally talented group of coaches who are determined to deliver our vision and both our short and long-term goals.
“However, we should also reflect that in the 2022/23 season we did not achieve our ambitions on the pitch and so it is right that we review how to get the most out of this coaching group and we are determined to evolve and develop, balancing skill sets to ensure success across all performance departments.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Etzebeth went on to say: “I would never dream of saying that systems stay in place following a change in captain. To say that would be deeply, deeply, disrespectful of Siya. A while back an Irish person told me they would be fine without Sexton, so I’m just responding to that.”
3 Go to commentsClose games are what we want to see…. What a match it was…. I am sure that everyone was drained by the end of it. The reality of it all there has to be a winner and a loser. The fact that we still talking about it is almost 6 months to the day Rugby is the winner.. Asante sana… Here is to 2027 and what it will bring out.
180 Go to commentsIt’s going to be a good game. COYQ
1 Go to comments“Shock”, the guy was casually saying he was just slightly surprised. Nowadays if you say anything it gets taken completely out of context. Calm down everyone.
155 Go to commentsAll I can say after reading this bitter, sour, sad piece is… Thank you very much! This will be read in the change room just before kick off on 31 August…
180 Go to commentsLook, we know contradicting opinions and wacky comments bring readers and clicks, so well done to RP for allowing always-wrong-Ben to say something here. However RP needs to put a disclaimer next to his comments for their own credibility. NZ was and is incapable of acknowledging their opp beating them. They refused so with Ire and with Arg in 2022 and also the Boks in 2023 x 2. Nothing Ben says here holds water, NZ attacked backwards, except when Kolisi and Kolbe was off And cyncialy took out Bongi, we played without lineouts for 75mins. Kolisi and Kurt-Lee almost scored twice. Thats 3 vs 2 for Boks, but the Boks opportunities was legal. Boks should have been 16-3 up by half time. Tacticaly the Boks attacked better defended better scrummed better (without a hooker) kicked better and crossed the whitewash more times. Boks beat Fr Eng Nz to win in 23, comeon give some credit at least. Even Federer Verstappen NY Mets, Mamoa, was able to see a great human sport achievement by the Boks and their DNA Boks #RWC27 !🏉
180 Go to commentsForget the 85kg bit, that can become something else. However I do like the one off test on ANZAC day idea. SR plays Fri/ Sat, test players travel Sunday and the squads have the full week together before playing Saturday. Rest of SR has a week off. Either involve women's teams in same location or in the other country and rotate annually. Herbert is right in that change is needed.
3 Go to commentsI’ve read loads of nonsense before but this article takes the cake. Or perhaps someone changed the date for April Fool's Day.
3 Go to commentsReally Rugbypass? Ben Smith I think you forgot what the Springboks did to the All Blacks at Twickenham 8 weeks earlier? Springboks 35 All Blacks 7. There is alot of ifs and buts in your article. The All Blacks threw the sink at the Springboks and unfortunately they were not good enough regardless if they played with 14 men or not. It was the Springboks who forced the All Blacks to make mistakes! Sorry but not Sorry the Springboks is the best ever Rugby World Cup Nation in the world. 4 Cups baby!
180 Go to commentsYou just backed the Boks with that fantastic review! Well done! Have some cake!
180 Go to commentsBen Smith please write up something better than this. The Springboks would have won the world cup if you were 15 men on the field. They would have found a way, they always find a way to beat the All Blacks.
180 Go to commentsWow, there is a lot of “could have” and “ should have” in this waist of time dribble. I love the desperation in this story to search for a glimpse at a silver lining. Here are the facts, NZ was a badly coached and undisciplined shadow of their former glory. They never took the lead in a game they were never going to win.
180 Go to commentsGOTTA MAKE ‘THE GEORGE’ HAPPEN!!!! That’s a great idea! A trans Tasman midget battle on ANZAC Day. I don’t think the ABs Wallabies game should be a one off winner takes all though, just the first match with the other two later in the year with the RC. Reason being, no one will ever shut up about how aussies couldn’t win it when it was a 3 match series.
3 Go to comments@Ben smith. Thats knock out rugby. So honeslty who cares?
180 Go to commentsIt will interesting to know which Irish players said that…
2 Go to commentsNaaaww boys will be boys! Now run along ya wee scamp! Don’t let us catch you at again😏
1 Go to commentsGreat to have Ethan Blackadder back in the Crusaders in the last few weeks. One of the best all round loose forwards around. He played so well last week against the Rebels. Fantastic attitude Ethan has and his comments are spot on.
2 Go to commentsThe author is 100% right. The Springboks know that they don't have near the natural attraction, mana, skill and mystic the All Blacks have. So, Chasing the sun 1 & 2 was concocted to overblow the Boks image on the back of a corruptly obtained “win". It's marketing ploy to force the Boks delusion as the World's Best. I guess World Rugby is also not to be believed when it came out with an apology about how the final was officiated. And if the 2023 final such a superb game by the Boks, then the Boks crying about Referee Bryce Lawrence for decades is also deserves a laugh. Chase the sun and get burned like a moth. A very well written literary piece that tore the Boks and Chasing the sun farce to shreds. 🖤All Blacks🏉
180 Go to commentsI’d say France was far more hard done by in the 2011 final than the All Blacks in this game. Joubert simply refused to call a penalty against the All Blacks in the last quarter even directing an All Black to drop a ball he picked up in an offside position rather than penalizing him. This article also totally discounts the efforts of PSTD. Ask Jordie how well he played. Or the backup flank who played hooker for the entire game. Siya was also a brilliant tackle by Richie from scoring a blinder. Pollard was also fantastic. Look I don’t like the boks style but the only thing more questionable than the content of this article is the timing of it. Get over it already
180 Go to commentsDad Marty was also a handy rugby player for Linwood back in the day. Great bloke. Sensational softball career.
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