'Haven't got that right': Richards names rugby's biggest problem
Ahead of his final game as the Newcastle director of rugby after a decade in charge at Kingston Park, Dean Richards has named what he believes is the biggest challenge facing the sport of rugby. The ex-England No8 is stepping away from the Gallagher Premiership frontline following a 24-year stint that started at Leicester, continued at Harlequins and will end at the Falcons at the age of 58.
It’s an incredibly long time in the game and speaking from his position of experience, he has highlighted what must be done to make rugby a more attractive proposition. “The biggest challenge for the game is making it the spectacle that everybody wants to come and watch, whether it be just the matchday on-field stuff and the off-field stuff as well,” he said.
“At the moment there are a lot of law changes and there is a lot of speculation about the dangers involved in the game, but it is actually understanding what all that is about and then creating something that is attractive to people to play and for people to come and watch on a weekly basis and wanting to come back time and time again.
“At the moment I don’t think we have quite got that right. Some of the games I have seen this year have been quite turgid and I certainly wouldn’t want to watch them again. The ability to be able to create that brand is probably going to be big going forward.”
Would Richards pay to watch at Kingston Park, though? “I would do, yeah. There is no doubt about it, we punch above our weight every time. I like that about the way we play. We haven’t got a team of superstars and it is all about team spirit – one of the beauties about the club is it is based upon a team effort rather than a team of individuals.
“You can go to some of the other teams and they rely on their superstars, we haven’t got that so every game that we win is based on team spirit and team effort and that starts with the coaches through to the physios to the conditioners and all the way through to the team as well.”
In time, Richards would like to see Newcastle rekindle their experiment of taking an annual Premiership match to the nearby St James’ Park football ground. An attendance of 30,174 turned up for a Falcons game versus Northampton in 2018, with 27,284 returning the following year to see them host Sale.
“I loved it, I thought the two games we played there were absolutely fantastic and it created a buzz in the region. Whether it was a consequence of us playing a game at home is another thing but having said that, from a players’ and a supporters’ perspective I thought it was absolutely brilliant.”
Richards doesn’t plan to cut all ties with Newcastle as he is in discussions to maintain a consultancy role of some storm, but he almost might sniff out opportunities abroad having previously been in charge at Grenoble.
“I have always loved travelling so that isn’t an impossibility but I haven’t really considered it at this moment in time. I don’t know whether I’d consider France. France is a real acquired taste and you learn certain things about the French and unless they are in place, it is something you wouldn’t consider. But, yeah, it is something I wouldn’t rule out purely because I love travelling and I love different cultures.
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