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'I don't think Saracens' relegation changes the dynamics... it's about Quins moving up the league'

By Liam Heagney
Harlequins' Brett Herron (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)

When it comes to rugby cakewalks, there seems to be nothing easier than the relegated side from the English Premiership bouncing straight back up. The numbers are stark. In the last four and a half seasons, the relegated clubs have suffered just six defeats in 103 Championship outings. 

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Bristol and London Irish have twice laid waste to the second tier, the former winning 45 from 48 and the latter 43 from 46 in their respective promotion processions.

With Newcastle now already nine wins from nine in their hiatus year away from the Premiership limelight, you can bet your house – or at least one of those that Nigel Wray co-invested with his stars that got him in salary cap trouble – that Saracens will likely go 22 wins from 22 when they have their turn slumming it down in the nether regions.

Brett Herron will be hoping it somehow won’t be all so easy-peasy. He faces Saracens this Sunday from the Harlequins bench as their demoted London rivals begin a 14-game farewell to the Premiership. But he knows from recent experience what it means to one of the unfancied second-tier clubs to cause a rare upset. 

It was nearly 15 months ago – November 2018 – when London Irish arrived on Jersey for what they presumed would be a comfortable island pitstop on their return to the Prem, but it didn’t turn out that way.

(Continue reading below…)

Andy Goode and Brendan Venter get into a heated debate on The Rugby Pod over Saracens salary scandal

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“That was a (happy) memory that is hard to forget,” enthused Herron to RugbyPass, reflecting on the 17-14 ambush that was a rare one in the eye for big-hitters on the Discover England circuit that exists in the shadows compared to the Premiership’s ticker-tape high profile. “It was in the 82nd, 83rd minute that we scored the try that got us the victory. It was a massive high for us.

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“They [Saracens] will have certain challenges they need to face,” he added, referencing the contrasting differences that exist between grounds and infrastructure in the Championship compared to the Premiership.

Herron’s Jersey, ultimately, were never a serious threat to London Irish’s promotion, but the adventure was the leg-up the out-half needed to accelerate his own career. Having had his development plagued by injury at Bath, the 24-year-old had an unfulfilled two-year detour at Ulster before island life came calling.

 

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The bus keeps rolling. Unbelievable shift from the boys this weekend ??

A post shared by Brett Herron (@brettwherron) on

“It was maybe just the wrong time for me to be there,” he conceded, reflecting on a stint in Belfast that coincided with the bottom falling out Les Kiss era around the same time the brand-damaging Paddy Jackson/Stuart Olding saga was unfolding. 

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“I wanted to experience a different league and a different set-up just purely because of the injuries (at Bath). I just needed a fresh start and Ulster were kind enough to allow me that opportunity.”

There were just eight appearances in 24 months, none as a starter, so the need to take a step back to go forward became imperative. One soaraway Championship season became enough to convince Quins boss Paul Gustard to offer a two-year deal and a gateway back into the big time. 

Herron old Times
Stuart Lancaster (right) and Andy Farrell (left) with England academy players Maro Itoje, Anthony Watson, Brett Herron and Kyle Sinckler in 2012 (Photo by Tom Dulat/Getty Images)

“My year at Jersey was an absolutely great move. Development-wise it really helped me continue to build my game,” he explained, reflecting on the circuitous route that now had him chosen on the Stoop bench this Sunday for a league derby with so much chatter surrounding it due to Saracens’ salary cap controversy. 

A veteran like Harlequins skipper Chris Robshaw has no trouble calling out his London rivals – he did so for instance in the company of RugbyPass when Saracens had the cheek not to appear at this season’s European Cup launch in Cardiff.

However, a newbie like Herron is more aware of the need to mind his Ps and Qs heading into what is primed to be a spicy affair given there has often been a level of on-field needle anyway in these derbies. 

“It’s not our place to say or my place to say,” he said when quizzed about Saracens’ crisis. “I don’t know much of what has been spoken about or happened beyond closed doors. For us it is just about the London derby and we know regardless of their off-field stuff on the field they are an absolutely quality side.

“It’s about trying to front up and continue the momentum that we built against Clermont and put that onto the pitch and perform against Saracens… I don’t think it [Saracens’ relegation] changes the dynamics for us. For is it is about moving up the league. Regardless of who we face on a weekend, we want to win. We want to keep adding to our points and keep pushing for that top-four spot.”

Herron sure wants to play his part. He has started three Champions Cup pool matches at No10, scoring a belter solo try last weekend against French opposition, but he has yet to get this shirt in the league, his stints off the bench instead coming in the difficult circumstances of his team being well beaten away at Northampton and Sale. 

“It is (awkward) but at the same time there is nothing holding you back going in and playing the game, trying to turn things around for the team,” he suggested, reflecting on the cards he has been dealt. “It’s about making those positive impacts while on, trying to get the tries, trying to get the points back in our favour.

“It’s just about being patient and when those opportunities come, try and make the most of them,” he said, explaining what attracted him to the club. “Having two young 10s, me and Marcus (Smith), there together was something that appealed to me because we could bounce off each other.

“There was the fact that Nick Evans was going to be part of the attack and someone you can mine their knowledge and experience, and a big part of it was the location because it is where my family and a lot of my friends are. It was finding the best mix off and on the field so that I’m going to be happy and won’t be too isolated.

“The areas I’m trying to build on is the management side of things, putting us in the right area as well as just recognising when it is on for us as backs, to step up and play with ball in hand… that is the thing I’m continuously trying to improve, as well as keeping up and making my first-up hits.

“I watch a spectrum of out-halves and the main two would be (Jonny) Wilkinson and Dan Carter. I still watch the videos of them in games to this day leading into games. 

“Other players I watched a lot of were people like Matt Giteau, Finn Russell, Owen Farrell, George Ford, (Danny) Cipriani, Beauden Barrett, some of the best 10s in the world who inspire you. You see how they handle certain situations in games and you put yourself in those situations. Studying film of them really helps you implement certain aspects into your own game.”

It was in his native South Africa when Herron first took up the sport before work brought the family to England where his dad is from. “I had started played tag rugby back in South Africa. I remember quite vividly it was always bare foot and it was a lot of fun.

“That is where my love for it started to form and when I came over here, it being such a big part of the English way as well, it was something that continued to push me and the more I played the more I fell in love with the game.”

A game grubbily brought into disrepute in recent times by Sunday’s opponents Saracens.

WATCH: RugbyPass travel to South Africa for this episode of Rugby Explorer – Jim Hamilton explores the stunning cities of Cape Town and Porth Elizabeth and meets the local rugby communities

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Jon 7 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

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j
john 10 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

39 Go to comments
A
Adrian 12 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

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