Irish must not throw the baby out with the bathwater
It was an unenvious position for Nick Kennedy and his coaching staff to be in right from day one.
Fresh on the heels of having led London Irish’s academy to success in the Premiership U18s league, Kennedy was appointed director of rugby at the club, bringing with him Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson from the U18s, as defence and attack coaches respectively.
Irish had just been relegated – their first stint outside of the top tier since the 1995/96 season – the club’s squad was arguably at its lowest ebb in terms of quality and depth in years and the deficit in budget between the one the club would have to operate on and the ones the sides who would remain in the Premiership would have, relative to the deficits Harlequins and Northampton Saints endured during their stints in the Championship, was extreme.
That’s a tough scenario for any coaches to have to deal with, let alone a trio cutting their teeth at the senior level for the first time.
Unfortunately, the Championship is – or at least was – a tough place to be and sell to players the vision you have of future Premiership success, especially on a budget as small as the one that Irish were working with. The fact Irish’s Premiership status last season wasn’t confirmed until the 24th May, thanks to the two-legged playoff, severely hindered their recruitment strategy, and there was very little doubt that they would be favourites to return to the Championship this season.
That fate hasn’t been sealed yet, thanks to the club’s impressive win over Worcester Warriors last weekend, which has cut the gap between the two clubs to 12 points, with six games remaining.
Mathematically, that could account for a 30-point swing.
Realistically, Irish’s schedule doesn’t promise anything close to that.
Their remaining slate of games sees them visit Wasps this weekend, before later trips to Harlequins and Bath, with home games against Gloucester, Exeter Chiefs and Saracens mixed in. At the minimum, Irish would need three wins from those six games to have a chance and that is assuming Worcester pick up nothing from their remaining six fixtures, something which seems unlikely given their recent upturn in form.
A shock away win at the Ricoh Arena this weekend could offer some small hope of salvation, but it’s clutching at straws at this point.
If we assume relegation is now the likely outcome, plans for a season in the Championship must be made and if there is one priority the club should have, it is to keep Kennedy and his coaching staff on board, as well as technical director Brendan Venter.
RugbyPass caught up with Kennedy at Irish’s Hazelwood training base last month and it is hard not to be impressed by the honesty of the man.
Irish’s fate this season has not been a result of poor planning or ineffective coaching – despite the self-effacing answers of Kennedy in that interview – and the testing campaign has had its roots in the size of the budget the club has and the lack of time to adequately recruit for the season, thanks to the Championship playoff system.
If you need an example of what might have been possible, look no further than the positive impacts that midseason recruits Piet van Zyl and Arno Botha have had on the performances of the team.
The Championship is a different beast, now. The playoffs have been scrapped and teams are now able to recruit, as early as January and February if their league position is strong enough, as if they will be a Premiership side next season.
Obviously, Bristol are in a different league in terms of funding to Irish, which explains additions like Steven Luatua and the soon-to-be arriving Charles Piutau, but signings announced earlier this year like Harry Thacker, Nic Stirzaker and John Afoa, whilst likely also all being on considerable pay packets, are the result of the club’s future in the Premiership being a lot more secure than in previous seasons.
Kennedy and Venter did not have that luxury last season and you can certainly argue that this side isn’t truly ‘theirs’, yet.
Having been appointed shortly after the club’s relegation to the Championship was confirmed, recruitment options were limited at that point and the priority was holding on to some of the club’s more important players. Furthermore, the two-legged playoff with Yorkshire Carnegie a year later, a hurdle the favourites have fallen at in years gone by, then denied them the time to adequately strengthen ahead of their Premiership return.
If they can navigate the travails of the Championship again next season, something which is no given, with Yorkshire always a threat and the job director of rugby Ben Ward has done at Ealing being a story which deserves far more press and recognition, they should have the time to strengthen accordingly.
Let’s not forget that the Championship, whilst being a hard-hitting financial purgatory, is an opportunity to lay the foundations for future success. One of the key ways this can be achieved is through recruitment.
For any Premiership club attempting to lure another Premiership player away from their current side, they are only able to talk through intermediaries before January 1st, whilst Championship clubs are able to steal a march on their Premiership rivals and can get face-to-face time before that, something which can be crucial in convincing a player of your club’s ambition.
If the rumoured investment in the club is also forthcoming, it will allow Irish to make more of a splash, something which they have lacked in the past two seasons, but let’s play devil’s advocate and say no investment is coming and what Irish have now is what they will have 12 months from now, as they hopefully bid to return to the Premiership.
Who better to have on board than Kennedy, Hodgson and Danaher?
If there is another opportunity the Championship provides, especially this new format which could see a champion crowned before the season’s end, it is that it is battleground on which young players can be tested. It is by no means forgiving, but it doesn’t have the same quality that the Premiership does. There are fixtures where selection risks can be taken and emerging stars can, hopefully, grasp those opportunities with both hands.
These three coaches have shown that they can develop and improve players and are blazing a trail for younger coaches who make their names in club academies.
Who better to help develop the likes of Ben Loader, Rory Brand, Josh Basham, Isaac Curtis-Harris and Tom Parton than these coaches? Having worked with them within in the academy and again now as seniors, they know better than anyone what those players are ready for in terms of senior rugby.
England U20s were beaten in Myreside last night, but how about THIS for a score from @gloucesterrugby's @T_Seabz ? pic.twitter.com/E5YTDlVkdD
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) February 24, 2018
There is also the next raft of U18s to be promoted to the senior academy this offseason, again, all of whom Kennedy and his coaching staff worked with and know well. One particularly impressive player is Ben Donnell, who will sign professional terms and join Irish’s senior academy next season. They will know best when to blood him, as well as games and roles that would be most suitable for him, and this way his development is managed well and possibly even kickstarted, rather than new coaches taking time to learn his – and the rest of the youngsters on board at Irish – strengths and weaknesses.
If you can’t buy in new talent at the same rate as the other Premiership clubs, then you need to develop your own at a faster rate. If this is the goal, Irish have the right staff in place.
Then there is Venter, someone with more coaching experience than the rest of the Irish coaching staff combined, which also includes George Skivington and Charlie Hodgson, and he is the ying to the yang of the otherwise youthful set-up.
An innovative rugby mind, Venter was one of the masterminds behind the creation of a culture at Saracens that has led to them being double European champions and perennial Premiership challengers.
Obviously, Saracens operated on a significantly larger budget than the one Irish have at their disposal, so those early steps to competitiveness may take longer than they did in north London, but having that kind of intellectual property around the club is extremely valuable. There would be no shortage of suitors if Venter and Irish were to cut ties.
There is a nice blend of innovation, experience and ability to develop talent in Irish’s senior leadership and one poor season in the Premiership doesn’t change that.
Kennedy, Venter, Hodgson and Danaher all signed new contracts at the club last summer and hopefully the club will not be tempted into doing anything rash, as these men are the best candidates to return the club to its former glories, they just need more time to shape the squad.
The Championship is a tough testing ground for young and aspiring players – not to mention coaches – but there is no reason why, in 12 months’ time, we can’t be looking at an Irish side poised to return to the Premiership that is in a much healthier position than when they accomplished the same feat 12 months ago.
Rugby is becoming a less patient sport with coaches and directors of rugby, but when you have to grow something organically, with fewer resources than your competitors, the need for consistency and a clear vision is paramount and that is something Irish already have in place.
Comments on RugbyPass
Super rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
8 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
8 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
14 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
14 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to commentsJake White is a brilliant coach and a master in the press. This is another masterclass in media relations and PR but its also a very narrow view with arguments that dont always hold water. White wants his team to win, he wants the best players in SA and wants his team competitive. You however have to face up to the reality of a poor exchange rate and big clubs with big budgets. SA Rugby cant compete and unless it can find more money SA players will keep leaving regardless of Springbok eligibility and this happened in 2015 - 2017. Also rugby is not cricket. Cricket has 3 formats and T20 cricket is where the money is at. When it comes to club vs country the IPL is king but that wont happen because the international calendar does not clash with the club calendar in rugby. So the argument about rugby going down the same path as cricket is really a non-starter
22 Go to commentsNZ rugby seem not to have learnt anything from professional rugby. Super rugby was dying and SA left before they died with the competition. SA rugby did a u turn on their approach to international players playing overseas and such players are now selected for Bok teams. As much as each country would love to retain their players playing in local competitions, this is the way the world is evolving my friends. Move with it or stay 20 years behind the times. One more thing. NZ rugby hierarchy think they are the big cheese. Take a more humble approach guys. You do not seem to have your players best interests at heart.
8 Go to comments