Pity the coaches on European rugby's managerial merry-go-round
Toulon’s Mike Ford is just the latest victim of European clubs’ short-term glory-now thinking in a big-money game where failure is not an option, writes James Harrington.
Northern hemisphere rugby’s managerial merry-go-round is in a constant spin this season – with Toulon’s Mike Ford the latest coach to clear his desk just four matches from the end of the regular Top 14 season.
Richard Cockerill, who became consultant forwards coach at the club days after losing his job as director of rugby at Leicester Tigers in January, will take charge of first-team affairs during a difficult four-match run-in, starting his brief stint against a desperate Toulouse at Marseille’s Velodrome on Sunday, followed by games against top-six contenders Castres, Bordeaux and Pau.
In a terse statement on its website, the club said: “Toulon rugby club and Mike Ford have parted company by mutual agreement as of Monday April 3, 2017.
“Richard Cockerill will take charge of the first team, assisted by Marc Dal Maso.
“Matt Giteau has agreed to lead the backs while continuing as a player.”
The blood on the carpet of the managerial offices at Toulon’s Berg training complex is ankle-deep this season. Diego Dominguez was ousted three months after taking over as head coach, Jacques Delmas left shortly after Ford arrived and Steve Meehan also departed earlier this year after 18 months as an assistant coach.
Former Bath coach Ford’s time at Toulon was always set to be short. He arrived with an emergency brief to turn around the club’s fortunes in September 2016, and was due to leave at the end of the season, anyway, ahead of the arrival of Fabien Galthie.
Despite a promising start, Ford proved unable to live up to the club’s overwhelming ambitions. The Champions Cup quarterfinal exit at Clermont was the final straw for president Mourad Boudjellal.
In truth, it was probably just the catalyst. As painful as that European exit was, the club’s Top 14 situation was probably the killer. Fourth place may seem reasonable – it comes with a play-off place and a Champions League berth – but theirs is a precarious position.
Toulon, comfortably first or second in the table over recent seasons, are just four points – a straightforward bonus-point-free win – in front of eighth-placed Racing 92. And, with a Champions League place and all the money that brings at stake, anything less than a top-six finish is unthinkable.
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Such is the pressure for results in French these days that Toulon are far from the only ones to have installed revolving doors in the manager’s office. One has made permanent boot room changes already; another three will do at season’s end, and two or three others could follow suit.
Bernard Jackman left struggling Grenoble in the past month. Bordeaux’s Raphael Ibanez, Stade Francais’ Gonzalo Quesada and Montpellier’s Jake White will step aside for new arrivals at the end of the season. As-yet-unconfirmed reports in France claim that former Racing coach Pierre Berbizier will replace Vincent Etcheto at red-hot relegation favourites Bayonne next season, while Ugo Mola’s future at Toulouse appears increasingly uncertain as the once-crown princes of French rugby struggle with the game’s nouvelle regime.
It’s easy to wonder, too, about the immediate job security of Racing 92’s coaching duo Laurent Labit and Laurent Travers – even though they have contracts through to the end of the 2019 season – if they fail to guide the club to the Top 14 playoffs and bring top European rugby to the new U Arena next season.
With the exception of Quesada – who rejected the offer of a new contract at Stade – and White, whose indiscreet England ambitions reportedly cost him tenure at Montpellier, all have paid, are paying or may pay the price for their clubs’ over-ambition.
At least nine teams in the Top 14 harbour serious top six ambitions, from the usual suspects of Toulouse, Toulon, Clermont, Racing, Stade Francais and Montpellier, to perennial overachievers Castres and new kids on the block Pau, La Rochelle and Lyon.
Simple maths will tell anyone nine into six doesn’t go, but it’s not enough to save the coaches of results-driven clubs who demand the almost impossible on a daily basis and miracles almost as often.
It adds a generous dose of spice to the two competitions, which is superb for the fans, but such great expectations from club bosses and fans mean failure is not an option for coaches in the Top 14 – or, for that matter in the English Premiership. Both Cockerill and Ford have previously endured that shown-door feeling at Leicester and Bath, respectively.
The Premiership’s situation is similar in many ways to that of clubs in the Top 14. Seven or eight sides probably feel they should occupy the top four slots. Wasps and Sale have had sizeable chunks of money thrown their way – with varying success; Gloucester are on the verge of a major injection of capital; then there are the traditional powerhouses such as Saracens, Leicester, Northampton and Harlequins; even Bristol, for all that they are likely to spend a year in the second-tier Championship are backed by a billionaire owner who is prepared to invest for success. No one should forget, either, the ambitions of Exeter, Newcastle, or even Worcester.
This season alone, Cockerill paid the price for Leicester not being in the top four at the turn of the year, after 12 games of a 22-match regular season. Bristol ditched Andy Robinson after 10 defeats in 10, despite the fact he had guided the club back into the top flight following a seven-year absence. Northampton decided they no longer needed the services of backs coach Alex King. Gloucester’s Laurie Fisher walked after a defeat too far. Sale’s Steve Diamond has previously admitted his job is on the line.
The fact is clubs may talk long-term strategies – Toulon’s Boudjellal has recently spoken of rebuilding rugby’s original Galacticos in a new ‘Made in France’ image, but his business model relies on here-and-now returns coming thick and fast.
It’s the same wherever you look. And that means more demands on coaches for instant success – and owners are clearly willing to act if they believe their management team is not delivering.
Professional rugby in Europe is increasingly focused on short-term thinking based on goals and results for the current season while still ensuring stronger performances down the line. Forever building for the future while delivering in the present – that’s the impossible and uncertain reality facing top-flight rugby coaches across Europe’s league today.
The irony is that in France, Toulon and Racing were both prepared to wait and build for success; the same is true in England for Saracens, Wasps and Exeter. But now they have got it, they cannot afford to let it go even as other clubs – Montpellier, La Rochelle, Pau, for example – catch up.
That constant threat of relegation and ever-increasing competition for those all-important top slots means it’s impossible to fulfil everyone’s domestic and European needs. And it’s going to be the coaches who pay the price.
Comments on RugbyPass
Pot Kettle, the English and French teams have done it for years.
19 Go to commentsHas virtually played every minute of previous games. Back row of Li Lo Willie , Grace and Blackadder would be the 1. Crusaders issue is a very average 1st 5 who cannot run. Kicking in general play is also below par They need to put Yong Kemara in. He must have so.e talent for them to bring him down from Waikato. Hoehepa would struggle to play in so.e club sided
4 Go to commentsI hope this a good thing making all these changes!
2 Go to commentsThe Hurricanes are good, especially with a decent coach now. However, let’s be real, the Crusaders and Chiefs are clearly a good degree weaker without the players they’ve lost overseas now. The Canes lost one player. It’s also why the aussie teams ‘seem’ to be stronger.
9 Go to commentsOr you could develop your own players instead of constantly taking from the SH competition and weakening it in the process? With all the player and financial resources these unions have compared to SH countries you’d think they could manage that, or is weakening the SH comps and their national sides an added bonus? Probably.
3 Go to commentsNot so fast Aaron, we might need you in black yet lol. God knows he’d be a lot less nerve-racking than hot and (very) cold players like Perofeta. It’s really a shame Reuben Love isn’t playing 10, we’ve got enough 15 options.
4 Go to commentsAnd those from the NH still seem to be puzzled (and delighted) why NZ’s depth isn’t what it once was. Over 600 NZ players overseas, that’s insane. This sort of deal is why Super Rugby coaches have admitted they struggle now to find enough quality to fill out their squads.
6 Go to commentsArticle intéressant ! La question devrait régulièrement se poser pour les jeunes français originaires de Nouvelle-Calédonie, Wallis-et-Futuna et de Polynésie entre la Nouvelle-Zélande et la Métropole… Difficile pour la fédération française de rugby de se positionner : soit le choix est fait de dénicher les jeunes talents et de les faire venir très tôt en Métropole, au risque de les déraciner, soit on prend le risque de se les faire “piller” par les All Blacks qui, telle une araignée, essaye de récupérer tous les talents des îles du Pacifique… À la France de se défendre en développant l’aura du XV de France et des clubs français dans ses collectivités d’Outre-mer !
3 Go to commentsWrong bay. He needs to come to the REAL BAY which is Bay Of Plenty and have a crack at making the Chiefs.
3 Go to commentsIs Barrett going play full back??? They already have all the centers…
15 Go to commentsForgive my ignorance, I might not fully understand so would appreciate clarification: Didn’t the Bulls have to fly with three different carriers, paid for by the South African Rugby Union, whilst Edinburgh got a chartered flight sponsored by EPCR? Also, as far as I understand it South African teams don’t yet share in the revenue from the competition and are not allowed to host Semi-finals or Finals at home. Surely if everyone wants South Africans to “take the competition seriously” then they must make South Africans feel welcome, allow them to share in the revenue, and give them the same levels of access as the teams from the other countries. Just a reminder that South Africa has a large and passionate Rugby audience. Just by virtue of our teams being a part of these competitions means that more of us are likely to watch the knockout games, even if our teams haven’t qualified. It would be silly to alienate such a large audience by making them feel unwelcome.
19 Go to commentsFirst of all. This guy is very much behind the curve. All the bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning took place days ago already. Not adding anything to the topic other than more bleating, whingeing, whining and moaning. 🍼 Second of all, not one mention of the fact that South African teams can’t get home semi finals or finals. The tournament was undermined and devalued by the administrators. 🤡 Thirdly, football teams often have to juggle selections in mid week games, premier games, champions league games etc. and will from time to time prioritize certain titles over others. 🐒 And lastly FEK Neil, and anyone else for that matter, for insisting on telling teams how to manage themselves. If they make what is largely a business decision that suits them and doesn’t suit you - tough shite. 💩 It’s not rocket science as to why the Bulls did what they did. If this guy is too slow to figure it out (and is deliberately not mentioning one of the key reasons why) then he isn’t a journalist. He should join the rest of us pundit plebs in comments section. 🥴
19 Go to commentsSo the first door to knock on Rob is Parliament followed by HMRC. The Irish Revenue deliver a 40% tax relief rebate on the HIGHEST EARNING TEN YEARS of every pro Irish rugby players contract earnings at retirement. That goes a long way to both retaining their best talent and freeing up wages for marquee players. Who knows, if that had been in place in the UK, you might not have been able to poach Hoggy and Jonny Gray from Glasgow…!!!
3 Go to comments1. True, if that “free” ticket means access to all but the prized exhibit - EVIP only. SA cannot host semis, even if they’ve earned it (see Sharks vs ASM Clermont Auvergne at… Twickenham Stoop). 2. Why no selective outrage over Lyon doing the exact same thing a week earlier? Out of all the countries France send the most “B teams”, why nobody talking about “disrespect” and “prioritising domestic leagues” and “kicking them out”? 3. Why no mention of the Sharks fielding all of their Springboks for the second rate Challenge cup QF? No commitment? 4. Why no mention of all the SA teams qualifying for respective euro knock out comps in the two seasons they’ve been in it? How many euro teams have qualified for KO’s in their history? Can’t compete? 5. Why no mention of SA teams beating French and English giants La Rochelle and Saracens? How many euro teams have done that in their history? Add no quality? The fact is that SA teams are only in their second season in europe, with no status and a fraction of the resources. Since joining the URC, SA has seen a repatriation of a number of players, and this will only grow once SA start sharing in the profits of competing in these comps, meaning bigger squads with greater depth and quality, meaning they don’t have to prioritise comps as they have to now - they don’t have imports from Pacifica and South America and everywhere else in between like “European” teams have - also less “Saffas” in Prem and T14, that’s what we want right? 'If the South Africans are in, they need to be all in' True, and we have to ensure we give them the same status and resources as we give everyone else to do just that. A small compromise on scheduling will go a long way in avoiding these situations, but guess what, France and England wont compromise on scheduling because they ironically… prioritise their domestic comps, go figure!
19 Go to commentsthe success of the premiership can be summarized by : only 10 teams. It makes a huge difference with the overcrowded top 14 (let us not talk about Leinster and URC…)
1 Go to commentsGood for him. The ABs were fooling around again with converted fullbacks that had a penetration of a marshmallow. Laumape or as Aki has shown for Ireland, go forward is important in the centres. If it had been DMac - Aki- Aumua - Ioane- Telea- Jordan in France the final result would have been different.
4 Go to commentsDan Carter a apporté son professionnalisme, des méthodes de travail, un esprit qui manquaient à l’USAP. Son influence, même une fois blessé a été énorme. Et pour citer une anecdote, certains soirs il venait de lui-même à l’entraînement des jeunes pour dispenser ses conseils. On ne peut pas compter ce qu’il a apporté au club en heures de jeu sur le terrain. Est-ce que le club en a eu pour son argent ? Avec la publicité sur son nom et le titre, je suppose que oui.
1 Go to commentsThe SA sides are suffering from a bum rap here. There isn’t a side anywhere in the world that would do things differently in their shoes. They’ve been set up to fail in the EPCR comps by vested interests, with last minute intercontinental travel requirements that costs an arm and a leg to book in advance just on the possibility they might be required. And the total nonsense that denies any chance of home venues is entirely biased and absolutely unsporting. Either EPCR, the Top14 & the Gallagher Premiership get it sorted on a fair and equitable sporting basis for ALL participants or expect the ridicule to continue. Right now, these comps are a joke!
19 Go to commentsSA sides should do the right thing and leave the champions cup, they are lowering the standard with completely one sided games, not up to the right level. The greatest club tournament in the world is being banjaxed by the weak SA sides.
19 Go to commentsCouldnt agree more. SA sides need to show more committment and really have a go at the Champions Cup. Its quite possibly the most prestigious title in Europe and SA sides need to respect that prestige and serve up their best. EPCR needs to do more to ensure that sides from South Africa and sides travelling to and from SA have a better chance in this competition. The Bulls were put in a really difficult position of having to travel there and back in one week. One could argue that this is what the SA sides signed up for and that La Rochelle didnt complain or send out weakened sides despite having to travel to SA and back and play on successive weekends but surely the situation is also unfair on La Rochelle as well and so EPCR needs to think about successive gameweeks and the travel effect of the competition
19 Go to comments