Richard Cockerill: 'We're probably too good for this tournament'
It was getting on towards midnight on Sunday in Paris when Richard Cockerill got around to the final commitment of his evening, sharing a few minutes with RugbyPass to run the rule over a maiden Rugby Europe Championship campaign with Georgia and pondering what might be done to help the Eastern Europeans reach the next level.
We know they can be a serious side. Wins over Wales and Italy in 2022 illustrated how they can mix it with certain tier-one countries, but the fallout from a disappointingly winless Rugby World Cup was to separate from Levan Maisashvili and go a different direction with Cockerill.
What nagged was how their traditional power game, namely their scrum, was off the boil at France 2023, an adventure that left them soundly beaten by a poor Australia, held to a draw by Portugal, not quite fully at it in the five-point loss to Fiji, and then too easily swatted aside by a 24-point margin by Wales.
Instead of finishing a minimum third best, they were fifth and last. Horrible. Cockerill became their next move over the winter. The former England assistant was suddenly at a loose end, sacked in November by Montpellier after just seven games.
Something had gotten lost in translation with his move to France, but the early feelers are that he and Georgia are on a better wavelength.
Team and fans as one ?? Well played, Georgia. #REC24 #rugby pic.twitter.com/SreUIoqmdm
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2024
It was January 18 when he was officially unveiled as their new boss and just eight and a half weeks later, he was a happy camper in the tunnel at Stade Jean Bouin, the stadium that is just yards across the road from Parc de Princes where he famously helped Leicester to their spectacular Heineken Champions Cup win over Stade Francais way back in 2001.
Georgia had just accelerated past the Portuguese by an impressive 36-10, their second-half power shift through the gears transforming a 12-3 interval lead into something far more substantial. He sure was pleased by what he saw, his team’s fifth and final win in recent weeks allowing him to breathe easy and even break out an uncharacteristic smile.
“Good win,” he exclaimed. “We played pretty well and can play better, which is nice. Portugal are a good side. They have been very threatening in their pool games and they are a very dangerous team. So, happy with how we defended, happy with our game plan to contain their threats and a decent win in the end.
“Our defence was very good. They [Portugal] are a very dangerous side ball in hand as we have seen in the World Cup and in recent weeks when they have played in this competition. Defensively very good and our power game – historically we have prided ourselves on the set-piece, especially our scrum.
“In the last 18 months that has probably not been as strong as we would have liked. With the transition of some of the younger guys coming in who are hungry to show what they can do, I thought certainly our scrum and our power game was the difference.”
It was just six months ago when Georgia were surprisingly held to an 18-all draw by the Portuguese down the road in Toulouse in their second France 2023 pool match. That setback hadn’t been forgotten by the players.
“They knew they had let themselves down a little bit in their own words, so we worked hard at training, we had a very clear game plan of what we were going to do and the players, the one thing I have learned from Georgians is they are never not committed physically, so it’s just making sure we are smart enough to deliver the game plan that we came into the game with and I thought they did that really well.”
The cup final win sealed a seventh-successive Rugby Europe Championship title for the Georgians. Too good for their level, not quite good enough to step above that. It’s a purgatory that Cockerill wants investigated.
Georgia celebrate their 36-10 win over Portugal in the Rugby Europe final in Paris. #REC24 #rugby pic.twitter.com/BFluBf1WqN
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2024
“There was a real edge because Portugal were a team that were definitely good enough to beat us and probably should have beaten us in the World Cup. With respect to all the other teams we are probably too good for this tournament and at the moment maybe we’re not quite good enough to be dining at the same table as the Super Rugby teams or the (UR) Championship teams or the Six Nations.
“There’s a real balance there where we just need to try, the politicians above me will decide where is best for us to play moving forward at some point. The thing we have got to do is just keep improving and playing a good brand of rugby and being as successful as we can.”
Games against Fiji, Japan and Australia are over the hill for them in the summer. For now, Cockerill will be glad the Georgians have a bit of their old swagger back and that normal tier-two European service has been capably resumed.
“You always want to win as a coach but it’s important for Georgia because you lose tonight and suddenly Portugal are the ones everybody is talking about promoting up and not Georgia, so it was important that we won tonight.
“I obviously coached at a high level at club and country. The expectation is as high here as any team I have coached, which seems quite strange when we are a tier-two team, but the expectation of the board and the expectation of the supporters and the country is that we win every time we play.”
"With respect to all the other teams, we're probably too good for this tournament…"
– New Georgia boss Richard Cockerill, with Liam Heagney ?? in Paris, reflects on a successful Rugby Europe Championship title defence. #REC24 @GeorgianRugby #rugby #GEOvPOR pic.twitter.com/2n6NqJew4o
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) March 17, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
Karl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
1 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
1 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to commentsDon’t worry Sonny bill Williams leave that awkward situation about the curfew in the pass whoever it was it doesn’t matter its no big deal we back our All Blacks through the storm and the thunder until we see the Sun light again.
42 Go to commentsWho listens to this retard? He was a massive liability as a player but obviously a media sensation
42 Go to commentsI’m not surprised by such ‘virtue signalling’ by Sonny Boy. Butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. He’s such a pious Islamic muppet, imo.
42 Go to commentsI’ve actually never heard of the guy (then I don’t watch League as it is boring). But if he is good enough.. then good luck to him. If not, well, he can always return to league.
2 Go to commentsIt is pretty clear that by almost any measure that NZ are a more successful rugby nation than South Africa. Quite aside from the distasteful events during the last RWC final. NZ lead SA in all significant measurements.
45 Go to commentsDickson went to his pocket for a card, saw who it was, changed his mind and spoke at length to TMO. One angle clearly shows Care diving over a Saints player to kill the ball. 1st yellow, reason given for not Red was player was falling backwards. He was only falling backwards after contact with Lawes. Graham try should have stood. Mitchell did not have both hands on the ball, ball went forward from a Saints boot dragging over it. 2 intentional knock-on's. One of which had an overlap on the outside. If Quins are happy to win by intentional foul play, then it does not say much for them. Would appear to be a bad day for Karl Dickson, also for the RFU in appointing a Ref who spent 8 years as a player at one of the clubs.
5 Go to commentsLet’s not forget about Ardie Savea just yet.
8 Go to commentsThe URC and the Euro Championscup can’t run at the same time, basically dilutes both competitions.
2 Go to comments“While Sotutu should start at No.8 for the All Blacks against England, but it’s only in that arena that he can prove just how good he really is.” And that my friends is where simply hasnt shone despite multiple opportunities. Even in this performance you can see what did him in in the test arena..he almost always still runs at the opposition almost ramrod upright making him easier to stop than it should be.
8 Go to commentsShould have been 0-0 and a message from SR CEO to both teams - “don’t worry about turning up next year”.
4 Go to commentsGreat work Owen Franks. A great of this team, scoring his first try for the Crusaders since 2010.He was beaming, justifiably. A fine win, he and the rest did the job up front.
1 Go to comments