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
One significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
53 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
53 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
53 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
53 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
1 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
53 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
53 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
53 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
53 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
53 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
53 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
53 Go to commentsSurprising how standing down or benching a player can do wonders for their motivation. Several players this week in that category.
2 Go to comments