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The classy tweet Jonathan Thomas posted after his Worcester exit
Jonathan Thomas unfortunately didn’t last all that long as the head coach at Worcester following the arrival of Steve Diamond as lead rugby consultant, the ex-Wales forward leaving the club with immediate effect on Tuesday just eight weeks after the former Sale director of rugby arrived in to start work at Sixways on November 29.
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Diamond has been handed control of the onfield rugby operations at the Gallagher Premiership club with immediate effect and he will go on to succeed Alan Solomons as the director of rugby on a two-year deal at the end of this season.
It’s an upheaval that Thomas didn’t see coming judging by his remarks two months when in conversation with RugbyPass at one of his weekly Worcester media briefings. It was only last January when he had been promoted from defence to head coach at the club under Solomons and his initial chat with Diamond didn’t at all hint that he would be out on his ear before the end of January.
“The thing I came away with from the conversation I had with Steve was he has done his due diligence on the club and he recognises that there is a lot of good people, players and staff, at the club and he recognises there is a lot of good work going on and the biggest thing he said to me is with his experience he feels he can come in and add value.
“He was very respectful of what is going on and he will come in and just add value to the existing process that is already in place… Steve’s appointment is until the end of the season and decisions will be made in due course.”
Class message JT, look forward to see you at your next appointment pal. What ever team is lucky to get you. ????
— Richard Hibbard (@richardhibbard2) January 25, 2022
Those Worcester decisions have now resulted in Thomas getting bumped out of his job, quite a turn of events given he only completed in the summer a major overhaul of the squad he had inherited from Solomons’ stint as the lead coach. There was no public bitterness, though, following his removal from a role he held for just twelve months and what he posted to Twitter reflected well on him.
“Nothing but big love for the players, coaches, support staff and supporters at Worcester Warriors. This team is ready to take off over the next twelve months. Awesome young players coming through and I have really enjoyed putting some good foundations in place,” he wrote.
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Diamond held a media briefing later on Tuesday afternoon at which he only briefly referenced the sudden departure of Thomas. “I can’t really speak about that, if I am honest. It was a decision made by the board. All I can say is that I have been given the reins, moving forward, and hopefully I will continue the good work that he did.”
Worcester are currently twelfth in the Premiership, having won just three of their league games ahead of hosting Northampton on Saturday. Diamond hopes his more abrasive approach to running a rugby club will soon have a positive effect.
“There are a lot of good people here, fantastic facilities and a lot of good players, and the previous management team did a pretty good job. I bring a different edge than what they had, if I am honest, a little bit more abrasive in our approach.
“Not taking anything away from previous people who have done the job, I have a different outlook on how we should play and we have got the resources here to do that. I spent two months helping, advising, watching, listening – a helicopter view, whatever you want to call it. I made some recommendations and they have been implemented.
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“We have certainly got the talent, it’s just putting all the ingredients into the saucepan. The ingredients are here – they have just not been utilised as well as they could have been.”
Comments on RugbyPass
I like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
8 Go to commentsIts a great idea but one that I dont think will have a lot of traction. It will depend on the prestige that they each hold but if you can do that it would be great. When Japan beat the Boks (my team) I was absolutely devestated but I wont deny the great game they played that day. We were outclassed and it was one of the best games of rugby I have seen. Using an idea like this you might just give the the underdog teams more of an opportunity to beat the big teams and I can absolutely see it being a brilliant display of rugby. They beat us because they planned for that game. It was a great moment for Japan. This way we can remove the 4 year wait and give teams something to aim for outside of World Cup years.
8 Go to commentsHi, Dave here. Happy to answer questions 🥰
8 Go to commentsDon’t think that headline is accurate. It’s great to see Aus doing better but I’m not sure they’ve shown much threat to the top of the table. They shouldn’t be inflating wins against the lousy Highlanders and Crusaders either.
3 Go to commentsSuch a shame Roigard and Aumua picked up long term injuries, probably the two form players in the comp. Also, pretty sure Clarke Dermody isn’t their coach. Got it half right though.
3 Go to commentsOh the Aussie media, they never learn. At least Andrew Kellaway is like “Woah, yeah it’s great, but settle down there guys” having endured years of the Aussie media, fans, and often their players getting ahead of themselves only to fall flat on their faces. Have the “We'll win the Bledisloe for sure this year!” headlines started yet? It’s simple to see what’s going on. The Aussie teams are settled, they didn't lose any of their major players overseas. The Crusaders and Chiefs lost key experienced All Blacks, and Razor in the Crusaders case, and clearly neither are anywhere near as strong as last year (The Canes and Blues would probably be 3rd & 4th if they were). The Highlanders are annually average, even more so post-Aaron Smith and a big squad clean out. The two teams at the top? The two nz sides with largely the same settled roster as last year, except Ardie Savea for the Canes. They’ve both got far better coaches now too. If the Aussies are going to win the title, this is the year the kiwi sides will be weakest, so they better take their chance.
3 Go to commentsThe World Cup has to be the gold standard, line in the sand. 113 teams compete for what is the opportunity to make the pool stages, and then the knockout games for the trophy. The concept is sound. This must have been the rationale when the World Cup was created, surely? But I’m all for Looking forward and finding new ways for the SH to dominate the NH into the future. The autumn series needs a change up. Let’s start by having the NH teams come south every odd year for the Autumn/Spring series games?
8 Go to commentsWhat’ll happen when the AI models of the future go back in time and try to destroy the AI models of the past standing in their way of certain victory?
41 Go to commentsThanks, Nick. We (Seanny Maloney, Brett and I) just discussed Charlie as a potential Wallaby No 8, and wondered if he has truly realised how big he is in contact (and whether he can add 5 kg w/o slowing down). Your scouting report confirms our suspicions he has the materiel. No one knows if he has the mentality (as Johann van Graan said this week about CJ, Duane and Alfie B) to carry 10-15 times a game.
57 Go to commentsHe would be a great player for the Stormers, Dobbo should approach the guy.
3 Go to commentsGood article. A few years back when he was playing for the Cheetahs, he was a quiet standout for exactly the seasons stated here. I occasionally get to see his games in the UK, and he has become a more complete player and in many ways like an Irish player. His work ethic is so suitable to the Leinster game. I wonder if Rassie would have him listed somewhere.
3 Go to commentsResults probably skewed by the fact that a few clubs have foreign fly halves in their 30s, but most teams have young English scrum halves. Results also likely to be skewed by the fact that many teams rely on centres and fullbacks to provide depth at 10, whereas they will need to stock a large number of specialist backup 9s.
1 Go to commentsI really get the sense that when all is said and done, the path of least resistance will end up being a merger of Wasps & Worcester that essentially kills the Worcester Warriors brand and sees Wasps permanently playing at Sixways. I’m not saying that’s what should happen or what I want to happen. I just think it’s the easiest rout to take and therefore, will be what happens. Wasps will definitely return to play first, and I suppose it all depends on if they can find support at Sixways. If people turn up and support Wasps in that community, at that ground, I bet they drop the Sevenoaks plan and just remain at Sixways. Under the radar but not totally unrelated, it looks as though London Irish are going to be brought back from the dead by a German consortium and look set to return, likely to the remade Championship. It’s set to have 12 clubs next season with 14 in 2025/26, what do you want to bet those extra 2 are Wasps and London Irish?
3 Go to commentsThe shoulder is a “joint” with multiple bones. You don’t “fracture” a shoulder, you fracture any one or more of the bones that make up a shoulder.
2 Go to commentsOh dear, bones too suspect to continue?
2 Go to commentsBold headline considering the Canes and Blues are 1 and 2 and the Brumbies were soundly beaten by the Chiefs and Blues. Biggest surprise is Rebels 4 Crusaders 12 - no one saw that coming. If Aus are improving that’s great 👍
3 Go to commentsAnna, You are right, we need to have patience whilst the others catch up to England and France. Also it is the PWR that has been the game changer for England. the RFU put money into that initially at the expense of the Red Roses. I was sceptical at first but it has paid off in spades.
1 Go to commentsI think Matt Proctor became a 1 test AB in the same fixture. Cameron is quality and has been great this season, can’t believe’s he only 27. Realistically how would he not be selected for ABs squad this year. Only Dmac is ahead of him as a specialist 10. With Jordan out, it will come down to where and when Beauden Barrett slots back in, and where they want to play Ruben Love. Cameron seems an absolute lock in for the wider squad though. Added benefit of TJ-Cameron-Jordie combination at 9, 10, 11 too.
1 Go to commentsFarcical, to what end would someone want to pay to keep this thing going.
1 Go to commentsHavili, our best 12 by a mile, will be in the squad, if he stays fit. JB is the most overrated AB in the last 50 years.
61 Go to comments