There has been a lot of online love for Turner-Hall following his Harlequins return
Former teammates of newly appointed Harlequins academy coach Jordan Turner-Hall have reacted positively to the news that he is to return to the Stoop after five years. The 32-year-old retired from professional rugby in 2015 at the age of 27 as a result of a hip injury.
This brought an end to an illustrious career in south-west London in which he was at the centre of Quins’ glory days. This included starting both the Challenge Cup victory over Stade Francais in 2011 and the Premiership final victory over Leicester Tigers a year later.
He also earned two England caps during his career, both in 2012 under Stuart Lancaster. His hard-running style of play was hugely popular during his playing days where he made 181 appearances, and many of those who played with him have lauded the commitment he showed to the club.
Recently retired Harlequins prop Mark Lambert, who played alongside Turner-Hall throughout the centre’s career, led the responses to this announcement. He said on Twitter: “Can’t overstate the role Turner-Hall played in the Harlequins squad in his playing days. He was at the heart of the club and wears his heart on his sleeve. The young men of Quins academy are lucky to have him.”
Likewise, former England and Harlequins prop Paul Doran-Jones described Turner-Hall as “great young English coach in the making”.
Can’t overstate the role @TurnerHall_J played in the @Harlequins squad in his playing days. He was at the heart of the club and wears his heart on his sleeve. The young men of Quins academy are lucky to have him ?? https://t.co/JHgadwR0yY
— Mark Lambert (@marklambert3) July 24, 2020
So happy for this absolute legend @TurnerHall_J
One of the @Harlequins greats ??
Brilliant appointment and can’t wait to see him around the club again ?? https://t.co/CH2O4ViNbH— Mike Brown (@mikebrown_15) July 24, 2020
Great to see this guy moulding minds and shaping youth. Another great young English coach in the making. Great to see you back where you belong at @Harlequins proud of you fella https://t.co/kujUnw8F8N
— Paul Doran Jones (@PaulDoranJones) July 24, 2020
Another great signing!
— George Robson (@GeorgeDRobson) July 24, 2020
Welcome home @TurnerHall_J. One of the best, to develop some of the best. Exciting times ahead for the academy @Harlequins ??. https://t.co/aI64UdsL9K
— Laurie Dalrymple (@LaurieDalrymple) July 24, 2020
The players’ views were also echoed by Harlequins head coach Paul Gustard, who said: “It’s fantastic news to have Jordan returning to the club as he takes the next step and progresses in his coaching journey. As a player, Jordan was a physical, uncompromising centre who gave everything. I have no doubt that he will bring the same level of commitment, energy and passion to his new role within our academy set-up.
“During the interview process, he was articulate, energetic and clearly emotionally attached to the club. He showed a great depth of knowledge and acumen, but it was also clear he is very driven to add more skills to his coaching toolbox. It’s important in players’ formative playing years they have good role models and people that genuinely care.”
Great to see this happening https://t.co/Xe01VDM5LG
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 24, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
Dagg is still trying to get enough headlines to make himself relevant enough to get a job. The Crusaders went back to square one at all levels. Shelve this season and nail the next one.
4 Go to commentsHe was in such great form. Sad for him but only a short term injury and it will be great to see him back for the finals.
1 Go to commentsAfter their 5/0 start, I had the Crusaders to finish Top 4 only…they lost the plot in Perth but will reload and back themselves vs 4th placed Rebels…
3 Go to commentsBoth nations missed a great opportunity to book a game that would have had a lot of interest from around the world. I understand these games can’t be organised in 5 minutes but they should have found a way to make it happen. I don’t think Wales are ducking anyone but it’s a bad look haha.
3 Go to commentsIt will be fascinating to see the effect that Jo Yapp has. If they can compete with Canada and give BFs a run for their money that will be progress
1 Go to commentsFollowing his dream and putting in the work. Go well young fella!
3 Go to commentsPerhaps filling Twickenham is one of Mitchell’s KPIs. I doubt whether both September matches will be at Twickenham on consecutive weekends. I would take the BF one to a large provincial stadium so as not to give them the advantage and experience of playing at Twickenham before a large crowd prior to the RWC.
3 Go to commentsvery unfortunate for Kitshoff, but big opportunity potentially for Nché to prove he is genuinely the best loosehead in the world, rather than just a specialist finisher. Presuming that if Kitshoff is out, it will also give Steenekamp a chance to come into the 23? Or are others likely to be ahead of him?
1 Go to commentsA long held question in popular culture asks if art imitates life or does the latter influence the former? Over this 6 nations I can ask the same question of the media influencing the thoughts of its audience or vice versa. Nobody wants to see cricket scores in rugby, as a spectacle it is not sustainable. With so many articles about England’s procession and lack of competition it feeds the epicaricacy of many looking for an opportunity to pounce. England are not the first team to dominate nor does it happen only in rugby, think Federer, Nadal, Red Bull or Mercedes, Manchester Utd, Australia in tests and World Cups. Instead of celebrating the achievements why find reasons to falsify it pointing towards larger playing pool, professional for a longer period or mitigate with the lack of growth in other nations. Can we not enjoy it while it is here and know that it won’t last for ever, others coveting what England have will soon take the crown, ask the aforementioned?
6 Go to commentsShame he won’t turn out for the Netherlands now they’re improving. U20s are Euro champs and in the U20 Trophy this year. The senior sides gets better every year too.
3 Go to commentsWill rugbypass tv be showing these games?
1 Go to commentsWell where do you start, the fact that England have a professional domestic league and Ireland’s is fully amatuer, that they have fully seperated professional squads at Fifteens and Sevens (7’s thinly disguised as GB), and Ireland have fully pro Sevens squad who loan some players back to the Semi-Professional Fifteens squad (moved from amateur for only a year or so) for a few games at 6N & RWC’s. The Women’s games is a shambles, and is at risk of killing itself by pushing for professionalism when the market isn’t really there to support it outside one or two countnries..
6 Go to commentsWayne Smith's input didn't have as much impact on the last final as Davison's red card for Thompson. England were 14 points up and flying when that happened.
6 Go to commentsBilly's been playing consistently well for 2 - 3 seasons now and deserves a look in at the top level. Ioane and ALB are still first choice but there needs to be injury cover and succession. His partnership with Jordie gives him first dibs you'd think. Go the Hurricanes.
3 Go to commentsIt’s not up to Wales to support Georgian Rugby. That’s up to International Rugby and Georgia. I sympathise with Georgia’s decent attempt to create this fixture. But for Wales the proposed match up is just a potential stick to beat them with and a potential big psychological blow that young Welsh team doesn’t need. (I’m Irish BTW.)
3 Go to commentsCale certainly looks great in space, but as you say, he has struggled in contact. At 23 years old, turning 24 this year, he should be close to full physical maturity and yet there exists a considerable gap in the power and physicality required for international rugby. Weight doesn’t automatically equate to power and physicality either. Can he go from a player who’s being physically dominated in Super rugby to physically dominating in international rugby in 1 or 2 years? That’s a big ask but he may end up being a late bloomer.
37 Go to commentsIf rugby wants to remain interesting in the AI era then it will need to work on changing the rules. AI will reduce the tactical advantage of smart game plans, will neutralize primary attacking weapons, and will move rugby from a being a game of inches to a game of millimetres. It will be about sheer athleticism and technique,about avoiding mistakes, and about referees. Many fans will find that boring. The answer is to add creative degrees of freedom to the game. The 50-22 is an example. But we can have fun inventing others, like the right to add more players for X minutes per game, or the equivalent of the 2-point conversion in American football, the ability to call a 12-player scrum, etc. Not saying these are great ideas, but making the point that the more of these alternatives you allow, the less AI will be able to lock down high-probability strategies. This is not because AI does not have the compute power, but because it has more choices and has less data, or less-specific data. That will take time and debate, but big, positive and immediate impact could be in the area of ref/TMO assistance. The technology is easily good enough today to detect forward passes, not-straight lineouts, offside at breakdown/scrum/lineout, obstruction, early/late tackles, and a lot of other things. WR should be ultra aggressive in doing this, as it will really help in an area in which the game is really struggling. In the long run there needs to be substantial creativity applied to the rules. Without that AI (along with all of the pro innovations) will turn rugby into a bash fest.
24 Go to commentsSouth Africa rarely play Ireland and France on these tours. Mostly, England, Scotland and Wales. I wonder why
2 Go to commentsIt was a let’s-see-what-you're-made-of type of a game. The Bulls do look good when the opposition allows them to, but Munster shut them down, and they could not find a way through. Jake should be very worried about their chances in the competition.
2 Go to commentsHats off to Fabian for a very impressive journey to date. Is it as ‘uniquely unlikely’ as Rugby Pass suggests, given Anton Segner’s journey at the Blues?
3 Go to comments