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There has been a whole lot of Twitter love for Toby Booth joining Harlequins
Harlequins have taken a step towards curtailing their disappointing start to the season by appointing Toby Booth as Paul Gustard’s new assistant coach.
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After leaving Bath at the end of last season after seven years in the coaching team, Booth is to fill the void left by former forwards coach Alex Codling, who parted ways with Quins after only two Gallagher Premiership games this season.
It is not so much the success that Booth has had with Bath, and before that as head coach of London Irish, which has made him so popular among his peers, but his style of management.
Fellow coaches, journalists and fans all recognise that it is the relationship that Booth builds with his players that makes him the coach he is and why Harlequins have made an astute addition.
What a cracking man and quality coach ??..@Harlequins you got a goodun in @Boothy6 https://t.co/10gD7ZvAei
— Mike Friday (@MikeFriday09) November 21, 2019
Perfect fit, Bath should never have pushed him out. All the best @Boothy6 ? https://t.co/ga59zVHlVO
— JustLuckyIGuess (@ZachCurtis2) November 21, 2019
With only one win from their opening four Gallagher Premiership games, and after losing heavily to Clermont in the opening round of the Champions Cup last weekend, Quins’ season has not started as well as many would have liked.
A busy summer spending spree saw the club recruit a number of players, but those promising signs have not come to fruition on the pitch yet, although the season is still young.
One of the very good guys…
— Chris Egerton (@EgertonSport) November 21, 2019
Delighted for @Boothy6, one of the very good guys. Fabulous coach, gets the fact that it’s about people. Great bit of business by @Harlequins @LaurieDalrymple
— Johnnie Hammond (@JohnnieHammond) November 21, 2019
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Delighted for @Boothy6 – getting back on the horse. @Harlequins have a great coach & even better guy!
— Richard Whiffin (@whiffy15) November 21, 2019
Gustard also added England rugby league great Sean Long to his coaching staff this summer to help alongside attacking coach and club legend Nick Evans. The former St Helens stand-off is new to the world of union coaching, and Evans is still quite fresh, but the rugby intellect they showed throughout their playing careers bodes well for their partnership in southwest London.
What an absolutely unreal addition to the staff!! #COYQ
— Björn Bo Wilson (@MeDeanWilson) November 21, 2019
What a signing… congratulations @Boothy6 @Harlequins ???? https://t.co/Hh8u1tkSJA
— gregg baird (@greggbaird2) November 21, 2019
With former Wales and British and Irish Lions prop Adam Jones working as Harlequins scrum coach, Booth is joining one of the most star-studded coaching teams in the Premiership.
The blend of seasoned experience at the top of the domestic game married with some unique and fresh ideas means Quins could turn their fortunes around rapidly.
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Comments on RugbyPass
Yet, according to Jake White and other twonks who think better, Jenkins shouldn’t be picked by the boks. Daft.
5 Go to commentsJordie is looking at 16 games maximum if Leinster reach both the URC and champions cup finals. Thats not guaranteed. Some of those home URC fixtures will be cakewalks as well for Leinster and there is not much doing during the 6 nations in Feb and March so he can probably get a decent rest then. He will have to really put in it for maybe 7 or 8 games max. It should be a good move for both.
13 Go to commentsThe game was a quarter final, not a semi final. Barrett will be here for 6 months, he is no one's replacement at 13. That mantle will most likely ultimately go to Jamie Osborne, though Garry Ringrose has at least 4 more years in him. The long term problem position (in the next 3 years) for Leinster is tighthead prop, though there are a couple of prospects at schools level.
21 Go to commentsSo much for all that hype surrounding the ‘revival’ of Aussie rugby. The Blues were without the likes of regular starters Perofeta, Sullivan, Christie etc… This was a capitulation of the highest order by Australia’s finest. Joe Schmidt definitely has his work cut out for him.
2 Go to commentsYes they can ignore Sotutu. Like Akira Ioane plays OK at Super level but gets lost in tests. Too many chances too many failures.
2 Go to commentsA wallaby front-row of Bell, Blake and Tupou…now that would be hefty
1 Go to comments“But with an exceptional pass accuracy rating “ Which apart from Roigard is not a feature of any of the other 9s in NZ. Kind of basic for a Black 9 dont.you. think? Yet we keep seeing FC and TJ being rated ahead of him? Weird if it’s seen as vital to get our backline beating in your face defences.
1 Go to commentsThanks BeeMc! Looks like many teams need extra time to settle from the quadrennial northern migration. I think generally the quality of the Rugby has held up. Fiji has been fantastic and fun to watch
13 Go to commentsLets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
13 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
10 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
13 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
5 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
25 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
5 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
10 Go to comments