TRU Exclusive with Worcester Warriors - 'This is Only the Beginning'

Two weeks ago, in the penultimate game of the 2013/14 Aviva Premiership season, the news everyone in Worcester didn’t want to believe, was finally confirmed, as the Warriors were relegated from the top-flight of English rugby to the Championship.

After a torrid season, with just one win to their name (at that point), Worcester were comfortably beaten by league leaders Saracens, as their fate for next season was finally confirmed.

However, although results have not indicated this, Worcester have shown a great deal of improvement in the last few months of the season, with a number of momentous performances against some of the league’s best sides.

On a number of occasions this season the Warriors have found themselves within two or three points of victory, but have never really found that extra level needed to convert pressure into victories – a vital requirement in one of the most physically, tough rugby leagues in the world.

Some pride was recovered in the final round of the season, though, as, for the last time for a while, Sixways Stadium enjoyed Premiership rugby and victory, as its Warriors edged past Gloucester, 28-27, for a memorable win.

Although the hosts trailed for long spells of the game, the Warriors managed to capitalise on the Cherry and Whites serving two spells with 14 players, combined with a magnificent individual performance from fly-half Ryan Lamb, who scored 18 individual points.

Before the final round of the season, just a few days after the realisation had finally sunk in at Sixways, Talking Rugby Union’s Editor Austin Halewood spoke to Lamb and Captain Jonathan Thomas about the season itself and the club’s plans for the future.

Firstly, Lamb, who joined the club from Leicester Tigers mid-way through the season, described the thoughts around the Worcester camp after relegation was eventually confirmed.

“Obviously it’s a massive disappointment,” Ryan began, “We’ve performed pretty well over the last two to three months; we’ve played against all the top four sides and we’ve brought them real close each time.

“I mean, there were a few games that we could, perhaps should, have won: Wasps at home and then Exeter at home we lost on the last play and then Quins away we lost by two points, and Leicester at home as well.

“There are a lot of times over the season when we have been bitterly disappointed and, obviously, we didn’t scrap enough points together.

“But the future for the club is looking bright – it might not be too bad if we go down to the Championship; rebuild, like a Northampton and a Quins did, and look where they are now… playing at the top end of the league and the top end of Europe.”

Looking back at the rest of the season Ryan, who joined part way through, admitted to what he thought the problems might have been:

“Certainly in the games that I’ve been here for, momentum and confidence are a big thing,” Ryan conceded, “sometimes things can just go for you and then sometimes things don’t.

“I’ve been at teams where you’re at the top of the league and things are going great; whether it’s the bounce of the ball or a decision that goes your way – it’s just a lot easier.

“But, having been at the other end now, it just feels like everything has been going against you.

“As I said, I think it was a momentum and confidence thing, you might then make a rash decision because you’re trying too hard more than anything, because you want to so desperately get those points, I think it was little things like that.

“Obviously, we are going to have to learn from it; the club’s been scraping at the bottom of the Premiership before going down to the Championship for the last few years now and the club that it is and the amount of money that’s been invested in it, with the facilities that it’s got it doesn’t deserve that – it deserves to be in the top 6 of the Premiership.

“However, I think that we’ve got a structure in place now that is going to be very good in two, three years’ time; so I feel the future is going to be very bright for Worcester.”

Also supporting this and the ethos the club is trying to build, Captain Jonathan Thomas – although bitterly disappointed at the club’s relegation – believes that this is only the beginning of something for Worcester.

“It was a real hollow feeling after the [Saracens] game,” Jonathan began, “obviously, our position in the league has been a bad one all season and, although, relegation was an idea that, obviously, wasn’t new to us, albeit our performances had improved, and as Captain I genuinely believed that we could stay up.

“As a sportsman you’re always an optimist, you always think you can do it, so to get that result against Saracens and confirmation that we would be relegated was really tough to take – the harsh reality of it – so, yeah, it was a difficult day, I’ll be honest.”

Therefore, Worcester will now welcome Championship rugby to Sixways, with a whole host of different oppositions to pit themselves against and grounds to visit.

Although there is understandable disappointment at the prospect of playing in English rugby’s second division, Thomas is looking positively at the challenge:

“Well first and foremost I think the club have recruited well for next season. We have some really talented players coming to the club and I think it’s going to be a good footing for next year, in terms of our squad.

“I think the club will really relish the Championship and really get stuck in. I think you have to look at it with a real appetite and get your teeth stuck into it, because otherwise, if you go into the league with any sort of arrogance or any sort of feeling that we are too good for this, then I think that’s when you come unstuck.

“We will relish going to some of the grounds like Mosely and whoever it may be and then I think the ultimate goal will be to get back up to the top-flight.

“I think it’s all about creating a really good atmosphere at the club, a positive environment, where the players can thrive and then, obviously, if we do get back up, then the club will be in a much stronger position going into the Premiership.”

Finally, one of the headline talking points for Worcester, or any team that is relegated to a lower division, is whether the club will be able to hold on to some of their best players.

Thomas himself, a former Welsh international and a number of others will need to stay at the club if they are to quickly re-launch themselves back into England’s top flight. The most prominent figure in this discussion, however, is full-back Chris Pennell, who has enjoyed a brilliant season in the Premiership and is currently in the running for the league’s best player.

Having spoken to Talking Rugby Union, also, Pennell has confirmed that he “is a Worcester player” and will remain at the club for next season and the foreseeable future.

Both Thomas and Lamb agreed that they are, as far as they know, holding on to the majority of their ‘key’ players and are adding to that with a number of new arrivals.

“The club has recruited really well for next season,” Thomas began, “obviously, Sam Smith from Quins is playing on the wing every week for them at the moment; we played against him a few weeks ago and he looks like a real talent.

“Tom Biggs has been announced as well and he’s got some real flair, a real x-factor, crowd-puller player.

“So guys like that will be great for the club.”

 

 

Ryan Lamb and Jonathan Thomas were speaking on behalf of Land Rover, who are partner to Hitz, a Premiership Rugby programme which tackles some of the greatest challenges facing young people today. www.Jaguarlandrover.com