Cornish Pirates

RFU Championship News Archive 2009/2010

High Tackle's Championship News

Tuesday June 1st

 

Bedford Blues

The building process for the second Championship season has continued with Bedford Blues announcing the signing of Plymouth Albion Hooker Joe Clark.

Joe, who has represented England at Under 18 level, came through the Gloucester Academy before turning out for Cambridge University. He has also spent time with Alghero RFC in Italy and Newbury before making the move to Devon at the start of last season

Standing at just over six foot tall and tipping the scales at the 17st 9lb mark, Clark is a mobile number two who is more than willing to muck in and get the job done and was a key element of the organised Plymouth pack that could grind it out with the best packs in the Championship.

Bedford Blues director of rugby Mike Rayer said: "During our fixtures against Plymouth this season, Joe has been the stand-out player and I am delighted that he has agreed to make the move to Goldington Road.

"Hooker is a key position and it is vital that we have cover, but it is also important to have competition for places and I believe that Joe, Dan Richmond and Chris Locke all battling it out for the number two shirt will only be a good thing for us next season."

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Birmingham & Solihull

Gloucestershire and Birmingham Solihull prop Matt Long will lead the England Counties XV again when they play three matches in Canada during a 14-day trip

The former Bristol, Newcastle Falcons and Moseley player, the senior player in the 26-man squad, captained the Counties on their highly acclaimed unbeaten trip to Korea and Japan last year and Manager Danny Hodgson had no hesitation in handing him the job once again.

"Matt did a great job for us last year in every respect and played a huge part in helping us put together a very successful tour - probably the best the Counties have ever had," said Hodgson: "He's an experienced leader, a quality player and a person to commands respect from everyone in the management and coaching team and the players.

"I'm delighted he's with us again and know he'll do a good job."

Said Long, who celebrated his 37th birthday last week: "Last year was a great tour that went very well, so to be asked again is a great privilege. To be invited to lead your country is good at any time, but especially when you're a bit older like myself and I'm very glad to do it.

"I've captained quite a lot of teams and tours are slightly different. We have a lot of young lads on a trip where there is quite a lot of travelling and it's important for everyone to buy into the fact that you've got to be on schedule and everybody has got to pile in and get things done

"That's what I've said. If everybody gets fully involved, we can create more time for ourselves to see the country we're in. It's about all mucking in and everyone buying into what we're doing for two weeks

"It's a big thing to get everyone together very quickly and getting all the players to know each other on and off the field is going to be a big challenge and a very important factor in being successful.

"We've only got four days to gel before we play together, so we have to be switched on for every session and we have to work hard on getting to know each other

"In terms of our potential, you don't know until you meet at the hotel, who's going to be fit and involved. But it seems in looking at the clubs the lads are from that there's some really good material. We've got some good boys up front and the backs look very useful and I'm sure if we all buy into the ethos of the trip we can do even better than last year.

"It's all down to how we play together and create a style. They're all very good rugby players otherwise they wouldn't be on the trip in the first place.

"And you have to recognise that this is as good as it gets for rugby players. To be on tour representing your country in a foreign land with a group of talented players like this is a tremendous experience. It's why people like me keep playing."

However, the enthusiasm of Long and his team was sorely tested on arrival in Newfoundland, where the weather was so bad that a diversion away from St John's airport seemed probable early in the flight because of strong winds, heavy rain and fog

While the weather abated sufficiently to avoid a switch, bitingly cold conditions later re-affirmed that this neck of the woods is no place for the faint hearted.

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Bristol

Speculation continues to mount that coach John Brain is set to link up with Richard Hill at Worcester as the club prepare to announce radical cuts to next season’s budget.

Head coach Paul Hull has met with CEO Steve Gorvett, according to the Bristol Evening Post, and a decision to could be announced today which may see Brain exiting the Memorial Ground in a cost-cutting move.

Full story www.thisisbristol.co.uk

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Doncaster Knights

With big changes ahead at Castle Park this summer Lynn Howells has told the Sheffield Star that his team ran out of gas at a crucial time last season.

He said: “I think that we were a spent force in the closing weeks of the season.

I think the last game when we played to our potential was probably the win at Nottingham in the play-offs. After that it was us finished. After all that we had gone through I don't think that mentally we had anything left."

Full story www.thestar.co.uk

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Plymouth Albion

With hooker Joe Clark heading to Bedford Blues Graham Dawe has confirmed that back-row duo Wayne Sprangle and Sean-Michael Stephen have agreed deals to stay at Brickfields.

Dawe told The Herald: “Sean-Michael and Wayne were our number one flankers at the end of the season," said Dawe, whose team managed to secure one of last season's eight promotion play-off places.

"They have both got good work rates and finished the season well."

He continued: “Sean-Michael has brought his penalty count down and become far more physical and robust. But, like every player, he still has areas of his game to work on.

"Wayne has adjusted to this level very well. He makes a lot of tackles and his support play is very good."

Full story www.thisisplymouth.co.uk

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Worcester Warriors

The Worcester News reports: “Edinburgh have completed a double swoop on relegated Worcester Warriors with Netani Talei joining Alex Grove in Scotland.

Out-of-contract Fiji back-row forward Talei has signed a three-year deal, while Scotland centre Grove will spend next season on loan.

Talei, 27, made 55 appearances for Worcester operating as a number eight or blindside flanker.

He will play in the Heineken Cup with Edinburgh as will Grove, who has moved in order to improve his chances of reaching Scotland’s World Cup squad.”

Edinburgh skipper Mike Blair has told The Scotsman that he is delighted that Grove has joined the club sport.scotsman.com

New Warriors boss Richard Hill has told the Sunday Mercury that his brief is not only to get the team back into the Premiership but also to make a mark at that level.

He said: “There is no reason at all why, within three years, Worcester cannot do that.

“Someone asked me if I am surprised Worcester went down.

“Yes, because I had less resources at a club like Bristol and yet we managed to finish third and beat Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup.

“We are miles ahead of where I was when I started at Bristol. Miles ahead. The squad now is more powerful than Bristol’s when they went into the Guinness Premiership.

“If I get it right and the players really accept the things I want to talk to them about – we all do it together – I think this club could be up there very quickly.”

Full story www.sundaymercury.net