Mind The Gap
By TVM
October 17 2010
Mind the Gap – Just how good is the RFU Championship? Much has been made of the allegedly vast no-man’s land of quality between the newly re-branded Aviva Premiership and RFU Championship. This has become the case to the extent that this has now passed into conventional wisdom, enshrined and habitually unchallenged.
But is it right?
As Worcester have not made the rocket-powered start that many of the Sixways faithful expected to their second tier campaign, the issue does warrant some addressing. The 48–3 victory over Birmingham Solihull was a relatively efficient display, where the Warriors overcame a sometimes spirited, but ultimately doomed, performance from the visiting Bees. The aftermath also saw the debut of Richard Hill’s increasingly repeated ‘out of 10’ scoring system. Whilst the score of 4/10 given on that day belies the substantial score line, most supporters found it difficult to disagree.
Certainly the Warriors had ‘turned it on’ when it was required of them (such as a 3 try blitz early in the second half to conclusively take the game out of the visitor’s reach), but there was an air of lethargy around the park, and the resulting lack of clinical finishing, with handling errors and stray passes increasingly becoming the norm. The principal result of this, at least amongst those supporters in attendance, was that if a pretty shoddy Warriors display could put this team to the sword, surely the league, along with all its bonus points, was there for the taking.
However, there is another side to the story. Whilst Birmingham never threatened a victory, they did manage to sustain periods of pressure. Not wishing to take anything away from some good Warriors last ditch tackling, they were unlucky not to get on the board at least once. Also, it cannot be forgotten that the Bees are minnows even by Championship standards, and bereft by stadium wrangles for years, have only just obtained a ground share at a new facility after life at the pleasing, but outdated, Sharman’s Cross Road ran its course. Operating on what is commonly acknowledged to be the smallest operating budget in the league by some distance, a game against opposition with ten times the resources would always be a challenge.
The penny started to drop with a foreboding clang the next weekend as Warriors took their first road trip of the year, to Plymouth. The Albion, who were expected to roll over after a sobering 51-3 defeat away at Bedford on the first day of term, started like a train, scoring a try and slotting a penalty past a shell-shocked Warriors early doors. Whilst Worcester managed to regain composure during the second half, Plymouth defended like their lives depended on it. Despite mounting pressure, Worcester errors denied them a bonus point, but with the benefit of hindsight you can say that Plymouth’s back row did a huge amount to put pressure on the attackers and force the mistakes.
A further unconvincing display came against old sparing partners the Rotherham Titans. The Worcester backs sparkled with the ball in hand when the ball found its way there, which all too often it failed to do. This problem allowed a powerful Rotherham pack to hold court on the Sixways pitch for large chunks of the game and Worcester, forced onto the defensive back foot more often than not, relied on Andy Goode’s metronomic boot keeping them in touch. It was only a last quarter mustering against a flagging opposition that squeezed Worcester into the clear.
Much has been made amongst fans of the ‘boring’ style of Rotherham. Whilst some argue that Rugby is neither a beauty nor popularity contest, what cannot be argued is that for 60 minutes at least it was very effective. This aspect is what would have mattered to the Titans, a former powerhouse of this league, looking to regain their status after their ill-starred foray into the Premiership in seven seasons ago.
The resulting 13 league points from these encounters do not sit comfortably with some Worcester fans, who were expected to be toting 15 by now. The two losing bonus points given away to rivals from 3 games will also strike a disappointed tone and blame for this has been placed squarely at the feet of the Worcester team. Richard Hill has so far rated his players a disappointing 11/30 for their three matches so far, and the fans have not been quick to disagree. The cause of this despondency has been a lack of composure, leading to elementary errors from a starting XV, which has tended to find more spiritual fortitude with the introduction of impact subs (that the effect has been the same despite the interchanging of players between starting berths and the bench may be an issue for any amateur psychologists out there).
Hill also commented that Worcester precipitous relationship with 12th in the Premiership, ultimately culminating with their plunge to the metaphorical abyss, has lead to a confidence problem with the Warriors. This confidence needs to be cajoled and hewn by learning how to edge out tight games, and form a winning habit. Once this has occurred, promotion is surely a formality.
So that is the answer. Warriors are underachieving students, where the slow class has dragged them down to their level. A simple mixture of carrot and stick will have them showing the ruffians of The Championship who is boss soon enough.
Won’t it?
OK Worcester have been their usual sloppy selves so far this season. But this is not the whole story. As can be seen by Leicester’s reaction to a scare at Welford Road last week, and Gloucester’s to what was on the surface, and embarrassing defeat at Sandy Park. The default setting of the team expected to dominate is to look to their shortcomings rather than the ability of the opposition to explain the problem. This effect can be seen at Worcester Warriors also.
The last 20 minutes at Plymouth is a case in point. Worcester played well in the last quarter, stringing together a series of solid, and sometimes excellent, attacks, only one of which resulted in a try. The reason for this was the resolute Plymouth defence, who defended to within an inch of their lives. Equally, whilst Rotherham played a very restricted 10 man game, called boring by some onlookers, they played it very well. Whilst this style of rugby will probably not win the Heineken Cup, Rotherham are not trying to win the Heineken Cup. In this league especially, good rugby is not pretty rugby, its not popular rugby, what it is, is effective winning rugby. So, is the reaction against both Rotherham’s style of play, and more importantly focussing almost exclusively thereafter on Worcester’s performance merely the ‘default setting’ distracting from the fact that maybe, just maybe, Rotherham were not that bad. Many feel that the game against a lively looking Bedford may prove revealing.
Another argument for the Championship has been Exeter, who have arrived in the Premiership in a flurry of objections about inequity in funding and recruitment opportunities. However, this side, so far filled by Championship recruits, has arrived on the scene and started by duffing up two of the Premierships most venerable names, frightening one to death at the citadel of English club rugby, and doing the equivalent of pulling the others trousers down and pointing at home. As another point of reference, Exeter made a rather more competitive fist of playing the Scarlets than Worcester did during the 2010 pre-season.
The key to this argument is tucked away in on sentence in the main body. ‘OK Worcester have been their usual sloppy selves so far this season.’ The answer to the ultimate question of ‘is the RFU Championship THAT big a step down from the Premiership’ lies, interestingly, in that very sentence. Worcester have up until now been characterised by the blunt rejection of chances that have come their way, through a lack of confidence and big game composure. If Worcester were to play clinically and ‘to their full potential’ as the hackneyed phrase would have it, they wouldn’t be a Championship side, but a good Premiership side, as costly spurned chances were so often the difference last term.
As such, the claim Worcester should be winning these games more convincingly does have some merit. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the Championship is a poor league, something Exeter’s performance so far puts into fairly sharp relief. More credit should be given, and more respect also to the opposition being faced. This naturally leads onto the debate on the merits and demerits of a 14 league premiership and the need for ring-fencing at all. But one thing at a time, eh?
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2010:11:05:18:10:05 by Powick Eastander.
In the Championship, (then the first division) sides tend to play to their strengths.
In the Premiership, sides tend to play to your weaknesses.
The most dangerous gap IMO is the expectations gap of the supporters.Having believed that nothing less than 50 points a game will do us good this season, and put us in shape for next, to have anything less in score and performance, has lead to discontent at a 100% start
.
Ambition is one thing- pragmatism over a much better quality Championship than expected, is quite another. I get the distinct impression that if we do go unbeaten all season, a large number will merely say "well we should have done that anyway" and effectively rubbish the teams achievement.
Credit to Warriors but also credit to our opponents too. We are not world beaters and must earn the promotion, not merely expect to pitch up and bounce back.The palyers appear to be saying this more often...not sur all supporters see it though.
"the gap" is certainly getting smaller. Not just based upon the results of Wuss and Exeter this year but for those who have followed Div 1 and now Championship rugby for the past five years or so the quality of the weekly product has improved every year. The current Cornish Pirates side is the best i have seen and playing great rugby - as are many of the other sides in the league.
But in a league that is increasingly competetive and where standards are gaining ground on the top flight (but can't be properly benchmarked because there is no cup comp that allows Championship clubs to match themselves against the big boys in the prem) there still remains a couple of anomolies.
Firstly, the parachute payment for the prem relegated club. This completely skewes the whole competition. How can it be right that one club in the league has such a financial advantage ?
Secondly, ground qualifing criteria ? Surely if you are good enough on the pitch then you deserve to be able to give it a go at the top level.
Both of these rules need to be scrapped immediately.
Here's looking forward to a great game on Friday and a very competitive, exciting, fun and fair championship season for all.
Kernow bis vikan
Quote:Firstly, the parachute payment for the prem relegated club. This completely skewes the whole competition. How can it be right that one club in the league has such a financial advantage ?
The basis of this is rooted in employment law. Principally it is to stop mass redundancies amongst the playing staff. I know there is a lot of debate about 'it's the players fault they should live wqith the consequences' - but we'll leave that for another day! It also means that the relegated club won't face financial oblivion (much like Rotherham were faced with) and will have a year to get their house in order to adjust the Championship revenues. - It all just helps keep jobs and the industry afloat.
Quote:Secondly, ground qualifing criteria ? Surely if you are good enough on the pitch then you deserve to be able to give it a go at the top level.
This links in with the above point. Rugby is a growing sport, and in order to keep it growing, and eventually spread the wealth (eventually being the key word) through the leagues, and in order to maintain a strong England set up, it is important to have a strong Premiership that packs a financial punch. This invovles having the facilities to maximise the benefit of the extra fans. Putting pressure on the clubs to improve their grounds will benefit the clubs (should they have the strength to do so) and benefit the game.
That's the theory anyway.
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must.
The size and facilities of a ground are only a small part of the minimum entry citeria set by the body known as the Professional Game Board who have the first and last say on whether a Club is allowed to be promoted to, or indeed remain in the premiership.
The minimum criteria cover such things as Community involvement,Club Management and finance, Coaching and the ability to generate support and income.
The sad thing is, with Nottingham failing their PGB audit last year, there are only two teams currently capable of taking part in an eight team play-off system.
The pipe dream of a 12 team fully professional Championship has been a non-starter and there needs to be some fresh thinking.
It's impossible to continue with a Championship system, devoid of proper funding and sponsorship which ultimately can only service the ambitions of two Clubs.
Yes cash is a necessity, but ultimately clubs will need to be rewarded for installing the infrastructures necessary to move towards the minimum qualifying criteria, rather than using any extra cash to strengthen their squads.
One way, would be to do away with the relegation play-offs and actively encourage sides to invest in their futures.
The Exeter and Worcester business models didn't appear overnight and, to a great extent both are still "Work in progress"
The futures of Clubs like Moseley who are actively working with their communities and looking to invest need to be protected.
I'm pleased and a bit dejected but nor surprised to see that this debate has quickly moved from performance on the pitch, results and rugby to what we all know is the real problem and that is the agenda of the "old farts" in the RFU which continues looking after themselves and their blazers rather than the game.
Unfortunately, the Championship continues to be hobbled by the RFU itself. No sponsor, no interest, no exposure, and general apathy. Vested interest wanting to protect a small gang of cosey prem clubs - and the one that gets relegated by ensuring it is subsidised to give it the best possible chance of getting back into the fold immediately through a parachute payment.
In Kernow the Pirates, All Blacks and Redruth all have comprehensive community programmes. I'm not sure how it works in England but in Kernow, as our national game, I'm pretty sure the PGB requirements and community obligations you mention would be met and some. Southstand - which two clubs in the Championship currently meet your PGB criteria ?
However, under current regulations the ground requirments do remain a problem. We simply do not have a modern sports facility in Cornwall. Work is in hand to rectify this but it is still realistically some way off and an impediment to progress.
But the real question is - as Southstand raised - what is the future of the Championship and where is the financial and real committment of the RFU ? The Warriors are a great example of a club with ambition, grit and great support who have proved that it can be done. Exeter are currently living the dream. Please don't let administrative rules and selfish personal interest exclude others from joining in ! I strongly belive that rugby should be about what happens on the pitch. Natural financial selection will always come to the fore. But don't stop clubs who have earned the right through playing the game to join the top flight from doing so.
If you believe the initial "mind the gap" gist then you could argue, given the current quality of rugby in the Championship, it is actually now high time that we had a two down two up system !
Here's looking forward to a great game tomorrow.
Kernow bis vikan........
Quote:PNG Pirate
If you believe the initial "mind the gap" gist then you could argue, given the current quality of rugby in the Championship, it is actually now high time that we had a two down two up system !
I think that in there own way that is probably what the RFU were after.
Much like cricket with 2 fully professional, ring fenced, leagues.
(And no, I'm not blaming the referee for our loss.)
And the comments about ground criteria being a fig leaf for protectionism of the old boy network are right on the button: you only have to look at Edgeley Park and the Wreck, compared to somewhere like Sandy Park, to realise that.
The comments about sponsorship and TV coverage also reveal the RFU for the incompetent buffoons that they are. If the league where Worcester City play, where crowds rarely exceed 1,000 home or away, can get a sponsor it beggars belief that there isn't a company out there that would be prepared to sponsor the Championship.
Whatever you do, do it safely!
Dare we hope? We dare.
Can we hope? We can.
Should we hope? We must.
Interesting that you also mention Brickfields. Is there really that much difference between there and Leeds, where one side of the ground is closed on safety grounds?
Whatever you do, do it safely!
From the experience of the play offs in the Championship last season and the outcome, ie Exeter being promoted , the main event starts with the playoff groups, but above all else you must focus on the two legged final.
Bristol won the league pretty convincingly, but were well beaten over two legs and on the basis of what we have seen so far Exeter are more than holding their own in the Premiership, whereas Bristol are struggling to say the least.
The top 4 teams in the Championship can compete with the bottom 4 in the Premiership even though there is an financial in balance between the leagues.
Don't beat yourselves up over one defeat or the fact you have not performed that well in some games, accept the fact that you are not the team you were last season and the Championship is better than some of you thought.
The experience around the playoffs and The B and I cup made for some great days out towards the end of the season.
Enjoy your time in the Championship. most teams that have come down and gone back up have been the better for it , Northampton, and Quins for 2, not only for the team but for the supporters.
A Pirates fan
Warriors Rugby Supporters Club