White to do his stuff for the Bees

By Elliott Josypenko
September 29 2004

As the old saying goes, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. But Pertemps Bees would wish to modify the cliche; It’s what who you know knows that impresses them.

To unravel that tortured phraseology, Phil Maynard, Bees’ director of rugby, knows John White. And he knows that White knows a great deal more about the rugby scene than Coventry have given him credit for.

So Maynard has suggested a meeting with the ex-Coventry head coach next week with a view of absorbing his considerable knowledge into the Bees’ already towering First Division operation.

“We have a great deal of respect for him,” said Maynard.

Bees recall that when they made their flying start to last season, White did their spotting for them. He went to watch forthcoming opponents, broke their games down and passed on valuable information to Shar-mans Cross Road. And that’s the service that Maynard would like to see resumed.

Intelligence reports ahead of tomorrow’s game at Orrell are not explicit. But Maynard has a high regard for Orrell’s backs coach, Mark Nelson, who also guides the Sale backs. And he notes that they have a class scrum-half in Scott Benton.

The game has been put back from today because Orrell say that they cannot find a safety officer to serve on that day. Bees are not keen on the switch because Sundays, for part-timers, is a family day but they are on too much of a run to feel depressed about it.

Maynard rates last week’s second half display at London Welsh among the best in the last two years. “They were fantastic,” he said of Bees. “They are getting stronger every week.”

A top-of-the-table team with maximum bonus points will be favoured to beat an Orrell side thrashed by 60-odd points by Rotherham last week but Maynard takes nothing for granted. “I’m sure it won’t be long before they put their season back on track. This is a difficult fixture and we will be paying full attention to it,” he declared.

A team deprived of the services of such players as the wounded Ed Orgee and Gavin Pfister would be expected to feel the pinch but Maynard is more than relieved to be able to call in Rob Hurrell and Nathan Carter as replacements.

Carter was outstanding at Old Deer Park and with young Ben Hughes, recently of the Gloucester Academy, proving his credentials in an impressive last 20 minutes, Maynard said: “We are going to have some selection headaches soon.”

And he is going to have Danny Zaltzman’s claims to contend with. The second row forward is still showing the effects of the neck injury that necessitated his trip to hospital during the Penzance game but signs of recovery are clear and he will soon be in the frame. Perhaps this week.