England Rugby - Central Focus

The partnerships in the centre have been an area of focus for the past two seasons with a few different options reviewed due to injuries and the scheduling of fixtures [New Zealand tour]. The fact is cementing this axis with the right blend is critical, we all know this, therefore mixing things up in the run outs leading up to this tournament has been, and remains, essential. The introduction of Jonathan Joseph has firmly placed one name in the middle and I believe that Brad Barritt’s defensive prowess and consistent performances will place him in the front seat for a second place however heading towards the end of August two other squad places remain open. 

The noises on the grapevine from today's Daily Mail are that Billy Twelvetress and Kyle Eastmond will be the two released during the next squad cut leaving behind Luther Burrell, Henry Slade and Sam Burgess to wrestle it out. Twelvetrees’ consistency has been a latent problem for both club and country and the diminutive stature of Eastmond, especially in comparison to Burgess, is likely to have played some part in that decision when you focus on the sides and centres that England will be facing in the forthcoming RWC. 

With these decisions likely and the reported news that the 10/12/13 axis for the forthcoming QBE fixture against France will be Cipriani, Burgess and Slade, the middle of the park will be an area of great interest. Without question Burgess will have the most pressure and indeed expectation on his shoulders. The differences of opinion surrounding his consideration at centre have been marked and the spotlight on him will shine extremely brightly come the 15th August. Will this worry Burgess? In a word ‘No’. Since the Bath man first set foot on English soil his every move has been scrutinised to the nth degree. The lens focused on him is a critical one, increasingly so when he has 12 on his back however  if you ask any of the coaches or players at Bath Rugby what impresses them most about Burgess they’ll immediately tell you about his character and his ability to learn. Prior performances in the centre were earlier on in Burgess’ transition, when his decision making and understanding regarding all areas of the game was a little rusty and as an athlete and a footballer Burgess is no slouch therefore improvement courtesy of hours of England training should be marked when it comes to carrying into contact, distribution, decisions in terms of offloading and running the right lines at the right times. For Burgess this QBE will be the acid test regarding his comfort with Rugby Union and his ability to deliver on the International stage and pull the strings required at the heart of an all court England attack.

From the man in the 10 jersey we will need to see a complete game, one that illustrates phenomenal game management, takes the ball flat to the line and distributes with excellence and precision. If he does that then he will bring the best out of those outside of him, in the manner that George Ford does, and allow Burgess and Slade to flourish. Gone are the days when we would  need to worry about Cipriani showing too much flair instead, on the pitch at least, he has a sensible head on his shoulders and the understanding of when to turn it on and when to manage territory. The reality, of course, is that both Owen Farrell and George Ford are firmly ahead of him in the pecking order however we all know that one injury can open a door for any member of this wider squad and individuals must show to us and to the management that they are ready to step up if required. This will also be the case for Henry Slade, the 13 shirt has Jonathan Joseph's name on it and has done so since he blasted onto the scene however England need to have options that can deliver. Slade may not have a wealth international experience however, to date, he hasn’t ever crumbled under the pressure and instead has made top flight rugby look effortless.

The blend of these three players has the potential to excite, if Burgess takes his game to a new level in the middle and delivers a combination of physical carries, effortless offloads and defensive solidity then he’ll state his case strongly to take one of the two remaining centre places on offer. Danny Cipriani’s task will be to continue to be a thorn in both Farrell and Ford’s sides, pushing them with his output and Henry Slade must relish the occasion and state his personal worth firmly and with conviction. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing the collective and individual outputs of this combination, if it is confirmed for the forthcoming fixture. 

Rugby Aid 2015

When Mike Tindall hung up his boots after almost two decades of rugby he did so with 75 International Caps to his name and 206 Premiership appearances. England's centre was the was the last member of the famous 2003 squad to bow out of professional rugby and like so many other members of that winning squad he remains a figurehead for the sport.

This summer, as well as keeping a watchful eye over national side's preparations, Mike is the force behind the inaugural Rugby Aid that will take place at the Twickenham Stoop in September. In front of a packed house England will challenge the Rest of the World in a charity rugby match with both sides combining former professional rugby players and celebrities. The match will be played in aid of Rugby for Heroes and is yet another illustration of the strong bond between the armed forces and rugby. 

Since the announcement of the match speculation has been rife regarding the personnel for each team and on Monday a number of those confirmed to play met at The Stoop to formally launch Rugby Aid. The mood was jovial and upbeat however there were a few early nerves jangling about especially when Britain’s most successful Strong Man competitor Terry Hollands turned up and the realisation dawned on the Rest Of The World team that Terry would be legitimately allowed to hunt them down and tackle them! 

A man that is no stranger to the largest of stages and one that is an ambassador for Rugby For Heroes is Thinus Delport and Thinus shared with me his thoughts heading into the fixture;

“It is a great opportunity to mix with some of the old players and opponents and also some of the names from the celebrity world, especially in a Rugby World Cup Year to raise the profile for not just rugby but for Rugby For Heroes. The training programme and nutritional programme has been sent out so I’ve got 6 or 7 weeks to try and get into some form of shape!! I think feel comfortable that I know the other guys are also in a similar position.”

As mentioned Thinus is not the only professional that will be taking to the field he will be joined by a whole host of individuals that we all know very well including Jason Robinson, Nick Kennedy, Bryan Redpath, Josh Lewsey, Serge Betsen and many more. Across the board it is fair to say that these guys are currently sporting varying degrees of match fitness as Thinus shared;

“When you do get on the field you still want to represent you, your team and the cause that everyone is out here for. I’m sure that there will be 100% commitment out on the field and equally some fun moments!! In terms of selection I’ve put forward a couple of names, a couple of fellow South Africans, so really looking forward to clash against England. The last time that I played against England was in the 2003 Rugby World Cup and England won of course, so I've got a couple of scores to settle!!”

The inaugural Rugby Aid promises to be a wholly competitive affair that will be played in superb spirits and most importantly should raise huge amounts for a tremendously deserving cause. As the weeks tick by more celebrities and former players will be announced and the individuals taking part will start to put their game faces on in order to ensure that they are on the winning side come the 4th September 2015. 

All the important details in terms of tickets are at www.tickets.quins.co.uk (£20-£40) and from a social media perspective everything Rugby Aid is being delivered @RugbyAid2015, @Rugbyforheroes and with the #RugbyAid 

Rugby Aid Squads

ENGLAND 

Coaches - Jason Leonard OBE, Joe Worsley MBE and Dan Luger MBE 

Former Players - Mike Tindall MBE (Captain), Jason Robinson, Paul Scakey, Phil Greening, Nick Kennedy, Andy Gomarsall, Tom May, Tom Voyce, Iain Balshaw, Josh Lewsey, Mark Cueto, Ugo Monye and Lee Mears

Celebrities - Harry Judd (SCD & McBusted), JB Gill (JLS Singer), Jamie Laing (Reality TV - Made In Chelsea), Gaz Beadle (Reality TV - Geordie Shore), Martin Offiah (GB Rugby League), Rav Wilding (TV Presenter), Terry Hollands (Britain's Strongest Man) and Vassos Alexander(Radio 2/5 Live)

REST OF THE WORLD

Coaches - Sean Holley and Paul Wallace

Former Players - Shane Williams MBE, Justin Marshall, Brad Thorn, Shane Bryne, Waisale Serevi, AJ Venter, Serge Betsen, Bryan Redpath, Rory Lawson, Terry Fanolua, Daryl Gibson, Dafydd James, Lee Byrne and Thinus Delport

Celebrities - Gethin Jones (TV Presenter), Matt Johnson (TV Presenter), Colin Murray (Talksport), Julian Lewis Jones (Actor) and Jamie Baulch (European World Champ Gold Medalist) 

England Rugby - Grafting in Denver

For the past two weeks England Rugby swapped the leafy suburbs of Bagshot in Surrey for the place commonly referred to as the ‘Mile-High City’, Denver in Colorado. The air may be thinner, with a documented 17% less oxygen than cities at sea level, however the focus and intensity of training continued to rise and from a coach’s perspective England are totally on track as Andy Farrell shared on their final Friday in the US;

‘I’m very happy with the plan and how it is going, and it is going according to plan, the guys are 100% committed to the cause and what we are really impressed with is the unity and respect that goes alongside the graft and the time and effort that they have put in together. The togetherness because of the pain and the excitement that they are going through together has been there for all to see. It is brilliant really, competition for places is as high as it possibly came be but not for one second has it comprised the unity of the squad.’

From the outset the England management have articulated their objectives when it comes to the physical side of England’s preparation in terms of their fitness levels. The clear ambition is to accelerate the squad’s fitness levels to a place in which they can out perform their counterparts on the largest of stages with an 'all court' game. This 'all court' game is one that keeps the ball in play and alive for as long as possible, akin to the intensity that All Blacks and South Africa played at recently at Ellis Park. Needless to say the only way to get there is through intense training and the manner in which the squad are handling this has both encouraged and inspired their backs coach;

‘I’ve been through many camps in my time as a player and coach and there is one thing for sure, they couldn’t be doing any more, we’ve had to hold back on today especially because this week has been pretty brutal really not just in the sense of running, we are asking questions as far as the rugby is concerned and the physical tasks.'

'Sometimes these lads are doing 4 sessions as day that is demanding in itself but here at altitude in 32 degrees of heat it is a little bit different. At the end of a gruelling session the unity within the squad and the fight to get through it together is awe inspiring to watch from a coach's point of view, they’ve been digging in together and are going to come out a better team.’

As alluded to above Denver has seen the introduction of more rugby specific elements to training with live matches and unit specific sessions. The news out of camp last week that Sam Burgess’ is being assessed as a centre has caught the attention of many. There is no doubt about the fact that, to date, his best rugby has been performed with a 6 on his back however it is his physical presence in the middle that is required from England. Farrell's words from camp on Friday were that Burgess has ‘made a very good account of himself’ and is ‘very comfortable’ in the centre. Alongside this Farrell reiterated the point that at the end of the day, Sam is just like every single member of the squad in that he is striving to prove himself enough to have the opportunity to play a spot of rugby when they return during the warm up fixtures and beyond. 

The process hereon for England's coaching team is getting the balance right, the balance will be cutting down the numbers in order to create a compact and indelible squad without rushing into key selection decisions. As it stands there is set to be another cut before the QBE International against France, the squad will return and have a well earned week off and following that there will be one more full training week together at Pennyhill Park with some names cut at the end of it, the number of names isn't set in stone.The expectations for the first warm up game from England’s backs coach are clear and a progression on from the last run out at Twickenham Stadium is part of that;

‘We are expecting an improved performance and fantastic performances from individuals. I’m sure that they’ll be a few things to iron out and as coaches we need for things to go wrong so that we can improve on them and so that there is nothing that can come up later on. But, are we expecting a top England performance at home in the first warm up game? Of course we are.’

Greetings August !

It is often said that you can have too much of a good thing, however personally I am of the belief that if you love something then you can never get enough of it and that is why I have found July to be a challenging month due to the lack of Aviva Premiership and England Rugby action. 

Of course there has been rugby to enjoy with the grand finale of the Super 15, New Zealand playing their Test in Samoa and the start of the Rugby Championship, however I'm sure that you'll agree when I say that it just isn't quite the same. The positive news is that we have broken the back of the dry spell and a spot of normality is returning during the month of August with the opening QBE International at Twickenham Stadium, the Singha Premiership Sevens Series and a couple of domestic pre-season fixtures. 

Since the end of the domestic season England Rugby have been tucked away in the beautiful surroundings of Pennyhill Park and most recently in Denver, Colorado working themselves into the ground in pursuit of supreme fitness levels. There has been no secret about the fact that the first three weeks of camp were solely focused on conditioning and speaking to a number of the players the sessions have been some of the toughest of their careers, brutal beyond belief. Denver has delivered a spot more rugby action and the fruits of all of this labour will be witnessed in a few weeks time when England play two tests against France. Stuart has been open about the fact that he will use the first test at Twickenham to see some individuals that may be on the cusp of the 31 man squad and then the second fixture at the Stade de France will be closer to a starting squad. Both fixtures will be power charged in terms of intensity and performance levels, for England they will set the platform and basis for the World Cup, alongside the final match against Ireland on September 3rd, and for some individuals they will make or break their Rugby World Cup dreams. 

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Towards the end of August the Premiership Sevens will return and whilst the tournament has a brand new name, the Singha Premiership Sevens, the format remains the same as last year. The Welsh qualifying tournament will kick off the series on 15th August at the BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park and then the three English legs will occur at Kingsholm, the Ricoh Arena and Kingston Park. The series finale will be played at The Stoop with the top two sides from each of the qualifying competitions taking part. The Premiership Sevens always gives us a great insight into the depth of our Aviva Premierhsip side’s academies and with the Rugby World Cup continuing until the end of Round 3, this year's tournament provides a great window of opportunity for individuals participating to put their hand up for early selection. 

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Alongside the culmination of the Sevens series a few of our Aviva Premiership teams are also starting their fifteen aside pre-season fixtures. Saracens are heading to The Honourable Artillery Company (HAC) in Central London for a fixture against Ospreys on 27th August and the Newcastle Falcons are hosting Georgia as part of the latter's RWC preparations. Munster and London Irish will be playing their traditional pre-season fixture over in Cork and over in America Harlequins will be playing against the USA in Philadelphia on 30th August. 

I totally understand that July may have felt a little difficult at times but hang on in there for August will certainly be worth the wait as domestic and international rugby returns to our lives and we all start to feel whole again!! 

August - Domestic & England Rugby Fixtures

15th August - Singha Premiership Sevens Series - BT Sport Cardiff Arms Park

15th August - England vs. France - Twickenham Stadium

20th August - Singha Premiership Sevens Series - Kingsholm

21st August - Singha Premiership Sevens Series - Ricoh Arena

22nd August - Singha Premiership Sevens Series - Kingston Park

22nd August - France vs. England - Stade de France

27th August - Saracens vs. Ospreys - The Honourable Artillery Company 

28th August - Munster vs. London Irish - Irish Independent Park, Cork

28th August - Singha Premiership Sevens Series Final - The Stoop

30th August - USA vs. Harlequins - Philadelphia 

Wallaby Watch - TRC Round 1

From an English perspective the focus for the opening weekend of the 2015 Rugby Championship was on Michael Cheika’s Australia. Since England’s last meeting with the Wallabies Cheika has astutely amended his eligibility clauses to ensure he has the right men in the mix come September and has had time to settle into his role. 

Naturally one test match cannot tell us the whole story, far from it, however it does provide us with something to discuss and make observations from. Cheika’s assessment of his side’s game was that it 'wasn’t perfect' but he highlighted the importance of the victory from a morale and self-belief perspective. Heading into the game Australia has won just one of their last five meetings against the Springboks and more importantly had just one win from their last seven test matches. The Wallabies have been missing their swagger however the mental tenacity that they showed to wrestle back the match must be given credit. Clearly South Africa didn't bury the game as they should, however in fairness to Cheika's Australia they weren't allowed to. The Rugby Championship continues next weekend with the Springboks taking on the All Blacks and the men in gold heading to Argentina and Round 1 will have given their Head Coach a few things to ponder on.

The first will be the performance of Quade Cooper in the ten jersey. Copper’s talent is undeniable however his performance level undulated during the test. His perfectly timed inside ball to Adam Ashley-Cooper set up a score that was extremely easy on the eye, it was exactly the type of move and ball that you want from lead playmaker however a dodgy day off the tee and the ridiculous decision to deliver a 'flashy' spin out wide when exiting the 22 prior to half time put hearts in mouths and raised question marks over his reliability. The second will be just how to strengthen the set piece for it remains a thorn in this test team's side. The surprise that the Australian commentators voiced when Australia gained a dominant scrum said it all, the question is whether two months is enough time to deliver significant improvements in this area? 

On the positive side of things Cheika will be beaming from ear to ear regarding the performance of David Pocock. Pocock's injuries have kept him out of test rugby since 1st December 2012 however on Saturday it looked as if he had never been away. It was Pocock's partnership with the terrier that is Michael Hooper that re-addressed the breakdown balance and gave the side renewed vigour and I think we'd all love to see them start against Argentina to see what they can do. The breakdown is an area that we all should take notice of, for as we all know dominance can make or break a game, no pun intended. In last year's QBE International Chris Robshaw, Tom Wood and Ben Morgan collectively pacified the men in gold however that was against a less experienced Australian back row. Personally I'm not questioning England's ability to do so again in September, instead I'm simply pointing out that an on form Pocock is an altogether different proposition to consider heading into the autumn.

Australian perfection it was not, an over lateral start and lack of territory were concerning as well as the consideration points above however their victory has given the Wallabies a platform to work off. The tenacity and dogged mental toughness shown by the men in gold was a timely reminder that winning doesn't always have to be beautiful. The choice to head for the corner and back themselves took guts and finishing the job will have felt extremely sweet for Stephen Moore and his side. The fact remains that there should be much more to come from this Wallabies side and the forthcoming tests against Argentina and the All Blacks will be intriguing to watch from an English perspective. 

Wings, Wheels & More - Jack Nowell

The smiling face of Exeter’s Jack Nowell is one that we have become very familiar with over the past few seasons. There is no question about the fact that Jack is extremely serious about his rugby, like all of our professional players he lives and breathes the sport, however what makes him stand out is the fact that he always has a genuine smile on his face, even mid game, clearly loving life.

It has been well documented that Jack found early mini rugby tough to take, he shared with me that he ‘used to cry every time' and not want to leave his parents because it was all a little bit daunting. Slowly but surely his parents encouraged him, both verbally with words of encouragement and with a spot of good old fashioned bargaining; £1 for every try scored. This encouragement and developing a feeling of belonging as part of the team helped cure those early doubts and from thereon his rugby soared. Exeter's versatile back enjoyed 10 years at Penzance before running out at Truo College and then  progressing quickly through Exeter’s Academy into the First XV. With his innate talent and willingness to apply himself Jack found himself playing ‘proper’ rugby earlier in life than some and recalled an amusing offset that came from this;

“Redruth was my first proper taste of men’s rugby and to be honest it was tough and physical. The boys used to give me a bit of stick because I had to have a note from my Mum allowing me to play Men’s rugby! She had the write the note each time saying; ‘I give permission for my son Jack Nowell to play with Seniors’ and obviously the boys loved it!”

Now, in 2015, the permission slips are a thing of the past and Nowell takes his place in any side with conviction and ease. There are many strings to the his bow from physical defensive intensity to blistering attacking breaks. Towards the latter end of the Aviva Premiership season his spells in the centre highlighted his strong distribution skills and a matches wearing the fifteen jersey showcased high ball proficiency and gave him meters to carve up. All in all the Chiefs' shop window led three RBS 6 Nations starts and the return was three tries and strong all around performances wearing the Red Rose for the relative 'newbie'. 

One of Jack’s strengths is the ability to step, with equal proficiency, off both sides. This ability is courtesy of his innate great feet and now having two fully working knees. The surgery earlier last year that corrected a long standing knee issue has paid dividends in terms of leg power and strength and this autumn these ‘naughty feet' will be housed in the trusted and familiar three stripes of Adidas. 

Jack’s laid back approach to life certainly translates into his boot preferences with ‘light and bright’ being the only key critical elements. Naturally hours of research and technology go into a pair of 'new wheels' and should any of our elite players have what Jack describes to me as ‘weird toes and feet like JJ and Ant [Watson]' then adidas mould their boots to ensure optimum fit. The importance of footwear and kit goes without saying, it won't make an individual faster or stronger but it will ensure there are zero external distractions and psychologically there is always something to be said for feeling the part. 

This weekend England headed to Denver for their training camp, looking from the outside in you'd have to say that Jack is very much in the mix when it comes to the final 31 man squad. Denver, like the previous three weeks at Pennyhill Park, will be brutal for however with the Exeter Chief in camp any down time will be amusing. Jack has an eye for a joke, a light-hearted sense of humour and loves a good prank highlighted by his 'best' which was once successfully pretended to be an ‘interested lady’ texting best mate Henry Slade for a few months! 

Light-hearted moments are vital for keeping a squad in a good place and with many other characters in the squad spirits off the field should be high and be a welcome relief to the harsh intensity on it. When the squad return all eyes will turn to the QBE Internationals and the time where Stuart and his team start to trim the squad again. The wing spots remain hugely competitive, there are five others nipping at Nowell's heels and only time will tell if he will secure the jersey that he looked so comfortable in during the RBS 6 Nations. 

adidas have officially launched the electric pack which includes a boot for the four different positions on field. You can explore the whole range here: adidasrugby.com Jack Nowell wears CrazyQuick.

Canterbury - Committed To England

As England’s Rugby World Cup Shirt was launched online this morning via fans’ social media outlets it was greeted with resounding positivity. In 74 days time the eyes of the world will be on England Rugby and it has been the job of Canterbury to ensure that Stuart Lancaster’s squad run out at Twickenham Stadium in a shirt that delivers the physical dexterity required to perform at the elite level and one that looks the part for players and fans alike. 

The brief, over two years ago, from England Rugby to their Official Kit Provider, was to ‘make the best shirt even better’ and  to ‘create a shirt befitting of the occasion’. As the host nation and one of the sides that are in contention to do well this Autumn the eyes of the world are on England Rugby. The classic design unveiled today hits the spot, for now was not the time for abstract features or garish colour ways. Any sportsman or woman will tell you that their kit is vital, psychologically there is something to be said for feeling the part and ultimately first class physical performance cannot be achieved with external distractions that come from ill fitting or uncomfortable attire. Naturally we all know that kit cannot replace physical attributes such as pace or power and it cannot replace raw talent however I think we all  would agree that it is a vital cog in the overall performance wheel. 

England's new Rugby World Cup shirt houses all of the modern technology you could desire from ‘ball deadening’ grip placement on the chest to ‘dynamic heat management’ properties for efficient cooling in heat and drying following moisture. The shirt has been through two hundred and twenty hours of testing both in a lab and on the pitch with players putting many iterations through their paces. I'll openly admit that all of the nuances and technicalities of the final shirt extend far beyond my areas of expertise however the fact that our squad are more than content with the finished article is proof that Canterbury have succeeded in their mission to make the 'best shirt better'. 

As hosts the weight of expectation on the shoulders of England Rugby is immense and there is no question about the fact that the power of home support will be vital. At today’s kit launch thirty of our elite players interacted with fans, they took them on a tour of Twickenham Stadium and actually individuals fans with new England Rugby shirts. It was a great reminder for me of just how special our game is, for watching a young boy meet his heroes and seeing the time that every player took to speak with all those around them, highlighted once again how much our sport leads the way off the field. 

On Friday the squad will leave for the next stage of their camp in Denver, Colorado, to date the focus has been solely on physical conditioning and in the words of many of the players; 'it has been brutal'. Thankfully in the US there will be some more contact time with the ball however conditioning will continue remain a hot topic and focus. England are aspiring to play an all court, up tempo game and a game that keeps the ball alive in play for a long as possible and you cannot do that without immense fitness. 

On their return our squad will enjoy a short rest before ploughing into the QBE Internationals and that is when key selection decisions will be made. Time continues to fly by at a rate of knots and before we and the players know it 31 men will announced in Stuart Lancaster's final squad and we will see Canterbury's creation in full glory on a World Cup stage on Friday 18th September. 

Building For Success - London Irish

To be able to deliver strong and positive results over a sustained period of time is the objective of all of our Aviva Premiership Clubs however every single one will tell you that it is a considerable, and at times, a daunting challenge. The ability to do so rides on the delicate balance of winning in the now and succession planning for the future. This balance can be disrupted by a number of factors and once you are knocked off course it can take longer than you'd desire to work your way back to success as London Irish have found out. 

In May 2009 Bob Casey lead the Exiles out at Twickenham Stadium for the Guinness Premiership Final, the Saturday before they had brushed aside Harlequins at The Stoop by seventeen points to nil, and even neutrals believed that had a genuine case for the title. A single point separated the two sides at the final whistle and Irish hearts broke as Leicester lifted their eighth title. 

In the years since the Leicester Tigers have continued to enjoy the upper echelons of the Aviva Premiership however for London Irish sustained success hasn’t materialised, instead they lost their experienced individuals to retirement and many of the men that were earmarked to fill those jerseys to other clubs. I'm sure that if I asked any Exiles fan they would say to me that it has been a little difficult to watch however with new owners, new facilities and the individuals being put in place at the top there are positive signs for the future.  

Nick Kennedy has stepped into the role of Academy Director and with his team of Declan Danaher and Paul Hodgson their focus is to develop a pipeline akin to the one, that at one time, contained Alex Corbisiero, the Armitage brothers, Anthony Watson, Max Lahiff, Marland Yarde and Jonathan Joseph. Their focus is to recruit the talent and ensure that individuals that they invest so much time in remain at London Irish for the long haul. Their credentials to develop Irish's youth are first class and their work rates are second to none and I expect them to be successful with this task.

Earlier this year the promotion of Bob Casey from Operations Director to the club's new Chief Executive was made public and since a whole new management structure has been put in place.  At the recent Aviva Premiership Fixtures Launch Bob shared with me the details about the process of reaching this structure and his perspective on the redevelopment task at hand;

“What we did was that we got a team of four people on the rugby side and four people on the commercial side to do a full review of the whole club. I was in each team and then we did a benchmark study of the Top 6 sides in Pro12, Premiership, Super 15 and we also looked at other sports like the NFL and Soccer and we put down what we believed to be the best structure to make London Irish successful. We started that process over a year and half ago, so it has been a long process, a lot of thought has gone into it."

The 2014/15 season was year one of the redevelopment plan and interestingly Bob highlighted that a focus of last season was 'realigning the culture’ which he felt had moved away from where it needed to be; 

“I think that we got away from what London Irish was as a club in the last few years. London Irish, as you know, it is a family club, we work very hard for each other and we are striving for excellence, a real home away from home for people and maybe we got away from that. So when we recruited for our Head Coach he had to fit that philosophy and Tom is very much like that. He is a great man first and foremost and he believes in what we are trying to do in terms of ‘no-one is bigger than that team'. 

The players that are coming in have been carefully selected, Bob has approached recruitment with a clear vision in mind and a focus on developing what he calls 'a strong spine'. In the London Irish sides that he captained during his decade as a player their backbones were indelible and the challenge to create that once again. This does not come overnight and indeed instant table topping success in the 2015/16 season isn’t the aim, instead London Irish's goals are focused on embedding their new personnel, continuing to enhance and develop their academy and pushing themselves positively up the Aviva Premiership table. 

Aviva Premiership Fixtures Launch

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This morning at the top of the BT Tower the Aviva Premiership fixtures were released for the 2015/16 season and the magnitude of the domestic campaign ahead was unveiled to all. The Rugby World Cup has shifted the domestic competition back by a month and the LV=Cup has been put on hold to ensure that all twenty two rounds of action and the Semi-Finals can be completed by the end of May and another stunning Aviva Premiership Final will take place at Twickenham Stadium on Saturday 29th May. 

As always there will be the challenge of fighting on all fronts for our Aviva Premiership sides in particular during the middle of the season when the European competitions, the RBS 6 Nations and the Aviva Premiership all meet during Rounds 10 to 19. There are some scintillating match ups across the year and it all starts with a bang in October. In Round 1 the newly promoted Worcester Warriors have drawn a big reintroduction Premiership life at home to the Northampton Saints and the reigning Champions, Saracens, will start their title defence at home to the Sale Sharks. The 2015 Double Header will see Saracens face Worcester and London Irish host Wasps at Twickenham Stadium for the first rugby action that the Twickenham turf will have seen since the Rugby World Cup Final. 

(@GloucesterRugby)

Already, most of our Aviva Premiership sides are back at their respective training bases with their strength and conditioning teams pushing them to their limits and seeing just how far they can go. Harlequins' Howard Graham gave us an insight into the task ahead for the South West London outfit when he revealed that training is being pushed up a notch because last 'there weren't enough guys throwing up'! The bars will be rising across the country as the physicality of the game continues to increase year on year and with new individuals coming in competition for starting places will be taken to new levels. Dean Ryan shared Worcester's collective excitement about the challenge ahead of them and Alex Sanderson and Saracens know that they head into this year as 'marked men' following their victory in May. 

Across the board every single Aviva Premiership Club has a point to prove, from the Leicester Tigers showing us all that they are the force that they always have been to Gloucester Rugby building on their first season with a new coaching set up. Naturally for the Worcester Warriors it will be about keeping pace in the top flight and Bath Rugby will be concerned with channelling their Final frustration into another solid and productive season that goes one step better come May 2016. 

Now it is time to play the waiting game, obviously the QBE Internationals and the Rugby World Cup will provide ample content  over the coming months and before we know it Harlequins will be kicking off domestic proceedings at home to Bath Rugby on Friday 16th October and the familiar pattern of an Aviva Premiership season will resume.