WRW #11: AND...CUE THE MUSIC..

Taufua gone, but who is to come?

RUGBY THIS WEEKEND

Gallagher Premiership

Friday Bristol v Bath, 1945 BT Sport 1
Friday TIGERS v Sale, 1945 BT Sport Extra
Saturday Gloucester v Northampton, 1500 BT Sport Extra
Saturday Worcester v Exeter, 1500 BT Sport Extra
Sunday London Irish v Newcastle, 1430 BT Sport Extra
Sunday Wasps v Harlequins, 1500 BT Sport 2

Pro 14

Saturday Benetton v Munster, 1700 Premier Sports
Saturday Scarlets v Leinster, 1935 Premier Sports

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SILLY SEASON, OR NOT..?

Now I bow to no-one in my joy in watching Freddie Burns at his very best, offering his considerable services in attack. But is he on his way back to Welford Road?

I can think of few returnees who would elicit more popular joy back in Tigers colours, and in a game as regimented as ever, he is one of those players who remains as unorthodox and as easy on the eye as ever. I can even remember cooing over a try he scored against Leicester for Bath, in an Premiership Cup tie.

But where would he fit into a Steve Borthwick squad? Given how long-term the process is, it’s often difficult pinning down who signed under which DOR or Head Coach, but from the new recruits brought in so far this season, Burns follows as smoothly as the taste of the finest 30 year-old malt.

From this year’s most recent senior debutants (Montoya 27, Van Wyk 28, Wigglesworth 36, Wiese 25, De Bruin 27, Mamukashvili 30, Brink 26 and Diaz Bonilla 31), Burns (30) slots within a similar age range. None of these players - dare I say it Borthwick included - have come here to waste years at a club struggling in the Premiership’s lower reaches.

These are not nervous youngsters looking to establish a foothold in the game. These are experienced professionals intent on winning things and that is not impossible even with two 11th-placed finishes in the rear mirror.

A deal for Burns is far from done - if he’s coming back for next season, there will be others in for him too. The question is Burns for who? McPhillips has barely played in two seasons, Hardwick is halfway out of the door.

And then we come to the others - whose futures are much debated. Henry who has started three out of the four Premiership games so far but was replaced at half-time against London Irish. Then there is Diaz Bonilla with an engaging personality but who has yet to convince he is a long-term option.

Is one or - even both - a fair exchange for Burns, who can cover 15 more effectively than either of them? With a reputation of a 15, Murimurivalu seems to be covering more in the centres and wings.

The irony of Burns - who left Tigers as the makeweight in the deal which returned George Ford to Welford Road - combining with Ford at Leicester, can’t be overlooked.

GOODBYE TAUFUA

And, yes that image will be the overriding memory of Jordan Taufua in a Leicester shirt. Confirmation is expected shortly of his arrival in Lyon to begin his Top 14 career. Not a bad medical joker - replacing Bastareaud and then for the next two years, if French media are to be believed.

Just 18 games for Leicester is not much of a return on the likely large wage which lured him from the Northern Hemisphere. But he has been box-office when Tigers have got him on the field and I would suggest that he has been reasonable value for money. Belligerent in the carry, destructive at the breakdown, he has worn his heart on his sleeve at all times on the field.

The frustration will be that we did not see as many tries as his debut score against Exeter but the quality he brought to Welford Road came at an important time. That unease builds because you could easily see him combining with Liebenberg, Wiese, Brink, Reffell and Wallace - not to mention the likes of Martin and Chessum - to produce a fine back row department.

Taufua will be seen as a transitional figure because of his arrival and departure dates. He has his detractors within the club, see him as a mercenary willing to move for the slightest pay increase.

You may remember Taufua’s future was the last to be confirmed amid the wage cuts debacle of last summer. The reason why?

Well, how could it be confirmed, when Taufua - along with 2-3 other English-based players from other clubs - were physically in the South of France waiting to sign their contracts? Sadly for them, it was on the same day that the French authorities canned an Emirati-backed consortium’s bid to buy the club.

But does that make him a mercenary? He wouldn’t be the only one in the game to value a large salary and his departure is easier to understand if it’s true that Taufua refused to accept any cut in salary. He’ll quickly become a fan favourite in Lyon

This is an agreement which allows all parties to move on with honour. Best to do just that, rather than wish it weren’t.

STADEN BY FOR AN ANSWER

With ball in hand, Marco van Staden looks the ideal replacement for Taufua and we may get a glimpse of him this Saturday in the Currie Cup Final for the Bulls against the Sharks. (10am start, UK time and due to be shown on Sky Sports…somewhere? Can’t see it listed on TV Guide)

A full Springbok, he is unlucky enough to be right behind the inspirational Siya Kolisi for selection now, but he sounds like precisely what Tigers need right now:

Earlier this season, Bulls coach Jake White raved about the impression Van Staden had made on him.

‘I must say, I didn’t know the players all that well before I got here, but people obviously rated him very highly. One thing we have been working hard on with breakdown coach Nollis [Marias] is for him to really make clever decisions at the breakdown.

‘Everyone knows he isn’t afraid to get in and have a full crack at the ball. But what I’ve really enjoyed the most about him is the way he’s really developed an understanding of when to go in or not. He’s been getting better and better at that. He’s also improved his ball carrying, and support play.’

As with Burns though, other irons are in the fire. Options in France as well as a contract extension to stay in South Africa are there. Stuck behind Siya Kolisi doesn’t help him, but he is only one injury away from a start against the Lions….would he really come this season?

If he were to be offered a place in the South Africa squad, would he emigrate at all?

RUNNING FROM DEEP

1. A few articles this week on private equity investment which will be worth your while..First, Owen Slot in the Times, who profiles Sharks investor Marco Mosetti:

Rugby owners tend to be wealthy men who have bought in through a love of their sport, their city or, more often, both. They have elected to finance their passion. Yet here, on the horizon, is a new breed: faceless giant investor firms that come with acronymic names and an eye less on the score than the profit margins. What is it that they see?

2. Ollie Phillips in City AM argues that private equity’s involvement in rugby can help bind the sport together:

English club rugby has been run by something of an old boys’ network: wealthy individuals who have funded great achievements at, say, Saracens and Exeter.

But these one-man-bands are inherently fragile. And that leaves clubs – focal points for towns and cities who will play a vital role in galvanising communities post-pandemic – vulnerable.

Private equity money can help to professionalise the game further, making clubs better run and, hopefully, profitable.

3. Now add Australia to the list of the countries seeking private equity investment…and who’s up for a mini-World Cup?

Mr McLennan said the European and South African rugby calendars looked “very sketchy” owing to Covid-19 and Australia was an ideal location where teams could play matches in front of crowds.

He said it was “a fluid situation” but if the British & Irish Lions tour to South Africa was cancelled in July because of the pandemic, Australia could host the teams in a safe environment.

I ran out of time to put something together on this for this week’s edition, but I hope to have a special on private equity and its implications soon.

4. And who says you can’t play pro rugby…and be a veggie?

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Many thanks for your continued support and please spread to the world the virtues of WRW. Do you have a online group of Leicester Tigers who you could share the newsletter to?

Feel free to offer any comments or questions and I’ll do my best to answer.

Speak soon.