WRW WEDNESDAY: IT'S ALL WE'VE GOT
TOP SIX IS ON
No relegation.
Top four almost done.
So nothing to play for? Rubbish. Certainly not after results panned out the way they did, in the previous round.
This weekend’s games will see limited crowds at all venues for the first time in an age, but it looks as the race for Europe will consume our thoughts for the remainder of the season.
It’s also entirely possible to see another weekend where the majority of results goes Tigers’ way. With 3rd-placed Sale hosting leaders Bristol, defeats for Bath, London Irish and possibly Wasps would suit Tigers’ cause to a T.
Looking at the games remaining (above), unless there are major surprises then I cannot see any of the teams immediately below Leicester, going three from three. Of course, a top eight finish is far from certain yet but it may be that two wins will be enough to secure Champions Cup rugby
MICK BANNISTER’S TWICKENHAM GALLERY FROM FRIDAY NIGHT
LAST MEN STANDING?
Let’s not forget the detail (more of that to come) but this is another step forward in the development of the Premier 15s.
One way or another, Bath are now the latest Premiership club to either commit to bidding for a Premier 15s franchise or already have a team in the league itself.
Eight are already in there - Saracens, Harlequins, Wasps, Gloucester-Hartpury, Exeter, Worcester, Bristol and Sale - with two more, London Irish and now, Bath signalling their bids for the next round of franchises which would begin in two years’ time.
Which leaves three.
Newcastle are in a unique position of the three. They launched a bid to achieve Premier 15s status in 2019, with the establishment of an invitational women’s team which played some matches in 2020 prior to the pandemic. Their bid was unsuccessful and it would be interesting to see if there was a second bid for 2023.
Which leaves the East Midlands giants - Northampton’s chief executive effectively said it was inevitable that Saints will have a women’s team which drew parallels to similar comments from Tigers.
I’m not aware of the 2023 franchise criteria being released to clubs yet but decisions seem likely to be made over the next 12-18 months.
Two factors seem fascinating:
Despite any meaningful RFU funding and the large costs involved, clubs are piling in to get a piece of the action. Yes, there may be losses to come but the potential to grow a sustainable professional league can be seen by plenty.
With 11 prEMIERSIPbidders - assuming Darlington Mowden Park bid again - what if the RFU were to increase the league to 12 franchises? Who else would come on board?
I understand that the RFU would like to expand to 12 clubs and if there are serious bidders with professional status, a similar shift to the one that saw setups like Richmond and Waterloo fall by the wayside, is conceivable.
Is there a tacit encouragement of the Premiership clubs to get involved underway? I notice Ealing are gearing their women’s operation up.
One last thought - and it’s why we need to be careful when clubs say they are launching a professional team - what does “professional” actually mean?
Will every player be paid? Will every player be full-time? Will the club or the RFU fully fund the insurance for every employee used in the league?
A lot of clubs are quite happy to have the PR value and how it develops their brand, but as we saw in the last WRW, it doesn’t mean that the support behind each team is always the same as the men.
But remember if you’re one of those clubs to miss out, the opportunity cost - or what you lose out on by not taking an opportunity - only gets bigger when you’re one of the few left.
AND ABOUT TIME TOO..
Now, where’s my wallet??
It suggests that Premier Sports have lost entirely or will have reduced rights to their Pro 14 deal. Reports had emerged that the BBC may get involved again with the Pro 14 and possibly without Premier Sports, especially in Wales.
FURTHER READING
Even with the help of Jordan Olowofela and George Worth, it does look like Australian teams are still up against it when they meet their rivals in New Zealand.
After two rounds, Australia’s five teams are 0-10 against New Zealand opposition. The results beg the question: if the Australians cannot win at the provincial level, how will the Wallabies defeat the All Blacks in the Test arena?
The bulk of the Wallabies are expected to come from the Brumbies and the Queensland Reds, but last weekend Australia’s two best teams lost comprehensively to the best New Zealand has to offer.
All five Australian teams lost for the second week in a row, but there had been hope the Reds and the Brumbies might have been competitive against the Crusaders and Chiefs, respectively. Instead, they were simply outclassed.
In the clash of champions, the Reds fell 63-28 in Brisbane, while the Brumbies lost 40-19 in the contest between the runners-up in Hamilton. After the game, Reds co-captain Liam Wright lamented that they did not think they did much wrong, but everything they did wrong was punished.
News of an ex-Tigers lock (albeit briefly) moving into coaching
And surely there is room in England for a coach as talented as Richard Hill?? Hill is leaving after eight years at Rouen.
And it looks like Exeter have another pick-up to keep an eye out this time in the centres…
Back on Friday with all the usual teams news anf features.
See you then.
Chris