Rico Gear: Finding the Guinness Premiership tough
Worcester Warriors director of rugby Mike Ruddock has refuted Warren Gatland's assertion that the Guinness Premiership is weak.
Ruddock, who has now spent the best part of three years fighting in the Premiership's lower reaches with Worcester, ought to know, and his take is that the English league is the world's toughest.
"There are no easy games. It is week-in, week-out, the toughest competition in world rugby," he said to the BBC on Wednesday.
Gatland's comments came after he picked just one English-based player, Sale scrum-half Dwayne Peel, in his squad for the November internationals, with one or two others not released by their clubs in time for the match against the All Blacks on Saturday, a match that is scheduled outside the November window.
"Having watched the games, it is the weakest I've seen since I've been up here [in the northern hemisphere]," said the New Zealander.
Ruddock, a former Wales coach who had his fair share of problems with player release, refuted the claims by saying: "You only have to talk to players like Chris Latham and Rico Gear who have come from Super 14.
"They will tell you how intense it is, how difficult it is and how physical it is.
"Attendances are up, even in a recession. It's a brilliant competition."
Comments
rugbynomad says...
WTF? There is a difference between..
"The comp is weak" and
The comp is the weakest THAT I'VE SEEN SINCE I GOT HERE"
Stop looking for non-existent sensationalist quotes.
Posted 23:54 04th November 2009
LieweHexie says...
How many people did you have to ask before you got the answer you wanted? What a crock!
Posted 18:42 04th November 2009