Bath - we're screwed, right?

[Which Tyler]

Of course he counts as Bath - but fair point; though he's still new to coaching, and spoken for.
I think we've also got the likes of Maddock going through the early stages of a coaching career back in NZ; and someone in SA - Frikki?

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Especially as Bath don't have any ex-players who've gone on to be good coaches - we have Callard, Cat, or... erm... yeah.

Martin Haag's just done OK with the U20s...

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Especially as Bath don't have any ex-players who've gone on to be good coaches - we have Callard, Cat, or... erm... yeah.

Yeh one thing i find interesting is the amount of Tigers who go into coaching you have

International rugby
Gustard

In the AP
Cowling
Rowntree
Cockers
Mauger
Murphy
Blaze
B.Deacon
Allen
Richards
Wells
West
Hare
Vesty
Davies

Pro 12
Malone
Cullen

Super 14
Hamilton
Gibson

 

[Every Time Ref]

Of course he counts as Bath - but fair point; though he's still new to coaching, and spoken for.
I think we've also got the likes of Maddock going through the early stages of a coaching career back in NZ; and someone in SA - Frikki?

Did I read Robbie Fleck's name on the SR boards or am I imagining that?

Edit: Yep, wiki confirms he's coaching the Stormers

 

[Which Tyler]

Martin Haag's just done OK with the U20s...

Good point, well made - though he's not exactly been a resounding success in coaching before landing the kids (even Burt was an unqualified success at that level - though Callard did manage to kinda fail at it)

Did I read Robbie Fleck's name on the SR boards or am I imagining that?

Edit: Yep, wiki confirms he's coaching the Stormers

Yep, I think Fleck was who I was thinking of when I suggested Welsh (who's wiki is empty of any coaching positions).
So that's Callard (failed at club, saxons and age-grade); Catt (kinda failed with LI, failed with England); Haag (kinda failed with Bristol and Bath, success at age-grade); Fleck (too early to tell) - oh, and Andy Robinson (please no, please no, please no).
Given those options - I think I'm happy having no ex-players in our coaching set-up

 

[Every Time Ref]

Yeah I'll just settle for competent coaches, please

 

[Every Time Ref]

I speak to a guy within the non-rugby side of the organisation at Bath relatively regularly, on a professional basis. Just had a catch up call today and naturally asked about progress with the DoR appointment.

Basically an announcement is imminent, expected within the next two days, and off the back of that there will be "some more interesting things" (I assume a new DoR and at least one other member of the coaching team). I asked about the trip to New Zealand that had been in the press, apparently that was slightly misreported but the news is sort of connected to it - although apparently, intriguingly, ended up involving "a little bit more travelling".

In short, it sounds like the trip to NZ ended up in a trip elsewhere (Australia would be the most obvious conclusion) where something was finalised with someone and they are just waiting to get the contract signed before announcing to the world. Any Aussie coaches who have been rumoured in connection to the Bath role? Any big names out of contract?

Also possible the "more travelling" was to South Africa, and either or even both of Meyer and van Graan are about to sign? Got the feeling those rumours had died a death though.

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

The return of Foley? Has been sacked from the force.

Does Deans live in aus or NZ when he isn't in Japan?

 

[Which Tyler]

Fissler has just tweeted that it's Todd Blackadder as DoR and Tabai Matson as head coach.
Reporter for the local rag agrees.

Very pleased if true; but still keeping that last bit in.

 

[McTallshort]

Snigger

 

[LeinsterMan (NotTigsMan)]

Fissler has just tweeted that it's Todd Blackadder as DoR and Tabai Matson as head coach.
Reporter for the local rag agrees.

Very pleased if true; but still keeping that last bit in.

Yep him and Bath are very similar loads of expectations and both have failed to win anything.

 

[RedruthRFC]

Good point, well made - though he's not exactly been a resounding success in coaching before landing the kids (even Burt was an unqualified success at that level - though Callard did manage to kinda fail at it)

IMO Haag deserves credit for his time at Nottingham too. Although his sides haven't set the world on fire, against a fairly unsettled background and with what I imagine is one of the more limited budgets in the league, steering clear of relegation worries and a couple of decent finished is not to be sneezed at.

Talking of Bath men, what about Graham Dawe? Over the years, there has been mixed feelings among Albion supporters about his coaching, but you can't knock his longevity and again, there were plenty of tough times for the club in the latter part of his tenure. The top job might have been a bit of a big step up as he's had little involvement in an AP setup, but I would have thought that he would make an ideal scrum coach for the club.

On a personal note, I grew up as a bit of a Bath fan as it was the club that most Cornish players went to at the time (Haag, Reed, Trevaskis, Spurrell, Dawe and probably a few more I'm forgetting). In those days, it was every bit as tight knit a team / family as Leicester. It is sad to see that this ethos appears to have disappeared. I wonder when it disappeared, there was a high turnover of players when professionalism came in, but that was also true of the Bob Dwyer era at Leicester, but somehow Leicester managed to keep the ethos.

 

[Vieux Talonneur]

Agree with the above:
Difference between Sale pre and post Steve Diamond coming home was massive. He's not a step up from some of the coaches we had before, but he's sale through and through and having him at the head really improved the club.

I see that Fran Cotton's taken over as chairman with former players Diamond, Cueto, Steve Smith and Mike Blood (sorry Mike, I've never heard of you....) on the board. They obviously believe in retaining their club ethos.

 

[Every Time Ref]

On a personal note, I grew up as a bit of a Bath fan as it was the club that most Cornish players went to at the time (Haag, Reed, Trevaskis, Spurrell, Dawe and probably a few more I'm forgetting). In those days, it was every bit as tight knit a team / family as Leicester. It is sad to see that this ethos appears to have disappeared. I wonder when it disappeared, there was a high turnover of players when professionalism came in, but that was also true of the Bob Dwyer era at Leicester, but somehow Leicester managed to keep the ethos.

The fact that the start of the professional era saw a very sharp drop off in success for Bath is probably connected. Whether cause or effect or a bit of both I don't know.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

I see that Fran Cotton's taken over as chairman with former players Diamond, Cueto, Steve Smith and Mike Blood (sorry Mike, I've never heard of you....) on the board. They obviously believe in retaining their club ethos.

Yup,
Really excited to see what happens in the future now. More money coming in and a board made up of ex sale players who are successful business men and business men who are big rugby fans

 

[Tony Manx]

Yup,
Really excited to see what happens in the future now. More money coming in and a board made up of ex sale players who are successful business men and business men who are big rugby fans

You are only missing Dewi Morris!! Do us all a favour and take him off Sky!!

 

[Which Tyler]

You are only missing Dewi Morris!! Do us all a favour and take him off Sky!!

Please, for the love of god - any god; don't make comments like that in a thread about Bath's coaching regime!

 

[Every Time Ref]

You are only missing Dewi Morris!! Do us all a favour and take him off Sky!!

Not cool bro

 

[Tony Manx]

Please, for the love of god - any god; don't make comments like that in a thread about Bath's coaching regime!

Was reference to Sale's old boys' promotion not Bath.......even they have have more sense than to want Dewi!!

 

[Which Tyler]

Was reference to Sale's old boys' promotion not Bath.......even they have have more sense than to want Dewi!!

I think you might be missing something.
Something obvious, and barrel shaped.