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Diamond predicts the points split from cancelled Gloucester game

(Photo by Tony Marshall/Getty Images)

Steve Diamond insists that the lingering Gloucester anger over the cancellation of their Gallagher Premiership home game with Worcester, which this week has been the subject of a Sports Resolutions UK investigation, will not create bad blood between the local rivals. The panel will deliver their ruling over the match points allocation on Thursday and Diamond, who appeared before the legal experts on Tuesday to give the Worcester side of the case, believes the Warriors have been given a fair hearing.

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Gloucester were incensed by the late cancellation of the league fixture which will not be replayed, but the teams are to meet in the semi-final of the Premiership Rugby Cup on Wednesday, April 27. Worcester were unable to play the Premiership game on March 25 as they were without 36 players and only three of the fully-fit 18 players available were props. That left them short of the required six front-rowers that have to be named in the matchday squad for a game to go ahead. 

The match was called off just five hours before the scheduled 7:45pm kick-off and it hit Gloucester hard as they had to refund the anticipated 10,000-plus attendance. George Skivington’s team are chasing a top-four finish and they want the maximum possible league points – five – from the panel verdict as they are currently seventh on the table.

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Diamond, the incoming Worcester director of rugby, addressed the cancellation at his media briefing on Wednesday ahead of Saturday’s away league game. He said: “I don’t think this has damaged our relationship. We disagreed on a couple of things but that is always the case – people are never swimmingly getting on with each other and there is always competition and, as I have realised coming to Worcester, the closer you are to other clubs the more parochial it is.

“It is very difficult to have any lingering problems with a club that is far more senior than you. Rugby doesn’t hold grudges like that and there have been plenty of games cancelled and you just get on with it, but no doubt it will add a bit to the publicity before the (cup) game.

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“We went to London on Tuesday and sat in front of the independent panel who seemed very fair and both parties will be informed around 4pm Thursday of the outcome. They have to listen to all the evidence and look at the regulations. I was very impressed with the panel and they were very fair. There was a very senior judge in charge of it and two other professional solicitors were his assistants.

“We will see what comes out in the wash. I would expect four points for Gloucester and two for us and our case is very simple. It was a case of covid and the panel have listened to it. Gloucester have attempted to state that wasn’t the case and the cause, but we have the medical people who have put their opinion over and we will see what the independent panel make of it.”

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Worcester, meanwhile, will be without Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe against Wasps as he is struggling with a rib injury.

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O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 2 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
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