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Bristol to promote from within after revealing they will lose assistant Jonathan Thomas at the end of this season

(Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Former Warriors captain Jonathan Thomas is to return to Sixways as forwards coach for the 2020/2021 season. The former Wales flanker will take over the forwards coaching from Rory Duncan, who departs from the club by mutual agreement at the end of the current season.

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Thomas is currently forwards coach at Bristol Bears and a member of the coaching team under director of rugby Pat Lam that has guided them to the top of the Gallagher Premiership after four rounds of matches this season.

Thomas made 44 appearances for Warriors between 2013 and 2015 before retiring. He has since made a smooth transition into coaching, joining Bristol as defence and forwards coach in 2016 before moving into his current role last year.

“JT shares the passion and ambition we all have for Warriors to become a successful Premiership club,” said Warriors’ director of rugby Alan Solomons.

“He was a popular and respected captain of the club and is excited by the prospect of returning to Sixways and working with a talented squad, particularly the outstanding crop of youngsters that we have coming through.

(Continue reading below…)

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“JT played at the highest level, winning 67 caps for Wales, and he also had a long and distinguished club career with Ospreys and Warriors. Since ending his playing career, JT has become an exceptional forwards coach and has had the advantage of working under the tutelage of Pat Lam for the last three years.

“I have known JT since 2017 when we worked together during the time I was employed as a consultant at Bristol Rugby. He is a fantastic bloke, an outstanding leader and an exceptionally gifted young coach. He is passionate, ambitious and enthusiastic and will be a great asset to the club. I am really looking forward to working with him again.”

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Thomas, 36, will not need to relocate when he joins Warriors as he has continued to live in south Worcestershire during his time with Bristol. His impending return to Sixways has been welcomed by Warriors co-owners Colin Goldring and Jason Whittingham.

“JT was an accomplished international forward with proven experience as a successful Premiership forwards coach,” they said. “It’s an exciting time for Warriors with improvements on and off the pitch. JT is joining a great team in the rugby department and it feels like we are building something special at the club.

“It’s great to see the incredible people Worcester has produced now wanting to be a part of the Warriors family again because they believe in the club’s culture, strength and vision for the future. JT was a big part of the club’s history and it’s fantastic that he will also now be a part of its future”.

John Muldoon will take over from Thomas as Bristol forwards coach ahead of the 2020/21 campaign. The 36-year-old joined Bristol Bears in the summer of 2018 as defence coach, helping the club to the highest Premiership finish in twelve years.

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Lam said: “We’re delighted that John will be stepping up into the role of forwards coach. He’s excited about the opportunity to build on the excellent foundations that JT has put in place.

“Our philosophy at Bristol Bears is to ideally promote from within and develop our staff to become world-class in their fields. That’s the key thing about our vision, when personnel leave, the systems and structures that have been put in place means that the next person steps in to add value to the good work that’s being done.

“John has all the ingredients to be an outstanding coach, as he has already shown in his efforts with the team defence. We have worked together for a long time and he’s a natural leader. The boys respect him and he knows our systems in great detail.

“The entire management team are closely aligned in everything we do – we want to be the most dominant pack in the league and John can help deliver that ambition.”

WATCH: RugbyPass looks back on some of our favourite moments with the fans at the World Cup in Japan

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Bull Shark 21 minutes ago
David Campese names his Springbok world player of the year winner

Why is Joe Schmidt the best option for Australia? (LONG READ)


An essay for @OJohn with love from South Africa.


OJohn keeps banging on about kiwis and Saffers and everyone else seeking to undermine and bring down Australian rugby… Blah, Blah, Blah. It’s boring and not worth responding too 99 days out of 100.


He misses the point completely that Australians either are or are not the masters of their own destiny. So to blame anyone else but themselves for what the state of Australian rugby is in - is hypocritical.


But recently, Australia has shown signs of life. Personally, I always believed they would be back at some point. At the beginning of this year I predicted that the wallabies would bounce back this year. I predicted that they would overtake England in the world rankings. I am predicting that they could finish second in the RC, could win the Lions series and could make it to a RWC final at home.


I tend to get ahead of myself when I’m excited... Ask my wife. But forgive me for getting excited about the Wallabies looking good! Is it so bad?


Like OJohn, I believe that Australia’s lands abound with natures gifts, including athletic specimens across any sporting code the Aussies compete in. It’s one of the reasons most of us don’t like Aussies. They win sh1t. Regularly. And look smug when they do...


But back to OJohn. And his banging on about the need for Australia to have an Australian coach. Here are a few highlights of his argument:


Several times I've given a list of half a dozen Australian coaches who would be more Australian than Schmidt and just as successful.

Tell me which Australian coaches would be acceptable to coach the All Blacks ......?

Because South Africans and Kiwis and Welshmen and Scotsman are all s.... scared that if an immensely talented and athletic team like Australia is ever able to harness nationalistic Australian passion with an Australian coach, you'll all be s.c.r.e.w.e.d.


And then finally – the list of 6:


Ewen McKenzie, Less Kiss, Stephen Larkham, Jim McKay, David Nucifora, Scott Wisenthal, Ben Mowen, Rod Kafer, Mick Byrne, John Manetti, Jason Gilmore, Dan McKellar.

Plus, a special request:


Keep in mind Rod MacQueen never won a Super Rugby title before he was appointed Wallaby coach but he ended up the greatest rugby coach the world has ever seen. Better than Erasmus even. Who is probably the next best.

Right. I don’t care about the tinfoil hat theories. I want to assess OJohn’s list and determine whether any of them fit the mold of a Rod Macqueen.

 

Like Rod Macqueen the following world cup winning coaches never won a Super Rugby Title:


·       David Kirk, 1987 (17 appearances for New Zealand)

·       Kitch Kristie, 1995

·       Rod Macqueen, 1999

·       Clive Woodward, 2003 (21 Appearance for England)

·       Jake White, 2007 (School Teacher)

·       Graham Henry, 2011 (School Teacher)

·       Steve Hansen, 2015 (Policeman)

·       Rassie Erasmus, 2019 (36 Appearances for South Africa)

·       Jacques Nienaber, 2023 (Physiotherapist).


I couldn't find out what Rod or Kitch did other than coach.


The only coach who has won a Super title and a World Cup?

·       Bob Dwyer, 1991 (A Tahs man wouldn’t you know!)


In fact coaches that have won super rugby titles have not won world cups. Robbie Deans. Heyneke Meyer to name just two.


I know I’m being childish, but I needed to bring this list in somehow because it’s quite obvious that whatever these coaches did before they became international level coaches is largely immaterial. Or is it?


Interestingly Ewan McKenzie (A Tah Man!) has won a Super title. And despite being a Tah Man made it into OJohn’s list. That’s two strikes for Ewan Mckenzie based on OJohn’s criteria so far. Not to mention his 50% win rate as head coach of the Wallabies between 2013 and 2014 (and the laundry list of off the field fcuk ups that swirled around the team at the time).


So Ewan is out.


I find it interesting that, as we speak, eight out of the ten top ranked men’s teams are coached by former international players:

1.      South Africa, Rassie Erasmus (36 appearances for South Africa)

2.      Ireland, Andy Farrell (8 appearances for England)

3.      New Zealand, Scott Robertson (23 appearances for New Zealan)

4.      France, Fabien Galthie (64 appearances for France)

5.      Argentina, Felipe Contemponi (87 appearances for Argentina)

6.      Scotland, Gregor Townsend (82 appearances for Scotland)

7.      England, Steve Borthwick (57 appearances for England)

8.      Australia, Joe Schmidt (School Teacher)

9.      Fiji, Michael Byrne (Aussie Rules Player)

10.  Italy, Gonzalo Quesada (38 appearances for Argentina).


It would appear as though we have entered an era where successful international coaches, largely, have played rugby at international level in the professional era. Or are ex school teachers. Much like Jake White and Graham Henry! Or a policeman.

 

Back to OJohn’s List. That leaves us with:


·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jim McKay, (Very little to write home about)

·       David Nucifora, (Too old)

·       Scott Wisenthal, (I literally can’t find anything on him on the Google).

·       Ben Mowen, (Too young, no coaching experience)

·       Rod Kafer, (No coaching experience)

·       Mick Byrne, (He’s coaching the Fijians, Aussie rules!)

·       John Manetti, (Can’t find him on the google)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)

·       Dan McKellar, (Not much to write home about, but could be an option).


Applying some logic, I would say the following are viable options based on age, experience in coaching AND the fact that they have played rugby for Australia in the professional era:

·       Less Kiss, (I like the look of)

·       Stephen Larkham, (I like the look of)

·       Jason Gilmore, (Seems to be working through the ranks, coaching Wallabies A)


After having done all this research, I think it’s fair to say that none of these three have the same pedigree as Joe Schmidt, the teacher. Who took a sh1tty Ireland team to no.1. Won a few 6 Nations and helped get the All Blacks to a world cup final in 2023.


Joe’s the best option for now. But if Kiss, Larkham and Gilmore are the business for the future for Australia get them in now as assistants to Joe and stop moaning!!


Errors and Ommissions accepted. Mispelling of names is OJohn's fault.

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