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'This is one of the worst years I can remember in terms of guys struggling to find clubs'

New Ampthikll player-coach Dave Ward poses for a photo with a Harlequins fan following the Gallagher Premiership win at Bath in March (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

Ex-Harlequins hooker Dave Ward has expressed his relief at coming out the other side of an unsettling few months with his short-term future secure in the game.  

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Despite having a deal at Harlequins that would have taken him through to summer 2020, the 34-year-old decided to knock that option on the head and instead take up an offer at Yorkshire Carnegie that would not only continue his playing career but also give him his first steps on the coaching ladder.

However, that plan ran into trouble when a financial crisis enveloped the Championship club and his deal was shelved, leaving Ward with nothing but an anxious wait on the horizon.

Salvation eventually arrived by way of Ampthill, the little-known, newly-promoted club from National One who have arrived into the second tier of the English game with designs on hanging around for quite some time. 

Ward, the former England Saxon who toured New Zealand with Stuart Lancaster’s senior side in 2014, is thrilled to have a one-year shot as player-coach at the Bedfordshire outfit, declaring in the club’s media release about his signing: “After talking to Mark Lavery and head coach Paul Turner, it was a no-brainer to sign for Ampthill. 

“I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to further develop my coaching career and I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping Ampthill in the Championship.”

Turner, the former Wales talisman who coached at Gloucester, Harlequins, Dragons and Wasps before starting his Ampthill adventure in 2012 way down the English pyramid, added: “Dave is a great addition to our squad and coaching team. He brings huge experience and capability in areas where we were a little light in the past couple of campaigns.”

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Ward had opened up to the weekend Rugby Paper about his anxious wait to secure a deal following his let-down by Yorkshire. “I signed for Yorkshire last year, the main reason being to work with Chris Stirling again, who I’d played under at Cornish Pirates,” he explained. 

“Unfortunately, I found out around February time that the finances weren’t where they thought they would be. It was going to be a good two-year deal at what seemed to be an ambitious club, with a view to having a go at reaching the Premiership in year two. 

“With the infrastructure and academy they had it’s a plan that could have worked, but clubs rely on benefactors and if one pulls out it can create a domino effect and that is what happened at Yorkshire. It has been unsettling for a lot of people. 

“By February most clubs have got their recruitment sorted and this is one of the worst years I can remember in terms of guys struggling to find clubs. There are guys from Harlequins who are quality players who still don’t have contracts. 

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“It’s the end of June and it’s unbelievable some of them can’t find clubs, but I just had to remain calm, especially as I was a little different to other guys that I wanted something with a coaching aspect to it as well, with an eye on my future career options. 

“There wasn’t really the opportunity to stay in the Premiership, certainly nothing that would have given me a coaching role, but luckily Ampthill showed some interest… they have achieved good things coming up through the leagues and are an honest club.”

WATCH: Going Pro, the RugbyPass documentary on the Premiership-winning Saracens women’s team 

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J
JPM 39 minutes ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

Unfortunately you don't know anything about French rugby, coaches and players but still making a lot of assumptions and judgements to push your prefabricated and simplistic point of view that Dupont is manipulating everything and is a bad guy. I am not a NZ rugby specialist and wouldn't dare make such theories about what is going on within the ABs team. Therefore my advice to you is to do like Dupont and stay humble when you don't know all the background of the issues !!!


Firstly if you knew a bit of Galthié, he is not the type of coach who is going to ask advice to his players and even his captain about team selection. He is as stubborn as you...


Second Ramos has played a lot of times as 10 with Toulouse and therefore Dupont (in particular when Ntamack is injured and unfortunately it has often happened recently and for long periods). He even played 10 during the last 3 games of the 2024 6N and this was far better performance than the first two games with Jalibert as 10.


Thirdly Jalibert lacked of respect to a La Rochelle player so your theory is once again out.


Fourth as I explained to you Galthié went for a 6-2 bench and Jalibert can only play 10 which doesn't fit that plan. Furthermore as 15 Buros is better under high balls than Ramos and everybody is prepared for a tactical kicking game.


So you can blame Galthié for a lot of things (as you clearly enjoy doing at the end of your post and you should be very happy as an AB fan) but certainly not Dupont. Sorry once more for your conspiracy theory.


And don't worry about potential disharmony in the French team; they are excellent mates around their captain. Jalibert is well known in the French rugby circles to have not a strong character (and we saw that in the WC quarter finals as he is very nervous in any decisive international game unlike Ntamack and Ramos as for his late penalty kick vs England this year).


In conclusion enjoy the game tmrw night. It is good that the ABs are very upset; we should watch a great game of rugby. I hope for running rugby and not too much kicking. With 5 key players injured on our side (Ntamack, Baille, Atonio, Cros and Penaud) and 2 on your side I and various French fans see you as favourites. I obviously hope for another result.


If you are interested you can read a good article in the Guardian on the subject of France-NZ games.

92 Go to comments
K
KB 42 minutes ago
The 'one difference' between Boks and the back-to-back All Blacks

Consistency hasnt been there they have many great players SA were also not unbeaten in the 2023 WC - NZ were in 2015 WC McCaw and Carter Nonu and Smith - SA did not have those Marque players in those postions in 2019 or 2023 - I wouldnt rank them ahead of the 20I5 ABs - They clocked up 60 points against France in the QF - Furthermore I do not believe for one moment SA won 2023 fairly no way - they were so favoured it became obvious that behind the scenes SA the nation bought the title - Their last 3 matches were won by a solitary point there were many contentious decisions that went their way that it became obvious it wasnt coincidence - Sport has been hijacked by a satanic cult just as is Politics

Some players coaches officials and sponsors are involved - they know who they are - its called Freemasonry - any sport that allows betting is corrupt - its not all about money either for these parasites its also about control - Lots of American NFL players have spoken openly about games being scripted - Football is also rigged Referees have been caught on film showing freemason hand signs - The 95 RWC final ranks as the highest and most obvious attempt at cheating There was no way SA were going to allow NZ to gate crash Nelson Mandelas reunification party - NZ were so good they had to posion almost the entire team to get a 3 point win - a Hollywood Movie ( theres your Red Flag ) was made about SAs triumph called Invictus


William Henley wrote a poem called Invictus


It starts


Out of the night that covers me BLACK ( All Blacks ) as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever GODS maybe for my unconquerable Soul ...( Olan says INVICTUS is an evil Malevolent entity who corrupted the Titans ... this is Mandelas double meaning speech ( hes a fraud ) - of thanks for helping overcome SA's adversary NZ - There is only ONE true God Yahuah - Only a false god would be complicit in Cheating Corruption and Harming others to win a RWC for a sick and sinful Nation ) the poem ends with


I am the CAPTAIN of my soul


SA will forever bear the stain of guilt and disgrace over their involvement in poisoning the ABs a day before the 95 RWC Final

10 Go to comments
C
CO 1 hour ago
Forget Ireland, the All Blacks face the real alpha of Europe next

I cannot believe that you don't think the French rugby team coach and captain are not discussing putting Jalibert on the bench in favour of Duponts club teammate that doesn't even play at 10.


This is a terrible, massive insult to a 10 and I'm sure Dupont would also be very enraged if benched for a player that doesn't even play halfback.


A good captain would've insisted to the coach that it was an idea of madness and either select Jalibert or replace him with another 10 if you want him to be reserve.


Jalibert may not be the world's finest tacklers but that's often not a tens main strength that the loose forwards and second five cover. An intercept pass is never great but they happen.


When any player is playing for his club then it's club first, respect doesn't need to be shown to opposition players simply because they're internationals.


Who exactly are you claiming Jalibert hasn't respected? If it's Toulouse international players then it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure this bench demotion out.


The outcome of selecting Jalibert to the bench and he then throwing his croissants out the window of the team bus immediately prior to playing the Allblacks is a disaster that will be team disharmony as any team mates of Jalibert are in a state of anger and revolt so a performance that will be sub optimal against a team that is thirsting for revenge against France.


I don't know about you but the Allblacks are very upset they've lost twice in a row to France and want to put out a statement performance so this preparation by Galthie of creating havoc looks to me like a coach that is clueless.

92 Go to comments
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