Interview Special... 2 November, 2009
When CM met Brush
I recently (Tuesday 27 October) interviewed Bryan Redpath for The Rugby Paper. He was really good, gave me forty minutes one on one and didn’t duck a single question. I tried to ask the questions that were perplexing me. It ended up as a lengthy piece, and as is often the case, space was tight, and some of it was, frankly, more of interest to Glaws fans than a wider audience. FWIW, here are the bits that got left out…the rest you’ll have to read in TRP as, since I don’t own it, I can’t post it. Inevitably it’s a bit disjoined as there are chunks missing – the bits that appeared in TRP.
Purely personal view: I think he’s a top bloke and I hope, and believe, that he can get things sorted. As an observation, pretty well all of the squad were around and there was nothing in their demeanour that suggested there are any problems within the squad or between them and the coaches.
It’s just four short months since Dean Ryan walked out of the door at Kingsholm for the final time, to be replaced by his second-in-command, Bryan Redpath. Bryan took over a club in turmoil, both on and off the field. A humiliation of major proportions at the hands of Cardiff in the EDF Final was followed by a mass exodus of players as a major tightening of the purse strings took place. The first few weeks of this season have hardly seen an improvement in Gloucester’s fortunes, and the catastrophic home defeat by London Wasps saw the normally loyal Shedheads heading for the exits quite some time before the final whistle. The Cherry and White support is fanatical, but is also fickle, and it can quickly turn on players and coaches alike, as Dean Ryan found to his cost. How then was the youngest Head Coach in the Premiership feeling as he watched his team fall apart and the fans voting with their feet?
“It hurt. There were people sitting right in front of where I was who were voicing their opinions, and I can understand their frustration, disappointment and embarrassment. When passes hit the floor, we drop the ball, and miss one-on-one tackles then it’s hard for us all to take. I’ve always recognised the passion that there is in Gloucester’s support – they’re fanatical and opinionated, and I absolutely respect that.
“With a much smaller squad, and the inevitable injuries, there was always going to be a difficult period during the season, but it’s come earlier than we would have wanted, and it’s been compounded by a series of suspensions. But we are where we are and we have to get on with it – as an example, we’ve been operating for three weeks with absolutely no second-row cover. There is some light at the end of the tunnel as Mike Tindall is now fit again [or was…], and the likes of Olly Morgan, Nick Wood and Peter Buxton are all likely to be fit for the Anglo-Welsh Cup game against Cardiff.”
“For the first 30 minutes against Biarritz we were the better team, and when you look at the amount of possession and territory we had against Wasps, we’re doing plenty of things right – it’s frustrating.”
On ‘Gym’ monkeys…
“I hear criticism that we’re maybe spending too long in the gym’ and not enough time on the park, but that’s not the case. I don’t think that our backs have got bigger, with the exception of a couple of the young kids who needed to put on some weight [he mentioned Burns]. Up front we have bulked up but we can cope with that if we use the players in the right way, as we did against Newport and Wasps.”
On selections…
It’s one of the golden rules about fans, that we’re all experts in our own minds, and there have been plenty down Gloucester way questioning some of Bryan’s selection calls. Most notable amongst these has been his decision to persevere with James Simpson-Daniel in the centre instead of his natural position on the wing.
“I don’t see James as a 13, but Mike Tindall has been injured, Henry Trinder has had eight weeks off and is just coming back, and Jonny May is an 18-year old kid and it would have been unfair to put to put that pressure on him at this stage. They’re my options at 13, so I was forced to ask James to step in and help out.
“It’s a similar position with Tom Voyce at 15. Olly Morgan is clearly our first-choice full-back, but he’s been injured, as has Carlos Spencer who has played at 15 at international level. Young Charlie Sharples has played at 15 once for England U-20s, whereas Tom played there ten or fifteen times for Wasps. Equally, I wasn’t going to stick someone like Freddie Burns there for one week – what would happen if I did that and it didn’t go well for him? Tom will be judged as a winger, which is what he is, but he’s experienced enough that he should be able to cope while Olly’s out.
“The other one that always comes up is whether we should start Andy Hazell or Akapusi Qera at 7. Hazey is a lot smaller, doesn’t carry as well, but is great over the ball and has fantastic energy, but he has to put a huge effort into every game. I know that some see Q as a 6, but he doesn’t work like one. It’s a tough position, and there will come a time when we need to decide who will be our starting choice.”
On being questioned on whether Glaws take the ‘A’ League seriously, specifically with the team fielded against LI.
"Sadly, who else could I have picked up front? Only Rupert Harden was with Mose, and not one player who's at Cinderford was restricted from playing. I've got Nick Wood, Azam, Bortolami, Brown, Buxton, Eustace, Narraway who were all out for one reason or another. I had only eight backs training today because Freddie (Burns), Jordi (Pasqualin), Henry (Trinder) and Jonny (May) all played last night. I've got Tinds away with England and Olly Morgan injured, so I'm risking my back-up group to play in last night's game! With a squad of 39 and ten players injured, I only need a couple of knocks in training for us to be seriously exposed.
“I go to every 'A' League game and I can't fault the effort of the boys who play - it's phenomenal, and a lot of them aren't even contracted to us. Last night after the final LI try they were gathered together under the post and their heads never dropped - I sat there thinking 'Boys, you've got to take some heart from this - it's outstanding'. What do I do - LI dropped out of last year's 'A' league because they had a smaller squad. They had a squad of 38 and didn't play a single second team game. We're there, and we're playing, and I've got the Australia game just around the corner.”
In football the dreaded vote of confidence from the Chairman has become a standing joke, and one can only guess what Bryan must have thought when Tom Walkinshaw sprang to his defence during the week!
‘I talk to both of our owners regularly: once or twice in the week leading up to a game, and always after the game. They’re well aware of what we’re trying to do with the squad, and I understand their situation. We’re still capable of being in the top six in the Premiership – of that I have no doubt, but we have to once again be tough to beat at Kingsholm, and at present we aren’t, as the Northampton and Wasps defeats showed. If we eliminate those basic errors and are still losing, then I’ll take the blame, but until then I’ll keep working the players hard and I’m confident we will turn things round.”
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