Warriors Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media ahead of Friday’s Premiership Rugby Cup match against Sale Sharks at Sixways (kick-off 7.45pm).
Here’s what Alan had to say:
On our first two matches in European Challenge Cup
- A good performance by a young side against Stade Francais who had virtually their full starting XV out for the second half.
- We didn’t play quite so well against Ospreys but the real positive was that we won.
- The two matches have been a good test of our strength in depth.
On the Premiership Rugby Cup
- We rested players who had played in the majority of the block of six Premiership matches. Those players are now back and will be given game time over the next couple of weeks.
- It’s almost three weeks since the Bristol match so they need to play before we return to Premiership action.
- Every club will have their own strategy for this competition. We operate a rotation system which allows us to give players rest as well as opportunities.
On selection of Ted Hill, Ben Te’o and Nick Schonert in England’s training squad
- Fantastic to see three players from the club recognised. The more players involved the better.
- Great to see Ted Hill included. Ollie Lawrence also trained with England last season which reflects well on the club’s Academy system.
- We’ve got an excellent crop of youngsters at the moment. A vibrant, flourishing academy is key to us moving forward.
Injuries
- Ashley Beck: Ashley broke a leg in Paris and there is also ligament damage which means he will be out for six months.
- Jono Lance: Jono is seeing a specialist on Wednesday about a back injury.
- Carl Kirwan: Carl is recovering from a hamstring injury and is expected to be playing again by the time we resume our European campaign in early December.
On the new structured season announced by the RFU
- Not had a chance to study the agreement in detail but Alan is in favour of ensuring players are properly looked after.
- We have just done that by resting players after the first six rounds of Premiership matches. We try to manage our squad well through rotation.