Director of Rugby Alan Solomons spoke to the media today following the cancellation of tonight’s Gallagher Premiership match at Sale Sharks.
Here’s what Alan had to say:
On the decision to cancel the match and award Warriors a 20-0 win
- The decision had to made solely on the basis on the health and safety of players, staff and their families.
- It’s tough from a rugby perspective but the safety of the personnel involved was of paramount importance and the decision has been made for the right reasons.
Should the decision have made earlier?
- There was a process that had to be gone through. We were not part of that decision-making process.
- We said that we would get all the information we required to fully inform any decision that we may have had to make.
- But the decision was made by PRL, the RFU and Public Health England not by us.
How disruptive has this been?
- It has been disruptive because the players and playing staff were due to start a three-week break starting on Monday and some of them had needed to change or re-schedule their holiday bookings.
- But the matchday 23, the travelling reserves and the other staff who would have gone to Sale have been very focused over the last few days. We trained on Saturday and again on Monday in the readiness for the match.
What do you make of the season overall?
- It has been a strange season because of the pandemic. I don’t think the world has had to face any disease as serious as this since the Spanish Flu in 1918.
- Every country is affected, it affects every area of our lives and it is not just rugby or sport that is having to contend with it.
- We have managed to complete the season with just one cancellation and the real benefits for us have been that we have been able to give valuable game time to all of our young players and our new coaches have had the opportunity to bed in their systems.
- It has been very strange playing matches with no spectators in the grounds.
Do you have sympathy for Sale?
- Of course we do. Steve Diamond has put together a very good side and they have played well throughout the season.
- They had an opportunity of making the play-offs and perhaps going on to win the competition. To have that opportunity taken away is very sad. But we are living in these difficult and challenging times.
Do you think changes need to be made to the way positive COVID-19 tests are treated to prevent a repeat of this situation?
- I am sure that PRL, the RFU and PHE will look closely at what has happened and plot a way forward from here.
- Until last weekend there had not been an issue, so that would suggest that the testing process has been robust.
- Obviously PRL, the RFU and PHE will want to know what has happened in this situation.
- I cannot praise our own COVID medical lead Nick Tait and our COVID Manager Gené Willis enough for the stringent measures that they have been put in place here and for the players and who have been so professional and complied with those measures.
Do you think that matches should automatically be postponed if a certain number of positive tests are recorded?
- From what I understand, that is the system they have in France which is why Racing 92’s Top 14 match against La Rochelle was postponed and their facility was closed after a number of positive tests.
- If we had been in France then the decision on this game would have been taken on Friday.
When did you know the match had been cancelled and what was the reaction of the players?
- We found out this morning but we were not able to tell the players and staff until the official announcement was made by Premiership Rugby.
- We had the coaches and hotel for our team meeting and meal booked but we told the players to stay at home until they heard either way whether the match would be played.
The decision means that Warriors miss out on the top eight and Champions Cup place. Would the squad have been ready for that?
- The fact that we have been able to play our youngsters in recent matches means that we have a lot more strength and depth in our squad.
- Playing in Europe’s top competition would have been a great challenge for us but there are going to be some good teams in the Challenge Cup next season and we will look forward to that.
What do you need to do better to make it into the top eight?
- The way that we prepare is absolutely critical. We need to do everything at a high level and make sure that we give ourselves the best chance of making the top eight.
- The level of the Premiership is so high. I think that it is the best domestic competition globally.