Bryan Redpath - planning

By Cherry Picker
July 13 2011

Rugby Premiership titles and the make-up of the top-four play-off places are usually decided by qualities like experience, know-how and sheer brute strength. But Gloucester coach Bryan Redpath believes things could change in 2011-12 ... it could be the turn of youth at the start of the season.

So the big question when trying to analyse Gloucester’s chances of repeating last season’s top-four finish this time round is: will the kids be all right?

Only time will tell, of course, but Gloucester have as good a record as any other club in bringing young players through the system and seeing them develop into top Premiership players.

With virtually every Premiership club losing some players to the World Cup at the start of the season, understudies galore will be given the chance to step into the limelight, and it’s going to be make-or-break time for them.

Some will make it and become overnight sensations, while others will fall by the wayside and find out sooner than perhaps expected that they don’t quite have what it takes.

Redpath expect to lose up to nine senior players to the World Cup, but he says that gives the club a chance to test its strength in depth.

He told the Citizen: "The youngsters have got to grow up quickly. There's not going to be much time to adapt, they'll just have to get straight into it.

"It's a tough pre-season for a reason, and that's because these guys will need it under their belts to deal with what's ahead.

"There are going to be some great opportunities for a host of players, and that's extremely exciting for them.

"It's exciting from our point of view as well, to see how they go, but they've got to acclimatise quickly."

But he says Glaws and the fans must not fall into the trap of believing that the whole season will be decided by the effects of the World Cup.

He added: "It's important that we don't look too far ahead, that we realise that there will be some disruption for the first six weeks.

"But it won't be that much, and we know pretty much who and when it will be.

"So we must prepare properly and ensure that we don't use any of that as an excuse.

"The other sides have players away too – everyone has to deal with it, and it's not something to dwell on.

"So it's important how you start, because some teams will get stronger when players come back."

Unless they come back injured, of course … the intensity of the World Cup grows with success in the competition, and Glaws also need to prepare for the possibility that while the competition only last six weeks, the repercussions could last a lot longer.

Will Glaws kids be all right?

Discussion started by Shedloads (IP Logged), 13/07/2011 11:36

Shedloads
13/07/2011 11:36

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