Do the Prem Rugby semi-finals need a Welsh URC team?
Ahead of this weekend’s Prem Rugby’s semi-finals, Ollie Phillips assesses whether they could do with a hint of Wales.
Picture the scene: next year’s Prem Rugby semi-finals feature the top three teams from this year – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby and Exeter Chiefs – plus one of the Scarlets, Ospreys, Dragons or Cardiff.
This would, of course, be the potential fallout of inviting some, or all, of the Welsh regions into the Prem, something a huge number of fans have been keen to see since the increasing focus on the Welsh Rugby Union and its inability to govern.
It would mimic the old Cup, when the Welsh teams were integrated into the English system.
But the reality is this: this year’s Prem Rugby semi-final foursome is the bees knees, the perfect balance of sides to demonstrate how good England’s top flight is.
Prem Rugby foresome
Take Northampton Saints. They have that wonderful English spine with the ability to attack from anywhere. Head coach Phil Dowson has developed into one of the top domestic coaches in the league and he appears to have been able to take his Franklin’s Gardens fans on one almighty journey after a disappointing Prem performance last year – the caveat being he took the East Midlanders to the Investec Champions Cup final, where they lost to Bordeaux.
Then you have defending champions Bath Rugby. Johann van Graan has added more of his South African grit to a team that won a version of the treble last season. They’re losing a number of key players this season but will be keen to go back-to-back and end the cycle of no team winning two consecutive Premiership titles in recent seasons. Driven on by quality international talent – such as Thomas du Toit and Finn Russell – they’re a truly blended squad.
Now look at Exeter Chiefs, playing what could be their final season under de facto owner Tony Rowe and their current model. They’re without a flock of England stars but add quality as and when it suits Rob Baxter’s team – whether that be from over the border in Wales or further afield like Australia. They have built up a real head of steam in the second half of this campaign and will be one huge challenge to Bath at the Rec.
And then there is Leicester Tigers. Having gone around the grounds to search for a director of rugby to replace the all conquering Michael Cheika, they settled on former Prem stalwart Geoff Parling. The youngest of the four remaining directors of rugby, at 42, Parling has overcome the doubt of the fanbase to take the side to the playoffs. With astute signings – such as fly-half Billy Searle – doing the business they’re the plucky underdogs, which is ironic given their pedigree in previous decades.
State of play
In no way is the inclusion of one or all of the four Welsh regions a bad idea, but it definitely benefits those over the border more than it does the English Prem. The huge beneficiaries this side of the Severn Bridge will be those West Country sides with the geographic advantage of being close to Wales.
But in this year’s Prem Rugby semi-finals the top flight has a little bit of everything. And they’ve done it all on their own. The sport’s bigwigs must not forget that.
Former England Sevens captain Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance. Follow Ollie @OlliePhillips11