From Wales to Doncaster to Worcester, it’s been a busy few years for the Warriors’ head coach Clive Griffiths. He talks exclusively to www.rucked.com
How’s tricks Clive?
Up and down – looking up at the other clubs mostly!
Bottom of the league with no wins, it’s been a tough start for Worcester?
Yeah, but when you look at the fixture list, four of our first six matches were away from home – at places like Gloucester, Bath and Leicester. And even going to Leeds is never easy. There are no easy games, we played Saracens, Wasps and Sale at home – they were no gimmes. But, bit by bit, we’re getting things sorted and piecing the jigsaw together. Hopefully, our new signings will give us a bit of impetus though.
Of course, and they include Rico Gear…
He’s a proven tryscorer and a game breaker, and, added to our other new recruits, hopefully we’ll not only shore up the defence a bit but also have a bit more cutting edge in attack.
Changing the way Worcester play hasn’t been easy, has it?
We have tried to change things and maybe, in hindsight, we wouldn’t have done some things. But we’re trying to break the mould and it takes time, so it’s lucky we’re resilient souls – we don’t want to see ten man rugby and we’ve had a good response from the players and the majority of supporters. It’s a tough division though and some times we have to go for the tried and tested route to get over line. Against Quins was typical, we scored three tries – one from great inter-passing among the forwards and then two from a crash and drive over the line. Being able to do that is an important weapon to have, but if someone nullifies that and your kicking game too, you don’t want to be at a loss. We just want to add another string to our bow, although at the same time we don’t want to from side to side all day long.
Was it a tough decision to leave Doncaster?
It was one massive decision to leave, even to come to a place like this in the Premiership. We really turned it round at Doncaster and went from finishing just above relegation to being top of the league at Christmas and pushing for promotion – it was real Roy of the Rovers stuff. We’d also turned full-time and I’d already done 90 per cent of the recruitment. I had about three or four weeks to make the decision, and it was choice between what might be at Doncaster to what already is at Worcester. It wasn’t the most popular decision among the people who’d spent a lot of time and money at the club and I could’ve waited to get Doncaster up but the call was too strong. At the time Jason Forster said to me ‘if you don’t go for it, they should take you away in a straitjacket’ – and he was right. Much as I agonised over it, I made the right decision.
How much are you enjoying the job now?
When I’m coaching I’m enjoying my life – that’s why I’m in the job. I enjoy coaching out on the field with lads, mucking in day-to-day and going through the bad times is all part of it. I’m never happier than when I’m out in the field cold, wet and coaching – that’s the masochistic side of me!
What’s it like being back with Mike Ruddock?
I can’t brag about him too much because he’s sat opposite me! It’s down to trust and mutual respect for what we both do – he knows what I can do and I know what he can do. It’s a good mix, we bounce things off each other – we don’t agree all the time but, as is the key to any good relationship, we don’t hold grudges. Mike was the major factor in me coming here, if he wasn't then I probably wouldn’t have left Doncaster.
How ambitious are Worcester?
The chairman – Cecil Duckworth – is so enthusiastic, he knows the club has come so far and we just need to take it that extra mile. He wants us to be genuine contenders for European spots and that’s not pie in the sky. A lot of teams from outside of the establishment have worked their way up and the chairman is hell bent on us getting us to where he wants us to be.
It seems a long way away at present…
It’s a difficult time at the moment, but we’ll weather the storm, our new signings will give us some impetus and then we can consolidate our position in this league and then build for the future. We’re already looking to the future and some top quality recruits…
Anyone in particular?
It would detrimental to other people to mention names, but we’re looking at world-class players…
On to your old stomping ground and what do make of Gatland’s appointment, is he the right man?
Yes, I think so. I’ve been critical of the WRU for not picking a Welshman, but what I did say was if there is an alternative high-profile candidate, then Warren Gatland is your man. Mike and I know him well and Shaun Edwards says he’s a top-class coach who’ll get the best out of the players. I do feel though that we do have a conveyor belt of coaches in place and we should be cultivating our own coaches.
And what about your former star man, Gavin Henson?
Gavin seems to have all his troubles behind him. The ‘will he stay with Charlotte or won’t he’ saga is over and new he’s got a child so he seems a happy cookie and they seem happy together. I think that’s been mirrored in his performances on the field, he’s getting back to something where he was. I was very fortunate to have worked with him during his first season at Swansea in 2000, and he was great. I never had any problem with Gavin, he’s just Gavin – brash, outlandish, he loves his rugby… And he’s got a different hairstyle – although I’m just jealous!
You’ve coached pretty much everywhere in both codes, what’s next?
I’m looking to coach until I’m at least 60, I’d still like to play if I could! As long as I still love coaching and getting out there and having laugh with the lads, I’ll carry on until someone shoots me!
Mike just said that could be arranged and he should know – he’s been to Ireland and coached and he had his own little mafia out there.
No, seriously, we’ve got a lot of payback to give to other sides. A lot of sides have got one over on us and left here with a satisfied grin on their faces – as a coach or a player you always clock that and the biggest satisfaction will be when we get the payback!
