Rob Will and Deano defined the new age of professionalism long before the first wave of entrepreneurs came thundering over the hill brandishing

General — July 28, 2010 at 6:46

Rob, Will and Deano defined the new age of professionalism long before the first wave of entrepreneurs came thundering over the hill, brandishing their cheque books. His views are worth a decent ear, too, because he has seen the game from every angle, as player, teacher, coach, manager and general factotum. He is 58, silver-haired and well built and his views are delivered in a deep and resonant tone which must have been a formidable asset in gaining the attention of an international dressing-room.
Cooke’s England were a tight-knit band who cared little for the niceties of the game or the pockets of the spectators, but worked on the fundamental principle that history remembers winners not stylists. That makes him very much more entertaining company than he was during his time as England coach, when every syllable would demand explanation from the bigwigs of the committee rooms or interpretation from the media. Now little Worcester have a ground with a capacity of 5,000, 32 new executive boxes and, after winning seven promotions in 10 seasons, stand on the verge of the Allied Dunbar Premiership One, provided the clubs already there do not turn their backs on the upstarts from the West Midlands. Fran Cotton, chairman of Club England, was a guest of Cooke’s at the match against Orrell yesterday and his ears will doubtless still be burning this morning.

Cooke has been a vociferous critic of the First Division clubs’ attempts to block promotion and relegation for this season, ostensibly in the interests of stability.
Political correctness is not a necessity these days, so Cooke can sound off to his heart’s content. “That used to be the main grandstand three years ago,” he says. Go past the kitchens and take the lift to the third floor, turn left again and walk along the corridor to the end. Geoff Cooke, the sage of English rugby, can be found in a pristine office at the top of the new south stand of Worcester Rugby Centre from where he has an uninterrupted view of a fertile swathe of rugby’s future.

He points to a structure which resembles the local bus stop. Go past the kitchens and take the lift to the third floor, turn left again and walk along the corridor to the end.

Geoff Cooke, the sage of English rugby, can be found in a pristine office at the top of the new south stand of Worcester Rugby Centre from where he has an uninterrupted view of a fertile swathe of rugby’s future. Mannix struck a drop goal straight and true to give Gloucester a little breathing space and in injury time with a running battle proceeding in the middle of the field Byron Hayward pounced on Mannix’s kick-ahead to score the try which sealed a marvellously entertaining match.
Bristol: M Back; S Marsden, J Mayer, P Whittaker (J Ogilvie-Bull, 40), L Best; H Honiball, A Pichot; P Johnstone, B Williams, D Crompton (P Lemoine, 73), O Booyse, S Morgan, C Evans, D Ryan (capt), A Vander (C Short, 73).
Gloucester: B Hayward; C Catling, T Fanolua (J Ewens, 78), C Yates, T Beim; S Mannix, E Moncrieff; S Simon (T Woodman, 68), C Fortey, A Deacon (P Vickery, 40), R Fidler (M Cornwell, 74), I Jones, S Ojomoh, E Pearce, K Jones (capt).
Referee: S Lander (Cheshire).. Ryan made the first breach with a try from a scrummage and a couple of minutes later Mayer barged over. Then with 12 minutes left and the excitement mounting Back atoned for his earlier sins with Gloucester’s third try to close the gap to five points.
But Gloucester regrouped and drove forward once more with controlled ferocity. They tore into the Glouc-ester defence with a recklessness and enthusiasm which had been notably absent during the first 40 minutes. Mannix, with his third conversion, followed by his third penalty, gave Gloucester a comfortable and apparently unassailable lead of 24 points.
Bristol, though, were unrecognisable with the wind behind them. Another line-out cleanly won, a drive by Serge Simon who is fast becoming a cult hero with the Gloucester following, before Yates fed Tom Beim who had come off his wing.