Preview - Worcester Warriors 2021/22
“We all recognise as a club that it’s time for change and change needs to happen”
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What does this mean for the Atlas takeover of @WorcsWarriors? Presumably Wasps owner Chris Holland will want his Si… https://t.co/zxjFdOV1VZ -
@RJDhowzat @bally07 @TrustWarriors @WorcsWarriors @WaspsRugby @Steve_Dimes You ok there Bob or have you had a few too many sherbets?! -
Season Expectations: 13th
Key Signings: Duhan Van Der Merwe, Rory Sutherland, Owen Williams, Scott Baldwin, Willi Heinz
In the 6 seasons since re-joining the premiership in 2015, Worcester have finished no higher than 8th place in the league. The Warriors finished bottom of the table in the 2020/2021 season amassing only 1 win (Excluding COVID affected results) and finishing 18 points adrift from 11th place, making it one of the worst seasons in Premiership history. There has been the feeling that Worcester have been a way behind other clubs over the last 6 years from a conditioning, talent and team chemistry standpoint. Jonathan Thomas, head coach of the Warriors, said recently that “We all recognise as a club that it’s time for change and change needs to happen”. Thomas further goes on to admit that the fitness levels of players over recent years have not been up to standard by saying “we’ve got to take ourselves to another level from a conditioning point of view”. The recognition that drastic changes were needed has led to 19 departures from last season’s squad. To replace them the club has made 14 new signings along with a number of new staff members, all in the hope that the Warriors can lift themselves out of the bottom half of the table and transform into a playoff contender.
Whilst Worcester fans have not had much to cheer about over recent seasons, the signings the club has made over the summer should delight and relieve Worcester fans. New acquisitions in key positions were a must in the offseason and director of Rugby Alan Solomons has certainly delivered.
The high-profile signings of Scottish internationals and recent British and Irish Lions Duhan Van Der Merwe (Edinburgh) and Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh) are the most notable acquisitions. Since announcing the signing in January, Duhan Van Der Merwe has had quite the year. After a breakout Six Nations in which he was the top try scorer of the tournament, Van Der Merwe was selected for his first British and Irish Lions tour to South Africa. Van Der Merwe played the most tour minutes out of any player and started in all three test matches. The South African born winger will provide Worcester with explosive ball carrying and prolific try scoring abilities, traits that are sure to solve some of Worcester’s offensive struggles.
Fellow Scottish heavyweight Rory Sutherland has also joined the club ahead of the new season, the loosehead prop brings further international experience into the squad. In my eyes Sutherland is one of the best buys of the summer, since his career threatening adductor injury in 2017 the 29-year-old has become one of the best props in world rugby. His dynamic ball running, world class scrummaging ability and international experience will no doubt much improve Worcester’s ability to win games up front.
Along with the marquee signings of Van Der Merwe and Sutherland, Worcester have upgraded in a number of other key positions. Owen Williams joins after spending some time in Japan with the Red Hurricanes, Worcester will hope that he can fill the shoes of former fly half Duncan Weir who left the club in the summer. Williams will be reunited with halfback Willi Heinz (Gloucester), the former England international will look to bring his experience and leadership to a backline littered with talent. Furthermore, the addition of reinforcements in the forward pack include Scott Baldwin (Harlequins), Sione Vailanu (Wasps) and Jack Owlett (Wasps), all of whom are great additions and give the Warriors some much needed quality depth in key squad positions.
With the plethora of new signings and internal changes the Warriors have made, the only question this season will be how quickly the team gels together . Now the talent has arrived at Sixways, it’s up to Jonathan Thomas and his team to get this squad firing on all cylinders. If they can, Worcester fans will have lots to look forward to this upcoming season.