Solomons is not feeling any age restriction
WHEN THE £13million windfall generated by CVC’s investment lands with the Premiership in the new year, Worcester may divert a chunk of it to buy Alan Solomons a tartan blanket and a flask.
At 68, Solomons is the oldest director of rugby in the league – eight years the senior of his nearest rival, Northampton’s Chris
Boyd, who he locks horns with tonight.
If he serves out his contract – and there is no reason to suggest he will not having given the Warriors renewed direction in his year in charge – he will be knocking on 70.
As he sat down and reflected on his travels around rugby at Sixways this week, it was clear that retirement is far from his thoughts.
“I don’t think that age is a limiting factor,” said Solomons. “In days gone by, 70 would be viewed differently to what it is today. My mum is 96 and pretty compos mentis.
“Guys like Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, lots of presidents of countries have been older. I don’t think you can have a blanket rule. It depends entirely on the individual.”
Solomons, who was part of Nick Mallett’s coaching team when the Springboks set a then world record of 17 successive Test wins in 1998, remains sprightly, sharp and bubbling with enthusiasm but, when he is old enough to be the players’ grandfather, there inevitably can be the odd disconnect.
“My taste in music and theirs is radically different,” said Solomons. “But I’ve coached for 40-odd years and I’ve never been away from rugby really so I’ve stayed in touch with youngsters all the time. I’ve just adjusted and adapted to them.
“Of course they are different – I walk upstairs sometimes and every guy is looking at his phone. I say, ‘Let’s talk to each other a bit here’. But the core values that are important to me – integrity is No1, being altruistic, being a good pro – I find those appeal to whatever generation I’ve coached. I still love the game and the players.”
If age has not diminished Solomons, it has, he says, mellowed him. Early on in his coaching career, after a serious knee injury had ended his playing career at 26, he was learning the ropes with a student third team in his native South Africa. One of his players asked him for Saturday off to attend his brother’s wedding. Solomons refused.
During his successful spell at Ulster, he insisted the players train on Christmas Day. Worcester’s players were pleased to hear they have December 25 off.
The Solomons way has not always worked. He lasted only 10 games at Northampton in 2004 after taking the disastrous decision to appoint Corne Krige, who had assaulted England players left, right and centre at Twickenham previously, as club captain. But the fit at Worcester, where he has fast-tracked Ted Hill from the club’s academy, seems better.
A qualified lawyer, who used to represent his own players during his time in Super Rugby, Solomons arrived as more of a firefighter last October as an assistant to Gary Gold, who jumped ship for the USA job shortly afterwards.
“I knew we were in a precarious positon – I think we had one point from six games – and I had to suss out what was going on. Fortunately I had a bit of experience,” he said.
“I liked what I saw. I thought we had a good crowd of players and that the club had real potential. There was a hunger among people to do well.
“Worcester has always had the cricket but, with the rugby, Gloucester, Bath and Bristol have probably been regarded as more fashionable clubs. I liked the whole feel of the place and thought it was a wonderful challenge.”
For all that Worcester have pushed on this season, the challenge remains. The Warriors, like Northampton, are in the middle of a pile-up in the lower half of the table, with four points separating the bottom six teams.
No country for old men? On the contrary, Solomons is relishing the scrap.