Kvesic out to show he’s as able as Cane
MATT Kvesic provides a perfect case history of why English rugby, with its boombust results cycle, can never afford to be complacent. Despite England’s blast-off trajectory under Eddie Jones, the Exeter-bound openside’s absence from the England squad reflects two glaring weaknesses.
The first is that where New Zealand still cherish players who wear the No.7 jersey as gamechangers in attack and defence, Premiership coaches have a hankering for handing the shirt to big bangers, or seeing the role mainly as a tackle/breakdown cog in driving the defensive wheel.
The latter is how Kvesic has been employed by Gloucester for most of his four seasons at the club, and his desire to spread his wings in attack explains why – despite being named Gloucester’s player of the year for the past two seasons – he is joining the Chiefs this summer.
It is also a contributory factor in Jones opting to solve what he sees as a dearth of Test-quality opensides by selecting self-confessed ‘6-and-a-half ’ James Haskell at 7, with other non-specialists like Tom Wood, Jack Clifford and Teimana Harrison in reserve.
Thus far Haskell has made an impressive fist of it, using his power and work-rate to get the side on the front foot. However, if England are to make the quantum leap to a team capable of playing the ‘total rugby’ their head coach hankers after in the two years building to the 2019 World Cup, a No.7 with the speed and dexterity to carry strongly and link with the backs is indispensable.
This brings us to the second big flaw in English rugby, not least the Premiership, which has the habit of not maximising on the young talent it is blessed with. Despite the progress made by Owen Farrell, Mako Vunipola, George Ford and Elliot Daly, who were in Kvesic’s England U20 peer group, the conversion rate to success at senior international level is far from spectacular – and not as good as New Zealand’s.
Kvesic played in the same 2011 Junior World Championship final as New Zealand’s Sam Cane, and the two were neck and neck in a match that was much closer than the 33-22 scoreline reflected. He says he is envious of how Cane has been shepherded into the All Blacks side as Richie McCaw’s replacement, and now has 40 caps. By contrast, Kvesic has three, two of which came for England against Argentina in 2013, and the third as a replacement against Wales in the pre-Australia tour warm up last May.
“Obviously, I’d love to have as many caps as him. Or look at Faz (Farrell), who has just gone past 50 caps. Cane’s had that tuition from McCaw, who is recognised as one of the best opensides of the modern era, so most sevens of a similar age will be envious of that.”
Kvesic reflects: “That New Zealand U20 team included Brodie Retallick, Beauden Barrett, TJ Perenara, Waisake Naholo, Steven Luatua, Lima Sopoaga, Codie Taylor and Charles Piutau, so they had a lot of X-factor. Cane played well in the final, but it was a pretty close game – and I had a try disallowed which I still think was scored, and there are photos of it touching the grass.”
Ask Kvesic whether he has been unlucky not to get much of a look-in under Jones, or perhaps just did not fit the mould of what he was looking for, especially in attack, and he is plain speaking.
“It was a bit of both. The way I played last year just didn’t fit the England style, and the guys who took it over really did well and wrapped it up with that Grand Slam, and then the series win in Australia. So, fair play to them. But I’m still only 24 – 25 in April – and I’m looking forward to a new start. It’s going to be a busy old summer because I’m not only changing club, and moving house, I’m also getting married.”
He says he is not surprised to have been off Jones’ radar: “The last time we spoke was after the Saxons tour, and because I’ve played next to no rugby since then I wouldn’t have expected a call.”
He observes: “It’s about finding a balance between what Eddie Jones wants, and what your club wants, and they are not always in alignment.
“He’s looking for an attacking threat. Maybe I had too much of a focus on the breakdown and drifted too far from that attacking area. Exeter have highlighted that, and I definitely agree with their assessment. The real frustration is that it was a strength of mine, and so I want to reinvent it. After the Argentina tour in 2013 I seemed to be in Stuart Lancaster’s plans, and obviously I would have liked to kick on and play in an autumn international – just to be given the chance...” Chances have also been few and far for Kvesic since his move to Exeter was revealed, with Gloucester’s rugby director, David Humphreys, making him an optional extra. Kvesic is disappointed to have played very little over the past month despite being fit, but is also phlegmatic: “I want to play rugby – you train hard to play hard. It’s been like that, a bit up-and-down this season, and ‘Hump’ has been honest from the outset that he would give others a chance.
“Jake Rowan and Lewis Ludlow have gone well at 7. Add to that Ross Moriarty proving he’s one of the best back rowers in the Six Nations, and it means I’ve been getting very little opporunity.”
However, it has been another mediocre season for Gloucester and the shifting bedrock was reflected in the abrupt departure of head coach Laurie Fisher this week. The Australian took to social media to suggest it was time for someone else to take over after describing last weekend’s home loss to Harlequins as a “capitulation”.
Kvesic said it took him by surprise: “I was quite shocked how it happened, and certainly didn’t expect him to go two-thirds of the way through the season. We found out by twitter, like the rest of you. He was a very knowledgeable coach... there were aspects of the game where he helped me out, and I wish him all the best.”
Despite two significant changes in the coaching regime during Kvesic’s time at Kingsholm, with Fisher following
Nigel Davies through the rapidly-revolving exit door, he says he struggled to come to a decision about his own future.
“It’s been a tough one. I’ve enjoyed it here, but there have been a lot of ups and downs, and of course I hoped we’d have been more successful. There have been positives, like winning the European Challenge Cup. Even though it’s not the highest tier like the European Cup, it was still good to win. But, looking back, consistency has let us down.
“I’m not too sure why, but chopping and changing doesn’t help. Teams who have had success generally have stability, and that’s been the case with Exeter. The coaching set-up with Rob Baxter, Ali Hepher and Rob Hunter is strongly established over a number of seasons.”
He adds: “The lack of consistency at Gloucester is not down to any one person. It’s down to everyone at the club, and it’s been a long term thing. There’s not a quick fix – and it’s been a tough one to fix. There’s no lack of drive or dedication among coaches and players, and while sometimes it may have been the game-plan that came unstuck, sometimes we were simply beaten by better teams.”
Kvesic, who was schooled in Devon at Blundells, outlines the main reasons behind his move to Exeter, including having forged a good understanding with head coach Baxter on the Argentina tour almost four years ago.
“Mainly it is about a new challenge and coaches who will bring the best out of me as a player, and the fact that the style Exeter play should suit me. Obviously, it is a factor being coached by Rob, but I know Ali Hepher from last summer’s Saxons tour to South Africa, and Rob Hunter was my England U20 coach. I’ve played with a lot of the Exeter guys. They seem to enjoy the way they play, and even if it doesn’t work they have the confidence to stick with it – they are not a team to change their style every game.”
Baxter has already said he sees Kvesic having more of an attacking role, so does he feel he was in a bit of a defensive straitjacket at Gloucester? “Sometimes. That’s the nature of how games have panned out, but at Worcester my attacking game was one of my big strengths, and also with the England U20s under Rob Hunter. It’s an area I haven’t focused on as much as I’d like, and I’d like to get back to doing that.”
There was also an impression when he got to Gloucester that he bulked-up and lost mobility, and it is one Kvesic accepts.
“When I first got to Gloucester I was 21, and the programmes we had lent to me putting on muscle bulk in my first three seasons with the club. But then Dan Tobin came in as head conditioner last summer, and he has had a big impact. The fitness levels have increased greatly, and I’ve taken some size off and got back to where I was at Worcester. It’s mainly about the way I feel. I felt a bit heavy, but now I feel lighter on my feet, even though it’s only the loss of a couple of kilos, from 106kg to 104kg (16st 3lbs).”
Kvesic says that he is optimistic he can force his way into England back row contention for the 2019 World Cup. “I hope so, but Exeter have an excellent squad, so I have to get into the match fifteen first – and some of the older guys have been excellent in that Chiefs backrow this season. Julian Salvi is staying for another season as well, so I hope I can learn off him too. If I do, I don’t see why I can’t force my way back. But my main aim is to get back to enjoying my rugby and pushing for trophies and titles with Exeter first.”
Courage and good timing are key attributes for a Test No.7, and Matt Kvesic’s decision to move to the Chiefs shows both. Good on him – and for Baxter in recognising that he has plenty more to give.
“It’s about finding a balance between what Eddie Jones wants, and what your club wants, and they are not always in alignment”