Warriors must cut out excuse mentality warns O’Callaghan
FORTHRIGHT lock forward Donncha O’Callaghan has delivered a withering critique of Worcester’s substandard season, declaring they cannot use injuries as an excuse or consider themselves a better team than their league position suggests.
Last week’s victory over Bath, coupled with Bristol’s defeat to Wasps, ensured the Warriors will remain in the Premiership next season.
However, Irish star O’Callaghan warns the club must break a cycle of under-achievement, telling
TRP: “For too long we’ve used the excuse that we’re a better team than our placing, but we’ve never shown that in results.
“We’re exactly where we deserve to be because it’s a tough league and you get out what you put in.
“If we want to aspire to be a team like Saracens or others at the top, we’ve got to improve in every session, every match and be better across the board. Our league position reflects our performance and it needs improving 100 per cent.
“There’s a brilliant setup here and a great group of players, but as a collective we haven’t fulfilled our potential, especially amongst older guys.
“To see the young boys come on has been incredible and you want to help shape a club and have success others have. But to do that all the players have to take responsibility for how they conduct themselves all season on the pitch.”
Worcester’s campaign has been beset by injuries to key players, but O’Callaghan added: “Injuries are an excuse. Every team has injuries and you can’t complain about them because squads are so big now, so that sort of talk just annoys me.
“I always believe you should look at the players and, as a group, we have to strive to be much better and not get ourselves in another s**t fight.”
O’Callaghan’s contract expires this summer but he still wants to help Worcester achieve their potential in becoming a powerhouse of English rugby.
Interim rugby director Gary Gold would like O’Callaghan to stay, describing the 38-year-old as “an inspirational example of a top professional”.
However, the 98-cap Test veteran has revealed that his family will be the deciding factor on whether he extends his two-year stint at Sixways.
He explained: “I’ve been going week-to-week because of the position we’ve been in, but now we’re safe I’ll be looking to make a decision soon.
“I signed for two years and the first year was about staying up while the second was to push on. It feels like I didn’t fulfil the second part so that’s a pull.
“I’m feeling good bodywise, I love it at Worcester and I’ve still got that buzz for doing it and feel I can add value, but my wife Jenny and our kids are still in Cork while I’m living the dream here and it must be a family decision over whether I stay.
“The last thing I want to do is leave the club high and dry, but at the moment they’re supporting me during that decisionmaking process.”