Unbeaten, but Worsley knows axe is coming
Joe Worsley had seen it all as a Wasps warrior with World Cup, European and Premiership medals in his pocket and 78 England caps among his souvenirs. All down to his talent on the field. But, at the age of 41, he finds himself in an unusual, not to say extraordinary, role as the rookie manager of Bordeaux-Begles.
Worsley has won all three games in charge so far while admitting for the first time he will be out of the door at the end of the season.
He goes into today’s match at home to Racing having led his team into the coveted top six, a long-held Bordeaux ambition, with wins at Castres and Perpignan and at home to Toulon.
Astonishing really when you consider his previous boss Rory Teague was sacked after a humiliating 40-0 defeat at Toulouse just a week earlier.
Even more so when you see him victorious in his last game over Castres boss Christophe Urios, the man already hired to replace him next season. Away from home and with 14 men for much of the game.
Now he confronts his future with the same steely gaze that once struck fear into so many opponents.
Worsley says: “I am not going to lie. It seems obvious to me that I will be going elsewere.
“After having been the manager, it would be difficult with regard to the squad to become an assistant again.”
Worsley doesn’t leave clubs as a rule. He played for 18 years at Wasps and has already spent six on the staff of Bordeaux.
He adds, perhaps in view of severance negotiations to come, that he has not yet made a firm decision.
But he is bound to have alerted English clubs to his imminent availability. Especially as he concedes life under Teague and his unexpected promotion has changed him.
Worsley explains: “Rory did teach me things. I was very laid back before. When a player did not want it, he just did not want it and I let it drop.
“Rory taught me that some players need a stick and others a carrot. You need to know how to use them both.”
Today will bring a massive test of his team’s defensive resilience. Racing have three of the Top 14’s leading try-scorers in Virimi Vakatawa, who has nine, with Irishman Simon Zebo and Argentine Juan Imhoff both on seven.
Bordeaux start in fifth, one place below Racing. Urios would be most grateful to Worsley if he manages to keep them there.
Especially as Castres, though reigning champions, are in a slump with Urios confessing before yesterday’s match at La Rochelle: “I do not recognise my team. When you see them play, you get the impression they have not been training.”
Urios is on his way and perhaps that is the reason. Whatever, La Rochelle were in no mood to bring their winning streak to a close.
They jumped into second-place behind Clermont with a seventh straight victory, a place threatened only by Toulouse, who host Toulon today in front of a 32,700 sell-out crowd.
La Rochelle were always dominating this 53-27 try-fest from the moment centre Pierre Aiguillon scored the first of his two tries.
A punch-up between Castres hooker Jean-Charles Orioli and Castres lock Christophe Samson briefly interrupted affairs with two yellow cards.
But despite a defiant comeback, Castres saw their top six chances fade even further when pierced by winger Marc Andreu, a penalty try and South African centre Wiaan Liebenburg.
Jules Plisson, the French international fly-half of Stade Francais, looks likely to join Clermont next season.
That is, in large part, because Argentine Nicolas Sanchez clearly has the backing of new Stade boss Heyneke Meyer.
Sanchez was influential in Stade’s 23-20 win over Grenoble and, with Plisson once again on the bench, Meyer said: “Nicolas needs games to find his place in our system. He will be an important player for us.”
Stade went above Bordeaux with a win that seemed unlikely when Grenoble scrum-half Lilian Saseras and hooker Etienne Fourcade gave their team a big lead with early tries.
But winger Lester Etien and a penalty try had Stade in front while the accurate kicking of Sanchez kept them ahead.
Grenoble had one final chance of a tie, but a penalty from Gaetan Germain fell just short.
A valuable bonus point in any case for them because Agen, with whom they are fighting for survival, stayed in the bottom two when hammered 52-20 at Lyon.
The result was never in doubt, the bonus secured by half-time during a seven-try spree overall. It was started by centre Pierre-Louis Barassi, a member of the France team that beat England in the U20 World Cup final this year.
The others were added by hooker Mickael Ivaldi, Argentine prop Francisco Gomez Kodela, winger Alexis Palisson, twice, sub No.8 Dylan Cretin and centre Thibaut Regard.
A red letter day for Gomez Kodela with his first try in three seasons for Lyon – more than 100 Top 14 games.