Easter’s gone back to basics
After Worcester’s collapse, former England star Nick is in charge of third-tier Chinnor
NICK EASTER’S mission to nurture local heroes has begun in earnest after five weeks of delays and disruption caused by a winter freeze, train strikes and festive holidays.
Last night, when Chinnor RFC hosted Rosslyn Park at their ground outside Thame in Oxfordshire, it marked the launch of a new era under a high-profile director of rugby.
Former England No 8 Easter, 44 — made redundant as defence and forwards coach at Worcester by the club’s collapse — agreed to take charge at the National League One club on December 1, but had been limited to planning, admin, gym sessions and passing drills in a marquee until Tuesday this week.
Having been alerted to the job in the third tier of English rugby by former Harlequins team- mate Jordan Turner-Hall, Easter (right) is enthused by this unexpected career move.
‘I’d heard of Chinnor, but I didn’t really know where it was,’ he says. ‘Jordan said the director of rugby had left and they were struggling, but had plenty of first-team talent and potential, so I said, “OK mate, put my name forward”.’
Club president Simon Vickers called to explain more about the role and Easter agreed to join until the end of this season. The broad remit appealed — overseeing the forwards and defence, recruitment and re-signings, as well as helping with fund-raising, marketing and events planning. Then came the hold-ups.
‘They went away to Hull on the Saturday but I wasn’t there because I had previous engagements,’ Easter explains. ‘The next week, it was meant to be my first game but because of the freezing weather both training sessions then the match were called off.
‘I addressed the squad but we couldn’t do much. We went in the gym, then we laid some crash mats in the marquee and did a bit of handling in there — very low-key stuff.
‘That Saturday was called off, then the following week too. I thought, “We’ll get a training session in before Christmas and then we might get one before New Year”, but they had all booked holidays so I just said, “Go on then, take the two weeks off!”
‘They came in on Tuesday this week and it was our first full training session. The weather was awful, but at least we could get 30 people out there and actually do some stuff. The front five might have put on a few pounds over Christmas, but mostly they came back in pretty good nick.
‘Our strength and conditioning guy Darren Oliver sends them their programmes and whether they do it is up to them. But they will soon get found out if they don’t and I’m the one who will be all over them because as much as it’s not their job, they have still got a job to do.’
Easter — who coached the amateurs at Wimbledon RFC during his final years as a Quins player — is relishing the different demands of preparing players for whom rugby is not their job but their passion.
‘There are a few who haven’t been able to turn up because of the train strikes, who work in the City,’ he said. ‘Rectory Homes are building developers who put in finance to help keep the club afloat and there are seven or eight players who work for them. Some work on sites and some have moved on to become land buyers and sellers.
‘There are guys with a lot of other careers, whether it be wealth managers, accountants or furniture removals. They come in here and they have got something in common, because they do it for the love of the game. That’s refreshing.
‘Even when I was at Worcester and Newcastle, I wanted meetings to be succinct, because whether you are a professional or you train at 7pm on Tuesday and Thursday nights, you want to run around, get air in your lungs, play with the ball and with your mates. These guys have already done a day’s work so they don’t need information overload.’ Easter’s view is that his team can serve as role models in their community, just as much as the country’s leading professionals. ‘ Whatever level you are at, people want local heroes to inspire them, which is the first team,’ he says. ‘The junior teams who turn up here want to see an Owen Farrell or a Maro Itoje playing for England, but they also want to be inspired by someone closer to home, who they can relate to. They might see them in the bar afterwards, or at a Sunday minis session. I think that’s really important. ‘What I’ve quickly come to realise about this club is that it’s in a very, very strong position. The minis section on a Sunday is overflowing and they put out five senior teams when a lot of clubs
struggle to put out two. I’m interested in finding out why that is.’
Sadly, easter’s last job was with a club who ended up going bust, due to the appalling mismanagement of co- owners Colin goldring and Jason Whittingham. reflecting on the demise of Worcester, he says: ‘My anger and resentment towards the owners has dissipated, because you have got to move on with your life. You can’t keep hold of that stuff, and they will be dealt with.
‘What I’m really pleased about — and it’s not the case with everyone, unfortunately — is that 25 to 30 players have found another club. It’s good to see that they have managed to do that and are thriving.
‘Being honest, if you did a pub quiz last year and said to people, “Name the 13 Premiership sides”, we were the ones they would forget. our job, going in there with dimes (Steve diamond), was to put them on the map and what is sad is that we never got a chance to see if we could achieve that.’
If Worcester are re- established, easter would not rule out going back there — ‘it feels like there’s unfinished business’ — but for now he is relishing his Chinnor mission, while his family establish roots 50 miles away in Cheltenham, after stints in durban and Newcastle.
He is also excited by the prospect of an england revival under Steve Borthwick and Kevin Sinfield. ‘I think they are really good appointments,’ he says. ‘ they will bring clarity and motivation. I heard Kevin Sinfield speak on Sports Personality of the Year, and my eyes were watering — watching him on there with rob Burrow. even as a cynical bloke of 44 you are thinking, “I’d love to play for that guy”.
‘england’s emotional intensity has been lacking. Borthwick is smart and that is why he has brought Sinfield along. I’m looking forward to seeing how they go and there will be no stone unturned.’
at Chinnor, easter intends to bring clarity and motivation — and those at the club who have heard his early meetings confirm there is plenty of emotional intensity, too.
He will be back in the professional coaching ranks soon enough, but he intends to leave a legacy of new oxfordshire heroes.