News Townson wary as top-flight giants circle on Trailfinders
EALING forwards coach Glen Townson fears the ambitious west Londoners could be victims of their own success as Premiership predators eye their top players.
A season of high achievement on the field has seen the likes of back rowers Jordy Reid and Rayn Smid and hooker Alun Walker catch the eye of top-flight sides, with Saracens understood to have undertaken a number of scouting missions to Vallis Way.
However, former Newcastle and Bristol lock Townson believes players may be better served by staying put and achieving their top-flight ambitions at Ealing. He told The Rugby
Paper: “The first place Premiership clubs are going to look if they are recruiting from the lower leagues is the top end of the Championship – we’ve been there for a couple of years so you almost become a victim of your own success.
“If the team’s doing well and players are improving, they’re going to attract interest and it becomes a double-edged sword because you never want to stop them progressing.
“What we’d like to do is satisfy those Premiership ambitions here, so this season it’s about keeping pace with London Irish and trying to win promotion.
“Failing that, some guys may have decisions to make, but then there’s always that dilemma about where they would fit into a top club’s pecking order?
“Say Saracens picked you up, would you get any game time there?
“If you look at Mark Flanagan at Bedford,
below, he’s a very good player who went to Saracens, didn’t play much and now he’s back at Bedford. It would be nice if we could get players up ourselves and give them that opportunity to build here.”
While CVC’s £230m investment in Premiership rugby will widen the financial gap between the top-flight and the have-nots in the Championship, Townson believes the game’s authorities would be making a grave mistake if they opt to ring-fence.
He explained: “A lot of players come into the Championship trying to get into the Premiership, whether they are coming out of the universities where they’ve been in the BUCS league, which is getting bigger, or they’ve been in academy systems at Premiership sides, been released and are looking for a route back into fulltime rugby.
“If you ring-fence the Premiership, would you kill that ambition by not having professional, fulltime rugby below the top-flight so guys can get into that shop window?
“It’s no different for coaches who are trying to make their way in the game – where do you learn your trade?
“We’re lucky to have an owner who’s passionate about rugby and wants to invest in facilities, coaches and players, but would he continue to do that if there’s no opportunity to take the team to the next level? You would probably kill all that off.”
A broken left kneecap forced Townson to retire at 32, but he added:
“I was lucky to get an opportunity in coaching after Alex Codling joined Harlequins and, after the disappointment of hanging up the boots, it was too good a chance to turn down. “It’s such a volatile industry to get into but I’m enjoying it and as a club we’re on a journey.”