Trophyhunter wrote:Players would never had either the encouragement or confidence to attempt those plays under Cockeril He got us organised , made us hard to beat and disciplined but in no way shape or form did he develop our game or players. That is increasingly evident.
Don't even think that's true. Vellacott as third/fourth choice at wasps - who knows if he's getting another deal. Definitely isn't on the money he was on as they signed him after his breakout year with Gloucester when he got in the England squad. Where other than Scotland where he's valuable as a SQ player and we only have two scrum halfs neither great is he valuable? Also he's the antithesis of a Cockerill 9.
Lang it's believable maybe Cockers sold him the dream of being the backline ignition. Maybe. But it's far more likely as a non English qualified player who wasn't starting or even benching in the big games he wasn't getting a deal at Quins and the best option for him was one of the Scottish clubs.
It's the nature of the business Scottish pro clubs sign SQ players who don't get contracts elsewhere. Or they sign SQ players with promise. Unless you'll have me believe Danny Wilson was watching NTT Red Rockets for two years and it just so happened their star 13 was Scottish.
Agents and Jim Mallender/the SRU signing committee do signings. Cockers was a great coach for us and then it went wrong but let's not give him credit for other people's jobs.