Yorkshire Carnegie v Worcester: Picture should become clearer soon for McGee

Stand-in head coach Tommy McGee will receive more clarity about his position in the new year.
Yorkshire Carnegie coach Tommy McGee.Yorkshire Carnegie coach Tommy McGee.
Yorkshire Carnegie coach Tommy McGee.

A new board of directors has been unveiled at Yorkshire Carnegie with more than £2m invested into getting the team back into the Premiership within three years.

On the pitch, McGee has stabilised matters in the wake of Gary Mercer’s departure with four wins from four.

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And when the board meet for the first time in January, the head coaching role will be discussed, although it is understood that there is no immediate concern surrounding that position.

The new board of Yorkshire Carnegie will get a clear indication of the type of team they will need to develop to get back into the Premiership with the visit of high-flying Worcester today. Such an ambition might already be beyond them this season, given the poor start they have made in the Championship and the form of both Bristol and Worcester at the top of the second tier.

And with the Warriors in town today, McGee has challenged his players for more.

“The guys will have to step up a level, they are playing a top side but we want to be a top side so the challenge is set,” said McGee, who oversaw a much-needed Championship victory at Jersey last week.

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“We are not here to make up the numbers. We are not overawed or disillusioned about these things.

“We are excited about playing teams like Worcester and we have got to go out and play the game of rugby that we want to play and when we need to we have got to front up, make our tackles, we’ve got to kick chase and get certain parts of our emotional side of the game right.”

On Worcester, McGee added: “They look like a Premiership team and they are very physical and are pretty pragmatic.

“They have quality across the board. They don’t hide in the way they play and they are very direct and very good in their game management and their catch and drive and their scrum. If we can compete there we are hoping that we will make it difficult for Worcester with the style and speed of rugby that we will try to play.”