10:10am Saturday 6th March 2010
By Tom Guest
NEW signing Neil Best may well play in Worcester skipper Pat Sanderson’s favoured openside flanker berth next season, according to Sixways director of rugby Mike Ruddock.
Club captain Sanderson has had a monoploy on the number seven shirt since he moved to the club from Harlequins in 2004 but Irish international Best, who joins Warriors next season, also excels in that position.
In fact, the Northampton Saints back-rower was brilliant playing at seven alongside team-mates Courtney Lawes at blindside and Phil Dowson at number eight in the recent 19-3 win over Leicester Tigers.
Ruddock, however, is happy to have that kind of selection headache in his squad and pointed to the two players’ versatility as a real bonus.
He explained: “The great thing about Pat is that he has also played eight and six for the club — I think he’s played in those positions for England too. Obviously, Besty can do the same, so I can judge that as and when I get a closer look at Neil.
“There’s not a huge amount of difference in the two roles off first phase, particularly off the scrum, and in years gone by we used to play left and right, so people could share the load.
“With players of their quality, there could be a case where on one occasion Pat might be off the back of the line-out, but then it could be that Besty is on the openside of a scrum.
“I’ll look at that next year and deal with it as I see fit, but what I am excited about is that they are both such quality players, Adam Balding will add a lot to us as well.”
Powerful loose forward Balding is another versatile back-rower who will be moving to Worcester next term and Ruddock revealed why the Newcastle man was withdrawn after just 41 minutes of the Falcons 13-0 defeat at Sixways last Friday.
The Warriors boss added: “He’d had a virus, so was struggling a bit — but he is a quality act.”
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