Where there’s a Will... (From Worcester News)

Where there’s a Will...

7:00am Friday 3rd September 2010 in

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WILL Bowley insists he never considered quitting Worcester Warriors, despite becoming a Sixways spare part during Mike Ruddock’s regime.

The academy-produced second row has had a resurgence since Richard Hill took command at Sixways and is now looking forward to much more regular game-time.

The 26-year-old feels he was not given a fair crack of the whip by former director of rugby Ruddock, but insists he can play a huge part in Worcester’s future.

Bowley seemed set to cement his place in the Warriors first XV after making 12 Premiership starts, as well as four appearances off the bench, during 2008/09.

However, for some reason, he fell out of favour the next season and was handed just five replacement appearances and no starts at all.

“I suppose I didn’t really get given a fair chance last season,” Bowley admitted. “Especially after the year I’d had the season before when I started most weeks, except for when I had a broken thumb.

“It was disappointing and frustrating — it got me down a bit as well after the previous season where I thought ‘right, I’ve made my impression, I’ve been here five or six years and now I’ve had a season to really stake my claim’.

“It was not where I was planning on heading, but hopefully now I’ll have the opportunity to have a good season. Hilly has outlined everyone is going to get a good crack at playing — that wasn’t really the case before.

“I know the pressure is greater in the Premiership, but I felt second row was — more than most positions in the squad — an area where we had four good players and any one of us could have been thrown in and we’d intermingle and be able to play together.

“Hopefully, this year we’ll see that with me and the other three guys all playing and being given a chance without it affecting the strength or way we play.”

Since being appointed as Warriors head coach, Hill has made it abundantly clear that everyone will be given a chance to impress.

This was not always the case under the previous regime, with Ruddock prefering to stick with his favourite players through thick and thin — albeit mainly thin.

Bowley feels the new approach will reap the benefits of a more driven and focused group of players.

He added: “With the amount of games that we play, you’ve got to use the players around you.

“For the same 22 guys to rock up every week, you’re never going to be feeling all that fresh.

“I think the new set-up, where we will have a better rotation between the players, will create more hunger in the squad.

“We all know we’re not going to go more than three weeks without playing a game of rugby, so you can go away and work on weights and fitness when you’re not in the team and freshen up for when you’re needed.

“Last year, I was already in contract for this season, so I thought that I’d been here too long to go elsewhere — I didn’t want to jump ship and I still want to be part of a successful Worcester team.

“Hopefully, this year we will be a Championship-winning side and then, in years to come, we’ll be a successful Premiership side.”