Ross Chisholm press conference | Harlequins Women vs Leicester Tigers

Ross Chisholm met with members of the press to look ahead to Saturday's PWR clash with Leicester Tigers.

The Women's Head Coach discussed several topics, including:

• Reintegrating international players after the Six Nations.
• The mindset and focus for the squad heading into Saturday's fixture.
• Recruitment and the signing of Sisilia Tuipulotu and re-signing of Aoife Wafer.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Hi Ross. Hi Claire, how are you?

SPEAKER_03 0:02

Yeah, good thanks.

SPEAKER_00 0:02

You good, thank you.

SPEAKER_03 0:04

Good. Um, after such a long break, how do you sort of manage reintegrating the players in such a sort of quick turnaround?

SPEAKER_00 0:12

Yeah, it's a great question. I think look, we probably learned, well, I definitely learned some some lessons post the World Cup on how you almost reintegrate people back into the environment. And look, the reality is you've got a week to prepare, and it's the same for everyone. So, how well can you do that? We spent a decent amount of time on Monday um discussing what the group felt they needed to do to reconnect and realign. And then we did a light on pitch session, and then actually we went and did a sort of social activity altogether to try and um, you know, not that people don't know each other, but almost go, how was how was your couple of weeks? How have you got on and almost just build that social reconnection again? And then train as normal on Tuesday, and then you're just constantly throughout the week just trying to hit those connection points away from just sort of the rugby. Um we'll find out on Saturday if it's worked or not.

SPEAKER_03 1:06

Sounds good. Um, do you think this is the strongest PDR PWR season you've seen? And why do you think that is?

SPEAKER_00 1:14

100%. It every fixture is really, really difficult, and you have to be on it. And if you slip up for a split second or a moment or a half, then you can come unstuck. And I think that that has happened to us in the back half of the season, and look, it's really, really good for the league. I think look the growth in the game is is astronomical, and I think the sort of the competitiveness of all the players is just exceptional, and as I said, there's just so the PWR is there's the you know the best league in the world with so much high competition. I think you know, seeing the addition of the Black Ferns players this season in the league just sort of really highlights that, along with the Roses, the Canadians, the Welsh, the Scots, all the other international nations. I think look, you just have to see that the quality of each team that each team is putting out every week is so strong.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

Thank you very much, and best of luck for the weekend.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 2:18

Hi Ross, how are you?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Good, thank you, Sarah. How are you?

SPEAKER_04 2:22

Yeah, well, good, thank you. Um, just one on the PWR expansion. I don't know how much you've you've thought about the topic, but what are your thoughts on it? Because it would add more games to your season and and maybe kind of broaden out the league into Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.

SPEAKER_00 2:36

Yeah, look, it's it's probably something I don't give a lot of thought to. It's it's kind of not really right my remit um to worry about kind of who's in the league and um what fixtures we may or may not play. So I won't really comment on on that. Um obviously we'll wait wait and see what happens and sort of go from there.

SPEAKER_04 2:59

That's the match good this weekend.

SPEAKER_01 3:01

Thank you. Hi Ross. Um, I I guess I wanted to know, and I found it obviously really interesting that you sort of did like a break of the ice uh kind of with one game to go into the season. I quite enjoyed that. But like it does it speak to a general more general point where you're sort of trying to get a group of players up for what could potentially be one more game this season. Like, kind of how have you managed that and how has it been sort of like planning for that? Because I can imagine it's been unique.

SPEAKER_00 3:26

Yeah, it's I think look, we're probably not in a position we wanted to be in, to be honest. And I put it over to the players, I think ultimately that they play, not me, and they have to believe in what they're trying to do and what they're trying to action. And something they spoke about in the week is they wanted to go out there and put a performance on there that they could be proud of, whilst also really enjoying the week about being back together again. And and I think part of being a at Quinn's is making sure that you know, socially we're reconnected, but also that they're really clear on the way that we want to try and play, which is an attacking style of rugby that's looking to move the ball with that. You need certain elements of bravery, but also making sure that you're really clear on you know, this is how we're gonna attack in this area, this is what we're gonna do here. Now, with limited time, you have to focus your time and energy into certain areas, so that's what we've done this week.

SPEAKER_01 4:23

Yeah, and obviously, it has been obviously a little bit of a while since you you've had to do one of these, which is probably you've probably enjoyed to be honest. Um, uh getting the break. But uh obviously, since we last spoke to you, like obviously uh you've announced the signing of Cecilia, so obviously she's coming down the motorway, and then on top of that, Ether's contract renewal was announced yesterday. How pleased are you to sort of like for Quinn's to be able to retain that sort of you know, kind of that calibre of player? Because it must be really exciting when you're thinking about planning for for next season and possibly even beyond that.

SPEAKER_00 4:55

Definitely, it we're really excited to you know re-sign Ether and have Cecilia joining us. It adds to a really strong squad. Um, and you're always trying to get the best players you can in the door, and um, to go to what I said earlier around you know the competitive of the league, like each each side is is really strong, and you know, ultimately you want to try and get the strongest squad you can, but also from our point of view, it's aligning to how we want to play and aligning to the recruitment strategy. It's not just about going out and going, oh, they're really good, that let's just get them. It's like do they fit how we want to play? Do they fit the game style, the game model, um, culturally, all that sort of stuff? Like, and then so there's a clear strategy around how we want to recruit and the players we want to try and recruit. And I strongly believe that the two names that you've named there, Cecilia and Aitha, really fit the style and the brand that we want to play.

SPEAKER_01 5:54

Yeah, and then just really quickly on Aitha, because obviously, watching her for the particularly the last couple of rounds of the Six Nations, you must have been sort of jumping for joy a little bit inside, particularly when you were thinking about getting her back in a in a quinchet.

SPEAKER_00 6:06

Oh, look, Aitha is has been phenomenal for us this season, and she was phenomenal in the Six Nations, and she deserves every accolade and every uh bit of applause she gets. I mean, that last game against Scotland. I mean, what a spectacle of a game that was, and I thought she was incredible in that game, and look, she's been incredible for us this season. So, you know, we're delighted she's gonna be staying at Quinn's. Brilliant. Thank you very much. Thank you.

SPEAKER_02 6:35

Oh, hi everyone, how are you?

SPEAKER_00 6:37

Hi, Fee. I'm good, thanks. How are you?

SPEAKER_02 6:40

I'm good, thank you. Um, I was just looking at the table and really familiarising myself with it after being so long away. Um I mean, mathematically, it's it's I mean, you you've obviously thought about this, surely, that you know, that fourth-place sport is still up for grabs, but it does depend on what child finders do in their last two games. Um how you know that m you you guys must have given that that that that some thought and and facing Leicester this weekend, you know, if you could if you can claim maximum points, then you've done all you can. Is that the sort of mantra that you're sending the team out with this weekend?

SPEAKER_00 7:18

Definitely. We've got a full spreadsheet of what if buts and maybes and something that you look at. I mean, look, it's more just for like a planning perspective, like what is the next couple of weeks like, what is this like? And I think the preparation, you know, it kind of you go through all that, but ultimately you're right, Fee. Like all we can control is what we can control. That's how we play and how we perform on Saturday. Ultimately, we can't do any more than that, and what will be will be, and it's sort of what we've spoken about for the group. It's let's just go out there and focus on us and how we perform and not worry too much about what anyone else is doing.

SPEAKER_02 7:54

Sure. I know kind of across the the league, we've already seen a number of player moves with the likes of that the the big trio leaving Gloucester to go up to sale. Um, I just wondered, is there a sort of particular time frame when when you sit down and think, right, you know, I'm gonna get my recruitment hat on. I'm thinking about next season. Does that happen pretty much after you guys are done and dusted, or do you take a break? Like how how does it how does it kind of work from a Quinn's perspective?

SPEAKER_00 8:22

Yeah, I suppose look my role as as head coach is at Mass Rod, it was obviously the recruitment we have for Pat Metkoff Jones, who is head of women's rugby, and we we align on the recruitment stuff, so we do a lot of that together. Um in answer to your question, we're doing it all year round. So it kind of literally starts day one of pre-season, you're potentially starting to map out what that looks like, or you're starting to um hold conversations, potentially you might not finish your recruitment cycle, believe it or not. We are generally sort of still going sometimes in July and August. Um, and if you pick up a few injuries out of the back of a WXV or something like that, and particularly this year, the World Cup, then you might have to do recruitment then. And it generally is like a 365 days of the year type task, not that you're necessarily doing it every every day, and but you do do it. We we do it a lot and we discuss a lot, and a lot of work goes in behind the backgrounds to to do it really, and and it's the the recruitment and the the planning behind it is always going on um from our club.

SPEAKER_02 9:34

Okay. I'm gonna try and pipe the bear one more time. Sorry, I wanted to follow up with what Sarah asked you about this expansion. You have to have a view on it, Ross. You've been involved with the league for two years now. Surely you've thought about it. You know, I know a lot of it is hypothetical, but men's rugby for years has talked about a British and Irish merger to I guess conquer what's happening out in France and how they're sort of dominating Europe. Um from a logistics point of view, from a head coach point of view, do you have any you must have some sort of feelings on it, surely? Yeah, look at that. In terms of inviting you know potential sides from Ireland, Scotland, Wales.

SPEAKER_00 10:13

Yeah, look, obviously it's it's a it's a league decision, and I think from from my perspective, you want to play as many competitive games as you can. Obviously, I I lived in the professional sporting and uh rugby team for a very long time, and as a player, you always want to play in huge competitive games, and I think you want as many experiences as you experience. Obviously, from my experience, I was lucky enough to go to Clermont and play at the Aviva and all this sort of stuff. And I know it wouldn't we wouldn't be playing French sides, for example, but from a playing point of view, you want to be playing competitive fixes, you learn and you grow so much. Oh, hold on, the door's just gone one second. You learn so much from those experiences, and you take so much from it, like you just have to look at the six nations um this season, the competitive nature and the world cup has just gone, the competitive nature of it growing, and the competitiveness of it is is great to see, and I think that close competition. So look, obviously, all the decisions are completely out of out of my hands, but that is almost how how I view it. Obviously, how that looks and how that works, I'd have no idea. Um but that would probably be my stance on it.

SPEAKER_02 11:31

Okay, I appreciate it, thank you.