No excuses for failure at Warriors blasts Richard Hill

Worcester should be achieving far better results than they have managed under Dean Ryan, says former Sixways boss Richard Hill.
Hill was fired last April and replaced by Ryan, who has so far failed to fashion a league win with the squad he inherited from the former England scrum-half.
Fingers have been pointed at Hill, who was surprisingly allowed to complete most of this season’s recruitment before being abruptly jettisoned within weeks of receiving a ringing confidence vote from Warriors chairman Cecil Duckworth.
But Hill insists the squad he left had enough quality to succeed – and would have done had he been allowed time to carry his plans through.
Hill, 52, who spent three years at Sixways, told The Rugby Paper: “I was disappointed (to be sacked), but particularly for the rest of my staff because a lot of them had only been there nine months and they got rid of them all.
“I’d only just put that team together – Corin Palmer, Paul Hull, Nigel Redman, Mathieu Rourre and Phil Vickery – and then they all had to go.
“This time last year, Worcester had 25 points from 12 games, ninth in the table and in little danger of relegation. I don’t think that was appreciated as much as it should have been because the Premiership is such a tough league.
“What happened was harsh. We did all the recruitment, there’s a good squad and no way should that group have lost every single league game this season… no way at all.
“When I see the squad com-pared to London Irish and Newcastle, it’s a more powerful squad than either of those. But they’ve won only one game all season – in the LV= Cup at Cardiff – and haven’t won at Sixways which is extraordinary. It used to be a stronghold.”
Hill has also been accused of running down Worcester’s academy, but argues that his long-term vision provided a conduit for young talent.
“I’ve bitten my lip over a few things I’ve seen and heard, but developing the academy is why I brought in Corin Palmer as operations manager,” said Hill, now coaching French division two side Rouen.
“It’s difficult for a head coach to concentrate on developing an academy when his job depends on results – as Dean Ryan is finding out now!
“My job was to keep Worcester in the division, which we did. Corin’s was to think about the academy and that’s why I also brought in Mark Hewitt (academy manager) and Paul Hull (recruitment).
“There was a long-term plan, but that was for them to deal with while I got on with dealing with results.”
NEALE HARVEY