Latest news with #BillyTwelvetrees
Yahoo
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Twelvetrees says mystique of Lions tours makes them special
Worcester Warriors defence coach Billy Twelvetrees says "no one really knows what it's like" on a British and Irish Lions tour unless they have been involved in one. The 36-year-old, who won 22 England caps, was called up to join the Lions tour to Australia in 2013 as injury cover. He told BBC Hereford &Worcester: "You can watch it on TV and think you know, but all the players are the same, you're put into that room, there are world-class players everywhere and there is imposter syndrome a little bit." Twelvetrees has come out of retirement following a coaching stint at Champ Rugby side Hartpury after agreeing a player-coach role with Worcester, who kick-off their return to professional rugby against Coventry on 4 October. Speaking ahead of the first Lions Test against the Wallabies on Saturday, Twelvetrees said Worcester produced some real talent before going into administration and has high hopes for former fly-half Fin Smith, who has missed out on a start this weekend. "I remember Willie Heinz coming here, and he said 'Bill, have a look at Fin Smith he'll be the next England 10' and that was four or five years ago now. "When you're in the game you know good players straight away, so being in the game, I am a big Fin Smith fan, I like the way he moves the ball and the way he operates" "I think it's so cool for him, and he'll learn so much being around world class players and coaches, and he'll have the social side of it in Australia so what a cool thing to do as a young lad." Smith joined Northampton Saints after leaving Sixways and was a member of their 2024 Premiership title-winning side, and also played in their 28-20 European Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux in May. Get the latest updates from the Lions tour Listen: Sport's Strangest Crimes - Bloodgate Listen to the latest Rugby Union Weekly podcast
BBC News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Twelvetrees says mystique of Lions tours makes them special
Worcester Warriors defence coach Billy Twelvetrees says "no one really knows what it's like" on a British and Irish Lions tour unless they have been involved in 36-year-old, who won 22 England caps, was called up to join the Lions tour to Australia in 2013 as injury told BBC Hereford &Worcester: "You can watch it on TV and think you know, but all the players are the same, you're put into that room, there are world-class players everywhere and there is imposter syndrome a little bit."Twelvetrees has come out of retirement following a coaching stint at Champ Rugby side Hartpury after agreeing a player-coach role with Worcester, who kick-off their return to professional rugby against Coventry on 4 ahead of the first Lions Test against the Wallabies on Saturday, Twelvetrees said Worcester produced some real talent before going into administration and has high hopes for former fly-half Fin Smith, who has missed out on a start this weekend."I remember Willie Heinz coming here, and he said 'Bill, have a look at Fin Smith he'll be the next England 10' and that was four or five years ago now."When you're in the game you know good players straight away, so being in the game, I am a big Fin Smith fan, I like the way he moves the ball and the way he operates""I think it's so cool for him, and he'll learn so much being around world class players and coaches, and he'll have the social side of it in Australia so what a cool thing to do as a young lad."Smith joined Northampton Saints after leaving Sixways and was a member of their 2024 Premiership title-winning side, and also played in their 28-20 European Champions Cup final defeat by Bordeaux in May.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
I want to make memories, not count minutes
First Test: Argentina v EnglandDate: Saturday, 5 July Kick-off: 20:40 BST Venue: Estadio Jorge Luis Hirschi, La PlataCoverage: Live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app As he sits on the brink of 100 Test appearances, George Ford says his first remains "the proudest memory of my career".Albeit a short one."I wasn't on the field very long! I managed to sneak on for a minute," he says."I was trying to be present in the moment. "As a kid you dream of it, it is a bit surreal when you actually do it, especially at Twickenham in front of 80,000 people and your family."It was March 2014 against Wales in the Six Nations. After replacing Owen Farrell, Ford fed Billy Twelvetrees a short ball and kicked long up to opposition wing George North in his two involvements before the final while Twelvetrees and North are now seeing out their careers in second-tier club rugby, Ford, who is 32, is still a Test operator."The game has changed a lot in 11 years," he says."There was a lot more time and space back then. Defences bring more line speed, the physicality seems to have gone up another level and the speed of the game has gone up."Forwards are ending up like backs and backs are ending up like forwards these days."In Test rugby, every area is so contested - the breakdown, in the air or the set-piece - if you are not quite on it, you get punished."Maybe there was a bit of margin for error 11 years ago but there definitely isn't now." And there won't be margin for error this are taking on Argentina in the first of two fiendish summer Tests. It is being staged at the 32,000-capacity Jorge Luis Hirschi Stadium, home of top-flight football side the Pumas, fifth in the world and fresh from beating the British and Irish Lions, will be being urged on to claim a sweet, long-sought-after series win over England."To walk into an atmosphere like that is incredibly exciting," says Ford."Argentina are a really dangerous team. They have physicality up front, with some passionate, emotional players who base their game on being physical."But they have added skill and X-factor and can make you pay if you are loose, striking fast off turnover and transition."They have definitely taken steps forwards in the recent past. But we feel like we are in a good place ourselves, even with a few new faces and a few guys missing."We have a plan and believe we can cause them some problems."Ford has impressed in the past against was a star performer when England, again without their Lions players, won both matches on tour in was man of the match when England beat Argentina in the 2019 Rugby World he was again when he booted all 27 points to steer 14-man England safely to victory over the Pumas in their 2023 tournament opener. Similarly stellar displays this summer would be was in England's starting 10 through the 2024 Six Nations but, with an Achilles problem ruling him out, Marcus Smith supplanted him on tour in New Zealand, before Fin Smith emerged as first choice in Smiths are away with the Lions at the moment. Possession is nine-tenths of the law. Opportunity apparently has long since stopped seeing it like that though. He has been both in and out of favour since 2014. A decade and more in, he takes the long view."Throughout my international career, one thing has been a constant - the debate, discussion and noise around who plays number 10 for England," Ford says."It is always there."Of course we all try to develop and improve, and I will make sure I am putting my hand up. Of course I will."But the main thing here is – and I don't think people quite understand this - that we are all trying to make England win."The mindset for me is that I am part of an England team and squad. Whatever my role is at that time, I will do to the best of my abilities to make the team to win."That is why we are here. Those are the memories you create when the team wins. It is not about how many minutes you play as an individual at 10. It is about how many games you win with England."That is my total mindset towards all this. "Fin and Marcus are away doing unbelievable things with the Lions and my role this summer might be different to what it was in the Six Nations but what I do day in, day out and the consistency of that won't change." That level-headedness and single-mindedness is something Ford is trying to impress on his younger their Lions, England are short of experience. Nine of Saturday's starting XV have fewer than 15 caps. Will Muir and Seb Atkinson will be making their Test debuts, with Guy Pepper likely to follow off the bench."Maybe us experienced lads can lend some advice about what a Test match arena can feel like at times," said Ford."When you are under pump, the pressure is on and the opposition crowd are on their feet... You may be under stress or pressure but it won't last like that forever and you can turn the game. That is what experience gives you."You have gone through it enough times to ride those peaks and troughs and over the full 80 minutes hopefully be able to control it enough to get the result at the end."Eleven years on, 100 caps in, whatever the noise around him, Ford is zeroed in on the win.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Worcester sign ex-Northampton wing Seabrook
Former Gloucester and Northampton Saints wing Tom Seabrook has become the latest high-profile signing for Worcester 26-year-old joins the ex-Premiership club as it prepares to return to rugby in the Championship next season following administration nearly three years a former England Under-20 international, came through the Gloucester academy and spent six seasons at Kingsholm, scoring nine tries in 68 first score - on his debut against Saracens in 2018 - came after just 58 seconds and is the fastest ever maiden-appearance try in the signed for Saints two years ago before leaving at the end of last season after scoring 15 tries in 28 games - including a hat-trick in the European Champions Cup in said the chance to be part of Warriors' return to the sport was an "incredible opportunity". Seabrook is the 27th player recruited by Warriors ahead of their comeback in 2025-26 and joins a list including former Newcastle full-back Louis Brown, ex-England back Billy Twelvetrees, Uruguay back Juan Gonzalez, Leicester Tigers prop Tim Hoyt and Exeter Chiefs prop Billy Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams, Saracens prop Fraser Balmain and Dragons fly-half Will Reed have also signed up at Sixways.
BBC News
05-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Worcester sign Newcastle full-back Brown
Newcastle Falcons full-back Louis Brown has become the latest player to join Worcester Warriors ahead of the former Premiership club's return to who can also play on the wing, joined Falcons from Coventry on a two-year deal ahead of the 2023-24 his two campaigns with Newcastle, Brown appeared 20 times and scored five made nine of those in the Premiership this term as the Falcons finished bottom of the table, 16 points adrift of Exeter Chiefs."I'm looking forward to being part of a team that gets Worcester back where they belong," Brown said the vison of head coach Matt Everard and the club's "incredible" fan base made moving to Warriors "an easy decision". Brown is the second player to join Worcester this week following the arrival of former England back Billy Twelvetrees, who came out of retirement to take up a player-coach role at back Juan Gonzalez, Leicester Tigers prop Tim Hoyt and Exeter Chiefs prop Billy Keast have also signed up for next club have also brought in Cornish Pirates full-back/wing Will Trewin, Warriors legend Matt Kvesic, former Wales scrum-half Lloyd Williams, Saracens prop Fraser Balmain and Dragons fly-half Will are preparing for next season's new-look Championship as professional rugby returns to Sixways for the first time since the club went into administration in 2022.
