“WE ARE not going to survive in the Premiership with a team of U23s,” were the words of Dean Ryan as he defended his decision to sign experienced back rower Phil Dowson.
When the director of rugby vowed to get rid of the club’s tag as a “retirement home” last year, the likelihood of seeing Worcester Warriors recruit another 33-year-old seemed slim.
However, the Sixways side have done just that, with the signing of Northampton Saints stalwart Dowson, who turns 34 in October.
Ryan admitted the best days were probably behind Dowson, whose seventh and final cap for England came in 2012.
But he insisted the influential forward, who has made 179 appearances for the Aviva Premiership champions, would play a vital role in developing the club’s youngsters.
“If we had 20 people who were 33-years-old the capacity to get better would be significantly impaired, but this is one individual,” he said.
“We are not going to get into the Premiership and survive with a team of U23s, so you have got to get that balance right with education versus delivery.
“The best of Phil Dowson probably was in the past, but the present is still pretty good. Phil is not coming here at 33 to have a massive spike in improvement in his game, he is coming here to deliver what he has learnt over the past ten or 12 years.”
Ryan said he would join GJ Van Velze, Jonathan Thomas and Chris Pennell as players which were central to his plans to make Worcester a successful club.
And the Warriors boss revealed he would be bringing in players of similar calibre to the club in the future.
“You have to have three or four people in the middle of your business that drive it,” Ryan said.
“If you try and get ten of those you end up being in a cycle when you get six or seven of them wrong and that’s why I said it is about getting one or two a year and this year it is Phil Dowson.
“We consulted the senior players who said ‘we need help’ as they wanted another person – if not more – that was able to support them in building a culture here.
“It is not about being on a crusade about how young we want to be, it is about how to take this club back to being successful.
“To do that you need good people in the middle of the business and youngsters who really want to grow and I think what we have done over the last couple of weeks, including the signing of Phil, is a significant step towards that.”