LAST SEASON RYAN LAMB WAS questioning his future and wondering whether to move to Australia. The teenager was struggling to establish himself at Gloucester but then a football-style “loan” move to Pertemps Bees proved to be the making of one of the brightest talents in the English game.
The switch gave Lamb the opportunity to play regular rugby and show what he could do. The experiment was so successful that the fly half was recalled to Kingsholm before the end of the season and was an integral part of the club’s European Challenge Cup success. From nowhere Lamb then took part in the under-21 World Cup.
Lamb’s experience, and that of Luke Narraway, the flanker, who also spent time at Sharman’s Cross, was one of the reasons Gloucester announced formal links with the Bees this season. It is part of a growing trend in the game at both a formal and informal level as Guinness Premiership clubs seek to expose younger players to the rigours of rugby in the challenging environment of National Division One. Leicester have ties with Bedford and London Wasps with Henley and Blackheath.
Dean Ryan, the Gloucester head coach, believes that it is crucial for the development of players at his club as well at Pertemps Bees, whose captain is Mark Cornwell, the former Kingsholm lock.
“We have already got first-class evidence of the success of this scheme following the contributions guys like Ryan and Luke made for us last season,” Ryan said. “I am certain the exposure to senior rugby with the Bees helped their development substantially. It provides game-time and match fitness and is an avenue we want to explore further. It can help fast-track the development of these guys and at the same time it can also offer Pertemps some quality players.”
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Simon Cohen, the head of rugby operations at Leicester, holds a similar view although the club’s ties with Bedford are somewhat looser. “We think the first division is a valuable proving ground for our younger players,” Cohen said. “There is no special relationship with Bedford except for the fact Andy Key, our academy coach, also coaches there, and he makes sure he has first call on our youngsters who go out on loan. We have other players at Nottingham and Coventry.
“It takes players out of their comfort zone and tests them in a different environment. The first division is a pretty high standard now and if a player looks good in that division, that is a good indicator of whether he will be able to challenge for a Premiership spot.”
The first batch includes four England under- 19 internationals; Tom Youngs, Ollie Dodge, Ben Pienaar and Dan Cole, who will all be part of the Bedford squad this season with the club paying a percentage of their wages. They will still be eligible to represent Leicester in midweek development team games, but their main commitment will be to Bedford, whose established association with Northampton will also continue.
“I think it is a great tribute to Mike Rayer and our coaching staff that Pat Howard (the Leicester head coach) is happy to entrust the development of such talented young players to us,” Geoff Irvine, the Bedford chairman, said.