A recent Roar article, Rugby Is Rapidly Becoming Two Separate Games, by Jonnie Cox, mentioned the very limited opportunities for head coaching roles in Australian professional rugby.
Cox’s article and its follow-up comments drew attention to a number of Aussie coaches currently operating in Europe: Michael Cheika, Laurie Fisher, Alan Gaffney, Tony McGahan, Ewen McKenzie, Bill Millard and Matt Williams.
Others mentioned as having previously coached there were Andy Friend, Pat Howard and Jim Williams.
But arguably the most successful of our coaches currently working overseas has never had a European gig, although he has coached in Japan and South Africa.
Todd Louden is a young coach with the extraordinary record of having dramatically improved the performance of his team in every year he has coached.
In 2004, as Director of Rugby at Sydney University, he implemented their EDS (Elite Development Squad) program which is still operating and is the foundation for their status as number one Ccub in Australia.
In that year, Uni won the Sydney Club Champions with all nine grades contesting the finals.
In the 2004-2005 season, he was Head Coach of Meiji University, which participates in Japan’s 120 Collegiate Rugby Program. Louden took them from 68th to the top eight.
In 2006, he returned to Sydney as Head Coach of Randwick.
Their First XV advanced from ninth to Minor Premiers. They were narrowly beaten in the Grand Final by Sydney Uni, who were forced to make more than 300 tackles during the match.
Louden was named Sydney Premiership Coach of the Year.
The next season he moved to South Africa as attack coach with Heineke Meyer’s Blue Bulls, who went from fifth to winning the Super 14.
They were the first South African team to win a Super title, with their success attributed to their new attacking style.
In 2008, he was appointed attack coach of the NSW Waratahs under Ewen McKenzie. The ‘Tahs went from thirteenth in 2007 to second before being beaten in the Grand Final. The true story of why Louden was not appointed Head Coach after McKenzie was dumped remains to be told.
In the 2008-2009 season he went back to Japan as Head Coach of the Ricoh Black Rams, who had been relegated to Second Division status.
Under Louden’s guidance, Ricoh were undefeated in the Top East League and therefore qualified to play the winners of the other two second level leagues to determine who was to be promoted to the Top League.
In the first of these matches, the Black Rams played Mazda Blue Zoomers, winners of the Top Kyushu League, winning by 81 to nil. They then beat Honda Heat from the Top West League 54 to 20.
By winning both games Ricoh not only returned to Top League but also qualified for the All-Japan Rugby Football Championships, playing against Top League teams as well as the top two university teams.
Ricoh were eventually beaten at the semi-final stage of the All-Japan Championships, meaning that they now rank in the top four in Japanese rugby.
Todd Louden has thus achieved the extraordinary record that, in each of the past six years, the teams he coached were outstandingly successful and greatly improved their ranking.
Hammer
Guest
Louden, Mackay, Stephenson, Hall almost any Heineken cup coach get some new blood into Australian coaching. All of the current coaches with exception of Friend (too new) follow the McQueen, Jones non contact, outside shoulder, around the corner, off yer feet, can't pass, can't catch, can't tackle, can't kick (but they do), can't scrum (still have nightmares about the last WC v England) no structure, no form rugby that is delivered by the incumbents. Can't coach….. Can't play....
Bonza
Guest
Interesting concept Eric - maybe the players are not as good as people think or hope - It is traditionally the coaches fault but maybe it is deeper than that - player accountability? there is a thought
eric
Guest
Re Todd Louden's non-appointment at the "Tahs, I'm a bit vague on recall, but I thought he was offered the job, maybe by L'Estrange, and the offer was then withdrawn because L'Estrange was forced by his board to go through more processes. Understandably, Todd Louden thought if this is how the admin of NSW works, "I'm outta here". To go back further, what on earth is an "attack coach". What did the admin expect putting in such a vague role under McKenzie anyway? And, McKenzie, Louden and Hickey have all failed to inspire the backs, is it possible that it might have something to do with the actual blokes on the field?
Damage
Guest
To all... sorry about the double take... I didn't think the first article went thru hence the reason there are two comments with exactly the same themes!!! Hilly Billy QLD'er here!!
Damage
Guest
I thought I would just give a few observations from a QLD perspective. 1) we would love to have a coach of Louden's record, we have a coach who is basically a used car salesman.. tells how things are getting better getting better yet the cold hard facts are he has one 4 games in 2 years... And you are looking to throw knives at this bloke because he knows how to be successful. As for right place at the right time...Well a terrible coach or a coach who has lost their touch can make just a much an impact in one year, ask Graham Murry @ the Cowboys 2008 so I don't buy into that... This bloke can coach and knows how to win... Why are we not embracing this as Australian Rugby fans?? Left Arm as for the 2008 Tahs, well go back and look over the games... 10 games that were wet or effect by the wet!! Conditions no other team let alone any Australian team had to contend with(I would say no Aussie franchise has played that many games in those conditions in Super Rugy History...Could be wrong) Zulu can I also say that you must be the most loyal Randwick fan in history and that is great... But what coach wouldn't take a S14 job over a club job?? I think this is a little bit crazy to say that he played one off against the other... As a pro rugby coach you take the jobs when they present themselves especially if you want to feed the family as they say. Zulu serious question... How have Randwick gone in the seasons since Louden left?? Are the players as well prepared?? Louden come and coach my S14 team!! They have potential!!!!!
DAMAGE
Guest
I really enjoyed your article Bruce... I also think that if you are going to be critical of a bloke lets not be critical of a coach who knows how to win!! And this bloke obviously does!! I would think Phil Mooney or Damon Ematage would like to have the CV of this guy... Yet they are still in charge of a franchise full of potential and has a team that rivals the Tah's on talent but still find a way to lose!! SO please lets not try and assisnate this bloke because he has the ability to make things work. As for the comments by left arm spinner... Look at the games in which the Tahs played in 2008 10 were wet weather or rain effected matches, conditions that no other Australian side had played in for several years...Knowing how to attack to suit your conditions and the opposition is not down to good luck, its down to good planning! And recognition that the attack coach can send his troops out to play any conditons! I would think that is a pretty good way to play.. God knows the Reds cannot do this, in saying that no other Aussie side can. I know there are a lot of politics involved in Randwick & NSW Rugby but Zulu you must be very Green Eyed if you think that a professional coach would pass up an opportunity to coach at the top level of provincial rugby to stay on as a Sydney A grade coach... For you to say that he obviously played them off against each other is either naive or just club loyalties gone mad. Good luck to the young bloke... Wish he was coaching my S14 team!! :)
ZULU
Guest
Bruce ....Your comment regarding Todd's Randwick contract is incorrect. He was offered continuation as a full time coach [he had a two year contract]at a much improved salary. He played Randwick off against an offer from the Bulls and left the club after one year of his contract.. With regard to his movei to RSA I presume if you decide to move to Pretoria you would review the living conditions there prior to moving. Todd obviously has a talent and i am not criticising his Rugby coaching abilities but it would be a better cv if he saw his commitments through and enjoyed the success 's he had apparently created.
Jim Boyce
Guest
Bruce - A very interesting topic and good point about Louden being the Attack Coach. There seems to be an off-field environment for clubs and S14 that does not include a long term investment in a quality coach.I had a conversation with one aspirant who described the board room environment to be not conducive to a long term investment which involved his family and his future career. He headed back to Europe. I would also be interested in the history of how Louden was not offered the Waratahs job. Hard to find better credentials. He obviously knows how to manage players in a number of different cultures. Outside Spiro there are not too many scribes who would recognise the required talents. Unfortunately Sydney is that type of town. The patience factor is not high and Leftie touches on some of those points.
Spiro Zavos
Expert
Todd Lauden has written columns for The Roar and his insight into rugby in Japan, and throughout the world, is always well-informed and measured. This seems to be the same for his coaching style which as Bruce Ross has pointed out has been extremely successful. As someone who has a bully pulpit to write about rugby, especially in New South Wales, for the Sydney Morning Herald and The Roar I must admit that the circumstances which 'encouraged' Louden to leave the Waratahs were perplexing. We were feed rumours from within the Waratahs camp (but really from whom?) that Louden was undermining Ewen McKenzie's position. Louden did the decent thing in the face of these (spurious?) rumours and took up a coaching job in Japan thereby taking himself out of contention for the job of coaching the Waratahs, John Mitchell has only a year or so to go at the Western Force and Louden must be in line for this job. But he would probably be better employed, with his record of building up the strength of a club virtually from scratch, as the foundation coach of the Melbourne Super 15 franchise. At least, I hope this happens.
Bruce Ross
Roar Pro
Zulu states: "Re Todd Lauden - approx eight jobs in eight years does’nt normally impress on a CV ! is there something else to consider here ?? I believe the Western Force may have some interest in him….if I was them I’d be speaking with the head coaches he worked with to find out why he moved on after being so successfull." Leaving out Sydney Uni, where he did not actually coach a team, Todd Louden has had five coaching gigs, only two of which involved working under a head coach. It might not be too productive to ask either of those coaches why Louden "moved on;" as in one case the head coach also "moved on" and in the other the head coach "was moved on." In the case of Randwick - and I am happy to be corrected by someone more knowledgeable than me - the Club committee apparently decided not to continue with a full-time coach and offered him a part-time role. With regard to the Bulls, it was widely reported that Louden was offered the head coach role when Heineke Meyer left. However I do not think that Pretoria is the safest and most congenial environment for a wife and new baby without any family support.
ohtani's jacket
Guest
I dunno if you can say Ricoh are top 4 in Japan, but they had a good season.
Bruce Ross
Roar Pro
A correction, Leftie. In 2008 Louden was not the Waratahs "backs coach"; he was the attack coach. Not surprisingly, as an ex-Randwick player, he has always believed that all fifteen players have to be involved in attack. You state: "The Tahs, version 2008, and in particular the backs, were appalling, I mean appalling in the first 6-7 rounds." After seven rounds last year the 'Tahs had scored 18 tries to their opponents 16, with the backs scoring 61% of their tries. They were averaging 2.6 tries per game and conceding 2.3 tries. For the season as a whole the 'Tahs scored 38 tries to the opposition's 23, with the backs contributing 58%. They averaged 2.5 tries per game and conceded 1.7 tries. This year, after eight games, the Waratahs have scored a total of 18 tries and conceded 16, with the backs scoring 72%. Their try scoring average is 2.3 for and 1.6 against. Most other Super 14 teams would be quite happy with either year's stats and not find them "appalling." But I suppose most of us agree that as a wealthy city of over 4 million people we should be capable of dominating the competition and filling the SFS.
ZULU
Guest
Agree entirely with "left arm spinner' regarding the TAHS although experimentation is fraught with danger. If we are up by 20 after 40 mins then give 'em a go..Re Todd Lauden - approx eight jobs in eight years does'nt normally impress on a CV ! is there something else to consider here ?? I believe the Western Force may have some interest in him....if I was them I'd be speaking with the head coaches he worked with to find out why he moved on after being so successfull.
LeftArmSpinner
Roar Guru
Bruce, good article. For me, it is either a case of being lucky to be johnny on the spot, or being able to judge the status of a team prior to accepting the role, or he is a truly good coach. There is a blemish, that, too, remains yet to be told. The Tahs, version 2008, and in particular the backs, were appalling, I mean appalling in the first 6-7 rounds. Selections were wrong, tactics were wrong, players were unhappy, fans were unhappy..... primarily, as is the case this year, because the backs could not play any semblance of attacking rugby. Louden was the backs coach. So Louden goes, Wisemantel comes in, and nothing changes, except that the playmaker gets blamed this time. My solution: "Carrot and Stick" Stick: 1. Drop Tuqiri for Tahu. Tuqiri is not enough of a utility so, back to the Pirates for two games and the bye. Give Tahu some support, breathing space and game time to build his clearly fragile confidence. He can do at least as much and probably more, than Tuqiri and he is younger and has more potential. 2. Give SNK a 50 minute stint at 15. Beale needs some pressure off him and that happens when he is on the bench and out of the front line. But, Beale also needs game time and SNK cant win a match like Beale can and has in the recent past. Carrot: 1. Give Carter the recognition he deserves for an excellent season so far. Let him play a full game. Much underrated work horse. 2. Show faith in the bench and give them some real game time. They are humans too. They need to play rugby, not stretches, from 7.40pm to 9.15pm on game night. 3. Horne is out of form, probably tired. he's only young. Replace him and consider giving him a week off next week so that he has two weeks to recover (the bye) But the biggest carrot is to allow the backs and encourage the backs to play some expansive, get deep, quick hands, support ball carrier, midfield moves from set pieces, clever, attractive and ENJOYABLE rugby. Backs are human, ego driven, showoffs. They like showing up an opponent with a clever play, individual or as a backline. Let them do it. Make it fun to play in the Tahs back line again. Hmmm, and the spectators will come back and they will fill the SFS
Derm
Roar Guru
That's great. Fair play to him.