Did you catch it? At the end of the Hurricanes-Reds match. It was brief, you may have missed it. No, not the chance the Reds had to seal the match with three minutes left on the clock.
No, not Cruden’s penalty kick to win it at the death. It was after that.
And No, it was not Andrew Hore’s typical toothy match summary.
It was James Horwill’s post match review.
His commentary was simple, succinct and accurate. The Reds had their chances to close out the match and didn’t take them. The Reds fell asleep in the first half and it cost them dearly. The Hurricanes were not under estimated.
Then, as Foxtel cut to a promo, you just caught Big Kev congratulating Andrew Hoare’s 100th match.
The opposition’s win was acknowledged and their performance praised.
No mention of the referee. He didn’t highlight any questionable decisions. Nor did he disccuss of the “the bounce of the ball” or “the rub of the green”. He just summarised his team’s performance, indentified their failings, praised the opposition and applauded his opposing captain’s milestone.
Australian Super Rugby teams have had a varied mix of captaincy stereotypes of late. The battle hardened “Follow me into the trenches”, the winey “But Sir they’ve been doing it all day” and attrition based “I’m not sure how I got the job, I think everyone else was sick that day”.
I believe coaches and selectors often mistake on-field commitment and performance with leadership qualities.
As an example, take Jonathan Thurston. Easily the best Cowboys player on the park, but he should not be their captain. He can be petulant, disrespectful and immature. A supremely talented sportsman, no question, but a leader he is not.
At the start of the Super Rugby season, I squirmed when the decision was made to transfer the Reds captaincy from Will Genia back to Horwill. Not because it was the wrong call, it would have been a tough call to make.
Genia was a great stand-in captain for Queensland last year, even if his post match comments often directed too much praise towards this team mates. I thought it must have been difficult for Link to remove the coveted (C) from Genia’s line on the team sheet.
Tonight I understood why McKenzie’s decision was easily made.
Genia may be able to direct the Reds around the park, but the players follow Horwill. He his their leader.
Horwill’s comments after the loss were mature, filled with eloquence and humility. A true captain’s speech. In a few months he might just be called upon for a post match interview as the Wallabies’ captain. With questions surrounding Rocky Elsom’s ability to take the field in time for the World Cup, let alone his form under the weight of the captaincy.
Robbie Deans now has an inform leader waiting in the wings.
So if you are looking for an example of how a true leader should conduct themselves after a match, look no further than Mr James Horwill.
Other provincial captains should take note.
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.
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