When the Brumbies started spraying goal kicks all over the place in Canberra on Saturday night, coach Jake White realised he might have overcrowded his coach’s box.
In Saturday’s 24-6 Super Rugby win over Queensland, White had his kicking coach Damien Hill riding shotgun and instructing his goalkickers throughout the match.
The net result was five missed shots from three different kickers and an assurance from White that Hill’s expertise might be restricted to the training paddock from now on.
First-choice sharpshooter Christian Lealiifano was particularly off, missing three, including two sitters.
In the end, the Brumbies used four kickers on opening night and won’t want to risk so many missed chances next week against the Melbourne Rebels.
White is a rugby innovator of the highest order, but his frank post-match admission that he might have over-coached his side showed he’s far from a mad professor.
“We brought our kicking coach in for the first time into a game and he sat next to me in the box. And he probably won’t be again,” said White.
“I thought having him there, maybe it’s a new experience and he warms them up and talks to them.
“But maybe it’s just too much info for them on match day.
“I’m not blaming him … but having him there and maybe him trying to correct things in a game situation is probably not ideal.
“I’ll talk to the players after this and see what they feel.”
White was confident Lealiifano’s jitters were partly down to nerves, given it was his first match back from a long lay-off for a broken ankle.
Once his first conversion attempt missed from the sideline, White knew the writing was on the wall.
“Percy Montgomery (former Springbok) is one of the best kickers I’ve coached, but if he missed the first one you start having doubts,” White said.
“Christian hasn’t played in such a long time.”
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
carnivean - Is that right? :( And here I was thinking coaches weren't allowed onto the paddock. Which is of course why you have some highly qualified chaps running the water, lingering about & testing the Refs patience.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
Send out a message with the water boy? How quaint. The kicking coach is now the guy that hands the kicker the tee, stands behind him, whispers him some advice before the kick, comforts/congratulates him after the kick and then retrieves the tee. Modern rugby would be different game if the only adults allowed on the field were doctors, and neutral ones at that. Every other function done by a local teenager.
Justin2
Guest
As a golfer and former goal kicker you are spot on and that first kick is crucial to come off sweetly. It can set the tone for a good or average day.
Blinky Bill of Bellingen
Guest
To me this was key about having the kicking coach there or not. "I’ll talk to the players after this and see what they feel.” With serious points on offer for kicking, I can see the good and the bad in having him there. Often it's the difference in which team wins and which loses. But what can he he do other than send out a message with the water boy? Mind you if the message was as simple as 'go through the process.........trust yourself' then fair enough.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
There doesn't appear to be much info out there, but if you google "Damien Hill" together with "kicking coach" there are some links to a few courses he runs, mainly in the US.
Crockycrocky
Guest
Thanks Hardcore.
The Battered Slav
Guest
Kicking is like a golf swing I reckon. You can do all the analysis on it you want pre-game, but as soon as you get out on the course, when you start trying to think about too many things or even one or two new things, your swing will suffer badly. I think White is alluding to that fact here, in that game time is not the time to be being coached or thinking about new things, it's muscle memory time.
Christian
Roar Rookie
Errr... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damien_Hill Hmmm, I can't find any info on Damien Hill (KC) - not even on Brumbies site. I'll take HardcorePrawn's word for it.
HardcorePrawn
Roar Guru
A different Damien Hill, this one is a specialist kicking coach who also works with (or has worked with in the past) the Newcastle Knights. I had to look him up on the interweb though, after thinking every report on this match had made a similar faux pas.
Crockycrocky
Guest
Isn't Damien Hill Melbourne Rebels coach??
Billy Bob
Guest
Kicking coach Damien Hill?!?