When I first became a coach it was at A Grade level, then two seasons later I coached at the senior level.
When I first met the players before the first training session, I cancelled the session and took them to the club rooms.
I asked each player in front of the others about what their goals in the game were, three said enjoyment while the rest replied about representing their province.
I said as their coach I am here to help them reach their goals, but the most important factor was playing for enjoyment both individually and as a team.
We had not won the competition for three seasons, but in the first and second season we won beating both Waimea Old Boys and Nelson Old Boys in the final over the two seasons.
The players had belief, they played with such enjoyment and were a very close nit group.
Was I an elite coach? Of course not. But I brought in much-needed foundations and understood each player, and there was respect with all parties.
I had the privilege of being invited into the Crusaders change room after they had beaten the Golden Cheetahs, and Wayne Smith had each player give their own opinion about the game. I was impressed with how the players related to him and vice versa, there was a genuine connection which had me smiling.
I have seen this happen in the International arena, where players react to the right coach who understands them and has a clear direction going forward.
Bob Dwyer for Australia had the gift to unite and bring the Wallaby players together as a tight group. He knew how to bring the best out of individuals which transcended into the team by them becoming a Rugby World Cup winning side. Players would become some of the greats of the game while expressing themselves.
South Africa before the 1995 RWC were written off because of some average results, plus losing to Australia which piled more pressure on. Then come the RWC and they united a country through the Tournament, then they beat the strong favourites New Zealand in the final.
That was a special time to witness the joy and see a country come together under the eyes of the great man Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/EMPICS via Getty Images)
We saw a dominant New Zealand team before and during a winning 2015 season including the big one, the RWC, when Steve Hansen coached them to huge success. He has the best record of any coach internationally.
But there was a certain coach that had to bring a team of players together after losing to France in the 2007 Tournament after being again the strong favourites.
Graham Henry when many wanted him out stood up and brought the belief back, and they won in 2007.
We have South Africa again, but this time Rassie Erasmus came in after a disastrous couple of seasons. Within a year he transformed an ailing side with players lacking confidence into winning the 2019 RWC, which is truly a great feat.
These to me are elite coaches bringing unity, trust, strength and respect to individuals and while understanding the history and identity of the jersey to the loyal supporters.
There have been other very good coaches whether at Super Rugby level or International, but are they of the elite standard?
One prime example of an elite coach at Super Rugby level is Scott Robertson, and not just because of the successes but also because of the enjoyment he brings to the players.
It would be great to hear from my fellow Roarers about your choice of an elite coach, as well as what makes an elite coach.
And go well to all the Southern Hemisphere teams this weekend in the Women’s World Cup.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Brilliant! You had an advantage by when you did coach, you could use that understanding when it came to reffing games. I never tried becoming a ref, but I always have respected them as it is not an easy gig.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
I agree totally, there certainly needs to be a balance of writing with passion mixed with the relevant knowledge.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
:thumbup:
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
I did mate but found I was better at refereeing than coaching
Harry Jones
Expert
Two Cents is solid. And wakes up early. And actually knows what he’s talking about. Consulting gigs: try Eastern Europe or Latin America. Starving for nous!
Two Cents
Guest
:thumbup: So it would seem, mate. It's easy to write about the things you love and care about on a deep level. But it also helps to have deep knowledge as well and I guess that's where fans like us have an advantage. For us, it's more than just a game.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
G’day Two Cents, Wow! You have done it again with another sublime post mate, what a great read and you are so right about everything that you mentioned. You are correct about Eddie Jones being an elite coach also with what he did for Australian Rugby including at club level and the Wallabies. There are other coaches also but it would have taken more than a article about them, more of a novel to be honest. You and I do align with how we both think about the game with the different facets within it, your knowledge is something that some genuinely lack but think that they know more than what is reality… :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Harry, I think that I have less patience now than in the past :silly: I have to still learn to control myself with a minor couple on here, but at times they do my head in. I did not realise about your consulting role, that is brilliant mate and the MLR also :thumbup: What number of posts would be ideal for a novice like myself? I have submitted another about injuries, I am trying to cover subjects that might not have been covered before or at least put another angle on them… :thumbup: Also Harry I being speaking with Two Cents since producing my articles, he has great knowledge and is a good guy… :thumbup:
Harry Jones
Expert
Come on coach Tim! I’m ready to hit somebody! A wall! The posts! Haha! (I’ve done some :rugby: consulting; never truly coaching, bc I have ZERO patience! Consulting in MLR is fun because they pay better than Rugby Mexico and Peru).
Two Cents
Guest
Why am I not surprised that you are a coach and a successful one at that? You're absolutely right that an elite coach is more than just a winning coach, they bring enduring success that transcends a single period of time and becomes woven into the foundations of the team structures they are a part of. Wayne Smith is a great example with how he has coached successful teams at all levels of the men's and now women's games. Another good example is Warren Gatland who has been very successful both with Wales and more recently with the Lions. Alan Jones is also another coach who I think is worthy of being considered elite. What makes a coach elite? This is a ponderous question because there is obviously no single right answer. I think part of what you attribute to the success of coaches like Dwyer and Henry, their ability to draw out the best from their players under any circumstances, is definitely crucial to their elite status but isn't the whole story. There is something about their way of interacting with their players and their staffs that engenders a strong sense of identity and commitment, of a fundamental tribalism that everyone across the team organisation can belong to and feel proud of. In time, this filters through the entire rugby community and becomes a part of the shared belonging that we all intrinsically want to be a part of as well. Coaches like Robbie Deans, Ewan McKenzie, Michael Cheika and Dave Rennie are not bad coaches, but they aren't elite and never will be. They seem to have strengths that can come to the fore in a particular kind of organisation but not universally and they don't seem to be able to work effectively with whomever they have available to them, only some players and staff. This is why we haven't seen the same kind of personality from the Wallabies that existed from the Alan Jones' era until some time around 2005-ish. There is something central to a game like rugby that was once present in the Wallabies that isn't there anymore and until this is rediscovered, it's likely that consistency with remain elusive. Getting the right coach is pretty important to this end. But it isn't about winning so much as it is about delivering comprehensive performances week in week out where your road to improvement is a clear one around minor issues, not a catastrophe that only creates more questions every time you look at it. Perhaps these coaches, due to the pressures they are under and their proximity to the problems, can't see the forest from the trees and are therefore not only misdiagnosing the actual issues, but their strategies formed on this incorrect basis are then incongruent with the issues they are designed to resolve. The reason I think this is because these problems have remained intractable across multiple iterations of the Wallabies program under different coaching staffs over at least the last 20 years and although they haven't substantially worsened, they haven't improved either. This has resulted in a long-term lack of success and the continual sense of failure naturally accompanying this lack of success must in some way be having an inter-generational effect and this is potentially disturbing as it starts to appear like a vicious cycle. When such a pattern emerges, much like a depression, the only way to find a solution is to gain some distance from the problems or it becomes overwhelming and almost impossible to change. Some kind of objective analysis should be sought from outside the organisation and perhaps from outside Australian rugby entirely to evaluate exactly what is deficient about the performances in forensic detail to get to the true source of these issues and develop workable solutions. Proximity also often makes it difficult to abandon even failing strategies as one's ego becomes entwined with the strategies they adopt so by being free of this entanglement due to distance it should allow the "auditor" the perspective to evaluate things sans bias. When a manager takes over a failing company under the instruction to turn it around, they not only need a forensic audit to analyse the heart of the financial problems but they need to look at the relationships between management and the board, between management and employees and between the company and all its stakeholders, not just its investors and clients. Only by taking such a comprehensive view of the business can they effectively rebuild the company. A coach of a failing sports team is no different and essentially must follow these same steps. Whomever is the next Wallabies coach will need to undertake a comprehensive audit to both work out where we are now and from whence we arrived so that we can find out where we are going and change course if required, as would seem to be the case. As a sign off, I would also suggest that Eddie Jones deserves to be included among the elites. He is a great example of a coach who has always been great but was not on track to becoming elite and only through hard work and long service has he achieved elite status by constantly improving his coaching through learning from past mistakes and by incorporating his learnings from the other programs he has become a part of. He has now been involved in many successful rugby campaigns around the world and his particular tenure at English Rugby has seen the Rose rise once again as a formidable force in world rugby. No doubt his legacy will persist in England for some time after his departure following the conclusion of the World Cup.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Lol… You are right Harry, as I mentioned the first training session when I became coach I canceled to get everyone to have a few drinks. Straight away the team and I respected each other, it was a time for everyone to really get to know each other which was great to be apart of. So when players were nervous or doubted themselves I would let them know about what they gave to the team, with their strengths and the respect that they earned from everyone else. A good to great coach to me puts the team ahead of themselves, and drives the players to reach their full potential by being true to them.
Harry Jones
Expert
The best coaches help you drink your nervousness up and enjoy it. No fear. Just desire to embrace the nerves!
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Did you coach jcmasher? Because you sound like someone that would have been good at it with your philosophies.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Terrific LTN, what a great way to keep the players focused with having fun while keeping the competitive edge… :stoked: :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Thank you Muzzo, like you I put Dwyer up there with the best. Certainly the Boks brought the Nation together like no other team, some images I will not forget. Madiba was a large character and wish that caught have seen and met also.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
G’day Wooliej, I certainly concur with your post as a great coach knows how to unify the team. I was always big on every player enjoying the game first as then different aspects are easier to obtain.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
Thank you KP, I appreciate you sharing about your nephew and yourself. Certainly some coaches like players are not perfect but bring their own strengths, which makes for stronger appreciation from all parties… :thumbup:
Tim J
Roar Rookie
You are right Harry, the balance is where certain coaches fall short. Some coaches put their egos a head of certain players which is a negative, every player has their part to play especially in a successful team.
Tim J
Roar Rookie
No problem,
Muzzo
Roar Rookie
Nice read Tim, & IMO Bob Dwyer was possibly the best the Wallabies have had, coming from his Randwick background he was able to develop & engage with the known talent he brought into the squads he had. As most know, & I thought it was ridiculous, that when Alan Jones, took over, he actually took the reigns of a team that was virtually put in place by Bob. Even on speaking with Glen Ella at a reception many years ago, he told me many stories of the situations back then. In truth Tim, it must be remembered that the Bok, only came back into international rugby around 92, through their Apartheid issues. ( why this has never happened in the USA, has got me stumped) But to come back & win their home tournament was brilliant, not only for the team, but the nation as a whole. Even some players as Goldie said even after losing the final, that shaking hands with Madiba was something special. I too, have laid eyes on Madiba, being lucky enough to actually see him in one of my trips to the Republic.