Who’d
be a Rugby Coach?
Given the ridiculous opprobrium heaped
on Warren Gatland when he revealed the British and Irish Lions squad last week
it does beg the question, ‘Who would want to be a rugby coach’, particularly at
the pinnacle of the game. Sackings, political chicanery and leaving before
being pushed are now part and parcel of the game. Certainly the financial
recompense would be an inducement but the lack of job security, stress and
public criticism has to be a consideration. Although, thankfully, no coach has
talked about it being ‘his project’, it is clear that they all crave the chance
to have sufficient time to be allowed to make a difference. But, the caveat
appears to be that time is definitely finite and last season’s performance counts
for very little if there isn’t a significant improvement, and do not rely on
your contract.
Rugby coaches used to be developed from
within clubs, learning their trade with the lower sides before being entrusted
with the 1stXV. This was certainly the route to the top taken by the excellent
Rob Baxter at Exeter Chiefs, but how many clubs are following that example?
Around the game there now appears to be that a new coach is needed as soon as
performance dips below expectations. These expectations might not be those of
the supporters but more often than not the owners, benefactors or shareholders
that decide that they have no choice, they simply have to react. The panacea
appears to be to employ a coach from the all-conquering Southern Hemisphere and
watch them magically weave a winning side. This has heralded the arrival of the
‘Super coach’, paid a huge salary, access to a large playing budget and the
demand that training facilities are upgraded. Then there are the layers of
specialist coaches; attack, defence, scrum, lineout and even an ‘exit’ coach and
that is before the need for a Sports Science department and medical staff.
Naturally for all that outlay investors are going to want to see a return. Coaches
stand or fall based on the quality of their results, Mike Ford for one has
suffered from that over the last year. Leicester, Bristol and Gloucester in the
AVIVA have all made changes mid-season in their coaching staff in a desperate
bid to improve results. Not all these situations were handled with the skill
and empathy that the game likes to think it has. The Pro12 has seen two coaches
move on so far this season at Edinburgh and Zebre. Other clubs, regions and
provinces will wait and take stock at the end of the season when explanations
for underachievement will be sought.
Rugby clubs are expensive to run and it
is very rare to be able to turn a profit but the intertwining of money and
sport is now an unwelcome but established fact. Success should not be down to
money alone but across all of the European leagues it all too often does. For a
long time Rugby has prided itself as very different to soccer. But, now it is
much harder to see any difference; foreign players and coaches are omnipresent,
vast TV deals for the Top14 and the AVIVA mean that they have moved ahead of
most of the teams in the Pro12 and the game is now very much a business.
Supporters can hark back to the good old days but if any club/region/province
wants to do more than survive then investment will be needed.
This means that a rugby coach’s job
security at the top level is not watertight. In Wales as the Pro12 season
shudders to a climax the coaches and players of the Ospreys, Scarlets and the
Blues all have something to play for both on and off the field. They will know
that if things do not go well questions will be asked. In so many respects this
is unfair when you consider the resources they are up against, and then case
for investment in the regions becomes ever more urgent. The pressure is
constant, relentless and all the coaches deserve to be given a break, some
level of understanding but results will need to go their way.
By far the man with the hardest task is
Kingsley Jones, at Newport Gwent Dragons as he takes what must be a deflated
team to Edinburgh. He will be well aware of how uncertainty saps at the morale
of a squad and with all of the speculation circling Rodney Parade it will
extremely difficult to motivate the players in Scotland. On the other hand they
know that they are playing for their futures wherever that may lie. Danny
Wilson must be desperate to ensure that the Blues get 5 points against the
hapless Zebre, to maintain the form they displayed in crushing the Ospreys and
at last showing some much needed consistency. The team can still challenge for
6th place in the table but realistically it’s more important to have
some good form going into the Champions Cup playoffs. Pivac at the Scarlets has
a formidable task in taking his team to Connacht. They will be emotionally up
for this game, Pat Lam’s last home game in charge of the team and with their
own European future to consider. But, the Scarlets despite the loss of the
totemic James Davies at 7 will be confident of being able to do a job, and make
it even harder for the Ospreys when they come to Parc y Scarlets next Saturday.
Steve Tandy undoubtedly faces a severe examination of his coaching credentials
as they face an Ulster team who will most definitely fancy their chances.
Ospreys’ loss of form and meek surrender to the Blues will have been taxing
Tandy and his team for the last two weeks as a season that carried the promise
of glory has proven to be illusory. He must be hoping that on Saturday the
Ospreys rediscover their confidence and abilities in an effort to seek
redemption for the series of damaging defeats that team has endured. If they do
not, and lose, the match the following week at the Scarlets becomes one,
defining the team.
Futures might well be decided over the
coming week, all coaches know that their tenure can come to an end following a
run of bad results and they also know the frustration of once the whistle goes
they can do very little to influence the outcome. It does make you wonder who’d
be a Rugby Coach.
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