Coaches in the firing line

Coaches live in the firing line. It comes with the territory, be it rugby, cricket, football, you name it, more often than not in professional sport the coach is singled out for criticism when the team fails. Even during prolonged periods of success, a sudden slump in form by the team is usually laid at the door of the coach.

In the professional rugby arena the coach occupies a critical space within the team. He is the bearer of knowledge, is required to possess special insight into the abilities of his players and opposition players alike, while possessing extensive business management and proven people management skills. Long gone are the days when you can just take a former star player and turn him into a coach to guide your team to success.

The rationale behind this erstwhile approach has always been that because the player had the experience of top flight rugby and knows what to expect, he would transfer his knowledge to the players he coaches. It is therefore not surprising that the success of these coaches depended heavily on the quality of the players they had at their disposal. Notwithstanding this, there are also good examples of former star players that indeed possessed the required coaching skills to excel as professional rugby coaches. Carel du Plessis, Hugh-Reece Edwards, Rudolph Streauli and Dawie Snyman are examples of Springboks who became professional coaches but never really made the grade.

A shining example of a top class former Springbok making his mark in the professional coaching arena is Rassie Erasmus, the Stormers head coach. According to Nick Mallett (another good example), during his playing days Erasmus was a meticulous analyst of the game spending hours on end behind his laptop studying the opposition and looking at ways to improve his game. He is a classic student of the game, seeking to understand every nuance of the game, be it technical, tactical or purely how game situations evolve within clearly defined circumstances on the field of play.

Partner these skills with good people management skills and you have a winning combination. Erasmus has been gracious in defeat these last few weeks, acknowledging the superiority of the opposition on the day, but every time emphasised the immense confidence he has in his players and the confidence they have in each other – this shows a team with very clear goals and a focused approach to the game. At the post match interview after the Stormers smashed the Lions, Erasmus gave all the credit to his players and did not once refer to his own contribution to their success.

Losing confidence

If we contrast this to the time when Kobus van der Merwe was coaching a struggling Stormers side a few years back when he criticised his players in the media, one appreciates the value of good people management skills. There’s nothing worse than players losing confidence and respect for their coach - the very moment this happens the coach and the team has but one way to go and that is down.

This is the confidence challenge Cheetahs coach Naka Drotske faces presently: with five losses in a row and with one tour match to go against the high flying Highlanders at the House of Pain he has to come up with something to inspire his chargers. Only time will tell if he still carries the respect of this beaten outfit. Similarly, Lions coach Eugene Eloff and his team also desperately need a confidence booster after having been humiliated at Newlands this past weekend. They face sterner opposition over the next few weeks which will make things even worse (Brumbies, Hurricanes, Chiefs, Blues and Reds).

At Loftus the soft spoken Frans Ludeke has found his feet after a terrible first Super 14 season with the Bulls. The return of Heyneke Meyer to Pretoria (the two are very close friends) would have given him a welcome boost ahead of the Bulls’ Australasian tour. Reports from Pretoria are that the players have accepted Ludeke completely, a process that was hugely facilitated by the return of Victor Matfield to a leadership position within the Bulls outfit. Their trip down under will not be easy facing the likes of the Hurricanes, Highlanders, Crusaders, Waratahs and Brumbies.

However, like with all teams and coaches, things are always good when the team is winning. For the South African franchises the next five weeks will be telling: the Cheetahs are down and out while the Bulls, Lions, and Stormers face character tests down under. It is under these trying circumstances that the specialised knowledge and player management skills of coaches and senior players will be needed to pull them through.

Written by Sport24 columnist Gary Boshoff