In 1998, Welsh rugby was in turmoil having narrowly missed a hundred point annihilation by the Springboks. Graham Henry arrived and in his first game in charge Wales were transformed and almost delivered an historic victory. He became known as the Great Redeemer.
Ten years later Wales finds itself in yet another crisis, but this time the new man goes one step further and actually beats the English at Twickenham. Is Gatland the second coming?
The tendency for us to create these messianic figures highlights our own fragile psychological state rather than any genuine divine coaching ability that Henry or Gatland may possess.
The reason that the nation lunges from despair to ecstasy so easily is because it isn’t grounded in a stable idea of where it actually stands.
We have an inferiority complex in Wales. We lack the self-confidence that countries such as Australia, South Africa, England and America have. In every sphere of life, these countries produce people who believe that they are as good if not better than anyone else. We like to call it arrogance but most of the time it isn’t. In Wales and especially in rugby we look up at other countries and wonder are we as good as they are.
The exaggeration of these foreign coaches is born from the idea that we are not quite good enough ourselves and so we need someone from outside to lead us forward. It is only then, having placed our trust in an external figure, that we become united in pursuing our goal. New Zealand, England, Australia and South Africa would never consider an overseas coach because they believe they have the talent in their own countries.
In the past decade Welsh rugby has enjoyed two successful periods, Henry’s 10-match winning run in 1999 and the Grand Slam in 2005. On both occasions the squad had formed an intense attachment with its coaching staff. They feared the authoritarian head coach, Henry or Hansen (the man the players credit for the success in 2005).
But curiously both periods also had someone who provided incredible emotional support. Steve Black and Scott Johnson were key figures in both of those periods and they were worshipped by the players. A bond was formed that was difficult for us on the outside to appreciate but consisted of continuous positive reinforcement. Black and Johnson believed in the players so much that eventually the players began to believe in themselves.
I’m not sure which one of the current coaching set up is providing the ‘love’, maybe this group of players don’t need as many hugs as they used to, which is just as well because I’m not sure how much comfort you can get from a Shaun Edwards embrace!
But it is remarkable that essentially the same group of players that failed to progress out of the group stages of the World Cup can go to Twickenham and win. What exactly has Gatland done in two weeks of coaching?
Gatland confesses that it was not possible to work on too many technical or tactical aspects in such a limited time which was part of his rationale for the en masse Ospreys selection. However he has transformed the dynamics between the management and the players. He is the boss, this is what he expects and, if you don’t perform, he’ll find someone who will.
The best example of this is the thorny issue of contact training sessions. Gareth Jenkins saw the need for the players to do more ‘live’ sessions so that the intensity of a test match could be replicated in training. The only way to improve your skills at international level is to practice them under the same pressures otherwise it becomes meaningless.
However when Jenkins tried to implement this, the players declined. Why? Because it’s tough, very tough. If you had a choice of either running around passing, kicking and rehearsing some pre-planned moves or going head to head in all-out war, which would you prefer?
It was a reflection of the influence that the players had in the previous regime that those sessions did not go ahead. Gatland has destroyed that power and players have spent two weeks knocking each other senseless. The coach has further intensified those sessions by saying that Jamie Roberts has been selected because he’s looked good in training. Each session is now a Welsh trial. If that doesn’t create intensity, nothing will. No one is safe.
Before we get carried away (I know it’s too late but I’ve got to say it) the victory against England needs to be considered objectively. For the majority of the game we were disappointing but England could not deliver a fatal blow. In the last 20 minutes Wales applied the pressure and England cracked. Wales deserved to win and the match was a testament to their tenacity and fitness.
The 2005 Grand Slam started with a scrappy win against the Old Enemy. It was only after that initial victory that the flowing rugby began and I would expect Wales to pursue that style against Scotland.
The Scots have a big scrum and a good line-out but their back play has the fluency of a George Bush speech. Wales should win, but we’ve said that before!
Just a quick indulgence to congratulate Jamie Roberts on gaining his first cap. I feared that I would be the last doctor to play for Wales and that the proud tradition of internationals coming from Cardiff Medicals RFC would be lost to history.
Well done Jamie, well done the Blues and Wales for accepting his commitments and well done the medical school for being flexible. The professional game has not lost the professional person.
© 2008 S4C
O Gymru / Made in Wales