Irish rugby 'in another lifetime': Pizzas, beer and late to bed
High-performance coach Craig White has paid tribute to Ireland winning back-to-back Guinness Six Nations titles, posting an insightful message on LinkedIn that explained how far off the pace the Irish were in the early years of professional rugby.
White, who now has worked 30 years in the pro game in a variety of roles with multiple teams, recalled how he was the first full-time fitness coach appointed to the Ireland team in 1998, and what he encountered was a very different situation to the ultra-pro set-up that now exists under Andy Farrell.
Ireland lost all four matches in the 1998 championship, leaving them with the wooden spoon, and they ultimately failed to reach the quarter-finals of the 1999 Rugby World Cup as they were eliminated in a play-off in Lens by then-underrated Argentina.
However, the Irish have since been transformed, winning Six Nations Grand Slams in 2009, 2018 and 2023 and championship titles in 2014, 2015 and 2024.
It’s a transformation that White has now praised in a social media post charting the difficult journey in the early days of Irish rugby professionalism.
📹 Watch the highlights between Ireland and Scotland in yesterday's match here ⬇️#GuinnessM6N #IRESCO pic.twitter.com/DlvLFGcGAz
— Guinness Men's Six Nations (@SixNationsRugby) March 17, 2024
“Huge congratulations to the Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) for winning back-to-back 6 Nations,” he began. “In another lifetime, 26 years ago in 1998, I became the first ever ‘full-time’ fitness coach to work with the Irish senior men’s team. It was at the start of the professional era. The game had only been professional for three years.
“What a great experience it was to try and change the ‘amateur habits’ of players back then. Let me tell you it wasn’t easy. I remember walking down the corridor of the hotel on 6 Nations match day in Dublin.
“There would be a few rooms with pizza boxes outside and the occasional beer (no names mentioned here). And to try and get players into bed before 22:00 was impossible.
“I also remember having constant battles with coaches and ‘old school’ teachers trying to convince them that their players needed to perform heavy weightlifting, and to do more specific rugby training and less linear interval running. I laugh when I think back to those days.
“The reason for this post is to inform people that Ireland were one of the big rugby nations that took the longest to adjust to the professional era. Yet, what a remarkable transformation we have seen over the last 26 years. It is unbelievable.
“The seed of this transformation in my opinion was in 1999. Liam Hennessy had been appointed as head of fitness for the whole organisation. His mission was to create a long-term pathway that included different phases of preparation, especially across the physical and technical areas of development. He was also my boss.
“I remember Liam working tirelessly with people like Eddie Wigglesworth and Stephen Aboud to build this long-term pathway. They travelled the globe speaking with experts from all over the world. They were patient. They wanted to ‘get it right’.
“Not only did they create a world-class pathway for players, it was also a pathway for coaches and practitioners with specific coaching certifications that relate to key areas of growth within a player’s playing cycle.
“Ireland were ahead of the game. They were one of the first, if not the first rugby nation to train and recruit specialist coaches related to different phases of a player’s growth. Des Ryan also contributed to the evolution of their long-term pathway in later years.
“But, it took them over 20 years to see the fruits of their labour. They should be honoured for their dedication and also for their patience. Excellence does not happen overnight.”
Comments on RugbyPass
“Cortez Ratima is light years ahead of anyone on current form, while TJ Perenara has also skyrocketed into contention following the unfortunate injury to the talented Cam Roigard.” At last some sanity. Hitherto so many pundits have been wittering on about Finlay Christie to the point one wondered if they were observing a FC in a parallel universe where the FC they saw wasnt just the mediocre Shayne Philpott project of Fosters hapless AB reign in the real world. Ratima, Perenara and Fakatava are the ONLY logical 9s for Razor now Roigard is crocked.
2 Go to commentsThis game was just as painful as the Hurricanes game. It was real fork-in-the-eye stuff.
2 Go to commentsNow if they could just fire the Crusaders ground PA guy who likes to play his dance music and just loves the sound of his own voice the entire game, even when play is going on. And I thought their brass band thing of a few years ago was bad.
5 Go to commentsUnfortunately when you lose by far the two form players this season in Roigard and Aumua, you're left replacing two game changing Tanks with a couple of pea-shooters. Which is also about the speed of TJs pass.
2 Go to commentsBit rich coming from the guy with zero loyalty to anyone or any team, including happily taking a players place in a league world cup squad because well, SBW wanted to play in it and thus an already named player got told he was no longer going. And airing stuff like this, which may or may not be true, doesn't exactly say you're a stand up guy either SBW. Just looking to keep his name in lights as usual.
37 Go to commentsTamati Tua. …the Taniwha NPC midfielder. Ollie Sapsford, Hawkes Bay NPC midfielder…doing well
2 Go to commentsFiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
5 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
5 Go to comments