Phil Davies denies it's jobs for the 'boyos' with Welsh hires
Namibia coach Phil Davies believes his decision to enlist two coaches from Welsh club rugby to help prepare the Rugby World Cup minnows to face the might of pool opponents New Zealand and South Africa is based on logic rather than jobs for the “boyos”.
Former Wales No8 Davies, in his fifth year as the Namibia head coach, has a pool of just 900 players to choose from and all but a handful are full-time professionals – playing outside the country. The rest of the Namibian squad fit in training around their working lives which means their coaches have to understand the different demands and pressures on the players who pull on the blue jersey as the lowest-ranked nation at the World Cup in Japan.
That is why Davies has appointed two coaches from the semi-professional Welsh Premiership – Merthyr’s Dale McIntosh and Mark Jones, who has just quit as RGC 1404 head coach – to look after defence and attack respectively in a Namibian coaching team that faces the daunting task of preparing the players to take on New Zealand, South Africa, Italy and Canada. In the lead up to those matches, Namibia will have two home warm-up games with the Southern Kings Pro14 outfit.
Given Namibia’s record in previous Rugby World Cups is 0-19, Davies is not having to deal with the pressure of massive expectation but he is convinced that the recent win over Uruguay proves his players are developing an ability to deliver on the big stage and the target is to register that first-ever Cup win in Japan. It means the final Pool B fixture against Canada – only two places above 23rd ranked Namibia – on October 13 could be the biggest day in the African nation’s rugby history.
Ironically, Canada are coached by Kingsley Jones – another Welshman – adding yet more interest to the fixture back in the Principality. So, why did Davies choose former Welsh flanker McIntosh, who acted as hotel security for various teams in Wales at the 2015 World Cup, and 47-cap Jones, whose RGC team is based in Colwyn Bay in North Wales?
He told RugbyPass: “Dale will do the defence and Mark will do the attack and Jaco Engels ( 15 caps for Namibia) will do the set piece work while my job is to look after the selection and the game plan. That is the hub of the management for the World Cup. Dale has had a lot of success with Merthyr and the key thing is that he has coached Cardiff Blues academy, Wales U18 and worked with me as defence coach at the Blues. The reason I wanted Dale is that he has coached across the spectrum – young players, semi-pro and also fully pro guys. That is going to be very important because that is how the Namibian squad is made up.
Johann Tromp of Namibia is tackled by Richard Stewart of Spain during the international rugby match between Spain and Namibia at Estadio Central on November 17, 2018 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images)
“We have young players who have been in Super rugby academies, semi-professionals who work and 60 per cent of the squad will be from that demographic. It’s not a case of bringing Dale in because I knew him, it’s because he is a great cultural architect and will fit really well with the way we work.
“In Mark and Dale we have two really good coaches who the players will really enjoy working with. I know what Mark can bring and like Dale he has coached across the spectrum with Wales, Scarlets and RGC and he understands the mixture of young guys and semi-pros as well. We also have a strength and conditioning group headed by Wayne Proctor (ex-Wales) with really good Namibian guys working closely with him.
Having enjoyed success at the senior and U20 level in recent weeks, Namibia head coach Phil Davies pays tribute to the team's state-of-the-art high performance centre ? pic.twitter.com/gwCsIrP9IK
— World Rugby (@WorldRugby) September 4, 2018
“During the course of the time I have been in Namibia we have tried to grow a coaching team and that was part of the strategic plan after the 2015 Cup where we had a Namibian defence and attack coaches and team manager but people move on. We now have a high-performance centre and we try to bring the best available people in and Mark and Dale will transfer skills and knowledge to help build for the future. I have spent five years trying to create a platform for not only this World Cup but also the next one in France.
“There are experienced coaches with the dominant teams in the domestic league which only has seven teams and that needs to grow to ten. I would like to see Namibia create a ten-year plan and grown a national academy from the high-performance centre. There is a great foundation in place.”
Davies has tried to increase the number of fully professional players in his squad but has been turned down by players such as Windhoek born Anton Bresler, the Worcester Warriors lock. He explained: “We spoke to Worcester’s Anton Bresler, Divan Rossouw at the Bulls and Michal Haznar at the Griquas and for one reason or another they are not available and that’s fine. You have to respect that.
“With less than 900 players who play domestic rugby in Namibia, to make the World Cup finals is an amazing testimony to this group of players. We have grown from an average age of 31 at the last World Cup to just over 24 this time but we have more test caps. While the scoreboard hasn’t been kind to us when we have taken part in SuperSport game in South Africa we have learnt a lot. We need to use that knowledge to be a competitive as possible in all the pool games.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Oh wow… “But as La Rochelle proved in winning in Cape Town this season, a cross-continental away assignment need not spell the end of days.” La Rochelle actually proved quite the opposite. After traveling to Cape town and back they (back-to-back and current champs) got mercilessly thumped the next week. If travel is not the reason, why else would a full-strength powerhouse like La Rochelle get dumped on their @r$e$ one week later?
26 Go to commentsYou know he can land a winning conversion after the full time siren is up. (Even if it takes two attempts.)
5 Go to commentsA very insightful article from Jake. I would love to know how South African’s feel about their move to Europe. Do you prefer playing in Europe or want to go back to Super Rugby?
2 Go to commentspure fire
1 Go to commentsA very well thought out summary of all the relevant complications…agree with your ”refer the Cricket Test versus 20/20 comparison”. More also definitely doesn't necessarily mean better!
2 Go to commentsMust be something when you are only 19 y.o and both NZ and France want you. Btw he wasn’t the only new caledonian in french U20 as Robin Couly also lived in Noumea until 17. Hope he’s successful wherever he chooses to play.
7 Go to comments“Several key players in the Stade Rochelais squad are in their thirties” South Africans are going to hate the implications of that comment!
5 Go to commentsI know Leinster did a job on La Roche but shortly after HT Leinster were 30-13 ahead of them and at a similar time Toulouse were trailing Exeter. At 60 mins Leinster were 27 ahead but after 67 mins Toulouse were only 19 ahead before Exeter collapsed. That’s heavier scoring by Leinster against the Champions. I think people are looking at Toulouses total a little too much. I also think Northhampton are in with a real chance, albeit I’d put Leinster as favourites. If Leinster make the final I expect them to win by more than ten and with control.
5 Go to commentsHey Nick, your match analysis is decent but the top and tail not so much, a bit more random. For a start there’s a seismic difference in regenerating any club side over a test team. EJ pretty much had to urinate with the appendage he’d been given at test level whereas club success is impacted hugely by the budget. Look no further than Boudjellal’s Toulon project for a perfect example. The set ups at La Rochelle and Leinster are like chalk and cheese and you are correct that Leinster are ahead. Leinster are not just slightly ahead though, they are light years ahead on their plans, with the next gen champions cup team already blooded, seasoned and developing at speed from their time manning the fort in the URC while the cream play CC and tests. They have engineered a strong talent conveyor belt into their system, supported by private money funnelled into a couple of Leinster private schools. The really smart move from Leinster and the IRFU however is maximising the Irish Revenue tax breaks (tax relief on the best 10 years earnings refunded at retirement) to help keep all of their stars in Ireland and happy, while simultaneously funding marquee players consistently. And of course Barrett is the latest example. But in no way is he a “replacement for Henshaw”, he’s only there for one season!!! As for Rob Baxter, the best advice you can give him is to start lobbying Parliament and HMRC for a similar state subsidy, but don’t hold your breath… One thing Cullen has been very smart with is his coaching team. Very quickly he realised his need to supplement his skills, there was talk of him exiting after his first couple of years but he was extremely shrewd bringing in Lancaster and now Nienaber. That has worked superbly and added a layer that really has made a tangible difference. Apart from that you were bang on the money… 😉😂
5 Go to commentsNot sure exactly what went wrong for him at Glasgow but it’s pretty clear he ain’t Franco’s cup of tea. Suspect he would have been better served heading out of Scotland around the same time as Finn, Hoggy and Jonny!
1 Go to commentsBulls disrespected the Northampton supporters and the competition. Decide quickly, fully in or out.
26 Go to commentsI wonder if Parling was ever on England’s radar as a coach? Obviously Borthwick is a great lineout coach, but I do worry he might be taking on too much as both head coach and forwards coach.
1 Go to commentsJason Jenkins has one cap. When Etzebeth was his age he had over 80 caps. Experience matters. He will never amount to what Etzebeth has because he hasn’t been developed as an international player.
2 Go to commentsSays much about the player picking this gig over the easier and bigger rewards offered to him in Japan. Also says a lot about the state sanctioned tax benefits the Irish Revenue offers pro rugby players, with their ten highest earning years subject to an additional 40% tax relief and paid as a lump sum, in cash, at retirement. Certainly helps Leinster line up the financial ducks in a row to fund marquee signings like this!!! No other union anywhere in world rugby benefits from this kind of lucrative financial sponsorship from their government…
5 Go to commentsTrue Jordie could earn a lot more in Japan. But by choosing Leinster he’ll be playing with 1 of the best clubs in the world and can win a champions cup and URC…..
6 Go to commentsThanks for that Marshy, noticed you didn't say who is gonna win it. We know who ain't gonna win it - your Crusaders outfit. They've gone from having arguably the best Super Rugby first five ever, to having a clutch of rookies. Hurricanes all the way!
1 Go to commentsGeez you really have to question the NRLs ability to produce players of quality. Its pathetic. Dont the 25mil in Aus produce enough quality womens players. Sad.
1 Go to commentsBulls fan here, and agree 100% with the conclusion (and little else) of this article. SA sides should absolutely f-off from the champs cup until we get fair scheduling, equal support for travel arrangements and home semis. You know, like all the european teams get.
26 Go to commentsI’m yet to see why Grace would be an ABs contender. He’s pedestrian and lacks the dominance required of a top flight 8.
11 Go to commentsGee my Highlanders were terrible. They have gone backwards since the start of the season. The trouble began when we left Millar behind to prep as the 10 against the Brumbies and he was disconnected from the team that came back from Aussie. We rested Patchell for that game and we blew an avalanche of ball in good attacking positions in the 1st half. Against the Rebels we seem to of gone into a pod system with forwards hanging off from the breakdown leaving Fakatava to secure our ball!
80 Go to comments