The obsessive coming to Scarlets: 'He just eats mince and rice in a cubby hole in his locker room'
Ben Franks’ appointment as Scarlets scrum coach was met with a shrug of indignation in some quarters of West Wales, and with a hop, skip and a jump in other places earlier this week. Even though locally reared Richard Kelly was still promoted to forwards coach from an academy role at the region, there was disquiet that Ioan Cunningham – a highly regarded young coach – had exited stage-door right without explanation after nine years.
Many high profile figures, including ex-Ospreys and Bristol coach Sean Holley, bemoaned the lack of a pathway for young Welsh coaches, which is understandable given there are no indigenous directors of rugby or head coaches operating at any of the four Welsh regions. Toby Booth (Ospreys) and Dean Ryan (Dragons) are English, new Scarlets boss Glenn Delaney is from New Zealand and John Mulvihill (Cardiff Blues) is Australian.
There was no doubt that Cunningham, an abrasive back row in his Llanelli playing days, was a pivotal part in the renaissance of the region that won the Guinness PRO12 title in 2017 under Wayne Pivac and reached the Heineken Champions Cup semi-final in 2018, a feat not managed by a Welsh region since Cardiff in 2009.
Yet with Brad Mooar, the wildly popular head coach heading back to New Zealand to take his place on the Ian Foster-led All Blacks ticket, it has been left to his fellow Kiwi Delaney to rebuild a coaching team fit to challenge for the PRO14 whenever it resumes.
Delaney has history with Franks having worked with him at London Irish in 2016 and the Christchurch native’s experience in a stellar 14-year career has seen him mix almost exclusively in the upper echelons of the game. The tighthead’s achievements include a World Cup in 2015 and two Super Rugby championships with the Crusaders in 2006 and 2008.
What exactly is a squad which boasts five Welsh internationals in their front row alone – Samson Lee, Ken Owens, Rob Evans, Wyn Jones and Ryan Elias – getting? One man who has spent the last few seasons seeing Franks work at close-quarters is Tom Wood, the 51-cap England international.
“I definitely thought Ben was a coach-in-waiting when I was playing with him,” said Wood to RugbyPass. “People talk about discipline and setting standards but he took it to a whole new level. He’s very serious so his biggest challenge will be how he relates to the boys and gets his messages across, but in terms of his knowledge of the scrum and professionalism, I don’t think there is anyone better.”
The brother of two-time World Cup winner Owen, Franks has a gym in Christchurch eponymously called Franks Brothers Gym where his prodigious strength has seen him squatting 300kgs. It has led to S&C staff at Northampton giving him a free rein.
“They don’t write programmes for him. They don’t give him any nutrition advice. Most players are being told exactly what to eat, down to the single calorie. Ben does all that himself. He owns a gym back in New Zealand and has a natural enthusiasm for training.”
In a relatively short space of time there, Franks’ attention-to-detail became legendary at Franklin’s Gardens. “I used to take the mickey out of him. I’d say, ‘What’s for lunch, mate?’ because he doesn’t eat with the rest of the boys. He just eats mince and rice in a cubby hole in his locker room. He has his own Tupperware box weighed down to the exact calorie that he needs to fuel himself. He’ll prep and plan months in advance.”
When it comes mapping out the rigid day’s training, Wood said that Franks ploughed his own furrow while making sure he chatted about the nuances of scrummaging with Saints forward coaches Phil Dowson and Matt Ferguson. “Even if we’re due to in at 11am, he’ll be in at 7am regardless, doing his weights. He’s an early riser, up around 5/6am so when everyone else is training in the afternoon, he’ll be having a coffee or doing some more scrum prep!”
Despite this rigorous approach to rugby, the ex-England back row insisted Franks can switch off. “He likes his welding and hunting and sometimes if I need some cheap labour, something heavy lugged about, I’ll ask him. He is funny and like many Kiwis, he has this dry sense of humour. His brother Owen is a more light-hearted laid-back version of him.”
As for the challenges that will await in West Wales, Wood reckoned the transition from poacher to gamekeeper will be the most difficult. “I don’t think he will be nervous but it is a challenge moving from being player to a coach.
The end of a massive career for Ben Franks will be at @SaintsRugby ? #AllBlacks #GallagherPrem pic.twitter.com/EVZZzp6cxl
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) February 25, 2020
“Every player has the answers when they are playing and will critique everything a coach says but when you are given the reins as a coach you realise how hard it is. You are trying to keep everybody happy and do the best for the team.”
As for his suitability in his transition to coaching, Wood said the 47-cap All Black is ready for the next step. “Ben is somebody who thinks deeply about leadership and high-performance having played under the likes of Chris Boyd, Graham Henry and Steve Hansen.
“Like a lot of scrummagers he’s not a gregarious type, but if he is largely dealing with forwards I don’t think anyone will question his work ethic or his knowledge of the scrum. He’s gone through his career questioning every coach he has played with so now is his time to see if he can do better.”
As Wood waits to see if the suspended 2019/20 Premiership campaign reignites, Franks will see the move to West Wales as a learning experience. A chance to test to himself. “He has a strong philosophy on how to get the best from people and the standards he expects. He is considered in his approach. He doesn’t talk a load of s***, basically. He’ll sit quietly and take it all in but when he speaks, people listen. Hopefully that will translate into coaching.”
By the sounds of it, the Scarlets have snagged themselves a meticulous planner and obsessive trainer. Time will tell if he can help stir the next era.
Comments on RugbyPass
Lets compare apples with apples. Lyon sent weak team the week before, but nobody raised an eyebrow. Give the South African teams a few years to build their depth, then you will be moaning that the teams are too strong.
41 Go to commentsDid footballs agents also perform the scout role at some time? I’m surprised more high profile players haven’t taken up the occupation, great way to remain in the game and use all that experience without really requiring a lot of specific expertise?
1 Go to commentsSuper rugby is struggling but that has little to do with sabbaticals. 1. Too many teams from Aust and NZ - should be 3 and 4 respectively, add in 2 from Japan, 1 possibly 2 from Argentina. 2. Inconsistent and poor refereeing, admittedly not restricted to Super rugby. Only one team was reffed at the breakdown in Reds v H’Landers match. Scrum penalty awarded in Canes v Drua when No 8 had the ball in the open with little defence nearby - ideal opportunity to play advantage. Coming back to Reds match - same scrum situation but ref played advantage - Landers made 10 yards and were penalised at the breakdown when the ref should have returned to scrum penalty. 3. Marketing is weak and losing ground to AFL and NRL. Playing 2 days compared with 4. 4. Scheduling is unattractive to family attendance. Have any franchises heard of Sundays 2pm?
10 Go to commentsAbsolutely..all they need is a chance in yhe playoffs and I bet all the other teams will be nervous…THEY KNOW HOW TO WIN IM THE PLAYOFFS..
2 Go to commentsI really hope he comes back and helps out with some coaching.
1 Go to commentsI think we are all just hoping that the Olympic 7s doesn’t suffer the same sad fate as the last RWC with the officials ruining the spectacle.
1 Go to commentsPersonally, I’ve lost the will to even be bothered about the RFU, the structure, the participants. It’s all a sham. I now simply enjoy getting a group of friends together to go and watch a few games a year in different locations (including Europe, the championship, etc). I feel extremely sorry for the real fans of these clubs who are constantly ignored by the RFU and other administrators. I feel especially sorry for the fans of clubs in the Championship who have had considerable central funding stripped away and are then expected to just take whatever the RFU put to them. Its all a sham, especially if the failed clubs are allowed to return.
9 Go to commentsI’m guessing Carl Hayman would have preferred to have stayed in NZ with benefit of hindsight. Up north there is the expectation to play twice as many games with far less ‘player management’ protocols that Paul is now criticising. Less playing through concussions means longer, healthier, careers. Carter used as the eg here by Paul, his sabbatical allowed him to play until age 37. OK its not an exact science but there is far more expectations on players who sign for Top 14 or Engl Prem clubs to get value for the huge salaries. NZR get alot wrong but keeping their best players in NZ rugby is not one of them. SA clubs are virtually devoid of their top players now, no thanks. They cant threaten the big teams in the Champions Cup, the squads have little depth. Cant see Canes/Chiefs struggling. Super has been great this year, fantastic high skill matches. Drua a fantastic addition and Jaguares will add another quality team eventually. Aus teams performing strongly and no doubt will benefit with the incentive of a Lions tour and a home RWC. Let Jordie enjoy his time with Leinster, it will allow the opportunity for another player to emerge at Canes in his absence.
10 Go to commentsLove that man, his way to despise angry little men is so funny ! 😂
4 Go to comments“South African franchises would be powerhouses if we had all our overseas based players back in situ. We would have the same unbeatable aura the Toulouses, Leinsters or Saracens of this world have had over the last decade or so.” Proof that Jake white does not understand the economics of the game in SA. Players earning abroad are not going to simply come back and represent the bulls. But they might if they have a springbok contract.
22 Go to commentsA lot of fans just joined in for the fun of it! We all admire O'Gara and what he has done for La Rochelle
4 Go to commentsThe RFU will find a way to mess this up as usual. My bet is there will be no promotion into the the Premiership, only relegation into National League One. Hopefully they won’t parachute failed clubs into the league at the expense of clubs who have battled for promotion.
9 Go to commentsWell that’s the contracts for RG and Jordie bought and paid for. Now, what are the chances we can persuade Antoine to hop over with all the extra dosh we’ll have from living at the Aviva & Croke next season…??? 🤑🤑🤑
34 Go to commentsWow, that’s incredible. Great for rugby.
34 Go to commentsYou probably read that parling is going to coach the wallaby lineout but if not before now you have.
14 Go to commentsIf someone like Leo Cullen was in O’Gara’s place I don’t hear Boo-ing. It’s not just that La Rochelle has hurt Leinster and O’Gara is their Irish boss. It’s the needle that he brings and the pantomime activity before the game around pretending that Munster were supporting LaRochelle just because O’Gara is from Cork. That’s dividing Irish provinces just to get an advantage for his French Team. He can F*ck right off with that. BOOOOO! (but not while someone is lying injured)
4 Go to commentsDid the highlanders party too hard before the game? They were the pits.
1 Go to commentsWhat a player! Not long until he’s in the England side, surely?
5 Go to commentsHe seems to have the same aura as Marcus Smith - by which I mean he’s consistently judged as if he’s several years younger than he actually is. Mngomezulu has played 24 times for the Stormers. When Pollard was his age he had played 24 times for South Africa! He has more time to develop, but he has also had time to do some developing already, and he hasn’t demonstrated nearly as much talent in that time as one would expect. If he is a generational talent, then it must be a pretty poor generation.
6 Go to commentsThe greatest Springbok coach of all time is entirely on the money. Rassie and Jacques have given the south african public a great few years, but the success of the springbok selection policy will need to be judged in light of what comes next. The poor condition that the provincial system is currently in doesn’t bode well for the next few years of international rugby, and the insane 2026 schedule that the Boks have lined up could also really harm both provincial and international consistency.
22 Go to comments