Phil Larder, one of the first rugby league coaches to cross codes, gives his insight into the current cohort that dominate the Six Nations.
Larder spent time in Australia learning from the late Jack Gibson, a “master-coach” and a mentor of John Muggleton, another cross-code pioneer. “I made Shaun captain of England rugby league when I coached them at the World Cup [in 1995]. Kevin and Mike have proved, in rugby league and now, that they are the right characters. Larder stresses that “gaining respect” and “man-management” will remain as “essential” pillars of coaching. Gatland has often said that he does not worry about asking Wales players to run through walls, because “they just want to know what to do on the other side”. “In rugby league, you have forwards and backs of similar size and weight with the half-backs a bit smaller. On the same theme, Warren Gatland described Wiganers as “a little bit mad, in a positive way”. Players were asked to embrace “the apex of pain” in difficult moments. “He’ll certainly stand for something,” promised the Ireland head coach of his ex-Wigan Warriors team-mate. I thought: ‘How the hell can Garforth keep up?’ You have to modify a lot of your thinking.” Upon joining England, Larder would travel to clubs to “perfect” drills before unfurling them with the national side. Phil Larder, a World Cup winner in 2003, feels proud to watch the influence of the 13-a-side code continue.
Kevin Sinfield's journey to becoming right-hand man to the most important person in English rugby union may on the face of it have only taken two years, ...
You could not respect the bloke enough, not only was he talented but he was a great people person as well.” "If you watched Leicester the last 18 months they had a system and a structure that played to their strengths,” says Vickerman. "For me, it was always a case of where he was going to find success, not when,” continues Vickerman. I remember seeing him at some of the bigger games we were involved in, he’d be there in the crowd with Paul Caddick and board members. "He was always in and around the club, certainly when it was Rhinos-Tykes, constantly asking questions. I remember Sale were quite interested in him when he was at the Rhinos.”