Author: Stuart Davies

In my blog ahead of the 6 Nations, I expressed concerns about how rugby needed saving, since it was all too often turgid, formulaic and unentertaining.

Well, after this breath-taking and deeply satisfying championship, I am puffing on a metaphorical cigarette, if you get my drift, as I reflect on one of the finest tournaments in recent memory.

There is hope after all, more than that in fact, because this was rugby to be celebrated and a totally absorbing competition.

So many talking points, so many game changing moments, so much to remember.

No doubt Wales’ heart breaking yet ultimately successful campaign was a contributing factor to the enjoyment, but I watched this as someone who needed some salvation rather than silverware. And I got it, in lumps so to speak.

It is though, hard to put my finger on why it delivered when so many games don’t at the moment. Greater ambition and intent perhaps, better collective skill sets maybe, I was more invested probably and there was more jeopardy in respect of the outcome of each game. I’m really not sure though, and yet there were some noticeable changes in approach for me.

The ‘one man rumble round the corner’ seemed to have been replaced by a one pass, one man ruck, and then repeat. Still no players attracted to the breakdown, but certainly pacier and more edifying to watch, and far more likely to create some space after multiple phases.

There also seemed to be a greater willingness to counter attack from the incessant box kicks, whereas some of the strategic attacking kicking was as inventive as it was effective.

However it’s explained though, this was not a panacea for all concerns, and the game still has a lot of sorting out to do. The ‘ruck’ area remains a shambles, and the spectacularly inconsistent refereeing of it was evident in the penalty given against Corey Hill that all but lost Wales the game and the Grand Slam. He could justifiably point to no end of rucks previously, in this game and the whole tournament, where that exact same approach went unpunished, namely where someone who was latched on to the ball carrier goes to ground with him in the tackle. That said, when you’re running the clock down, you are under scrutiny and have to be squeeky clean.

This isn’t sour grapes, just further evidence that ruck laws are applied arbitrarily at best, and that’s being kind. It is all too symptomatic of the ruck malaise, as were the various sending offs, and there are frequently grey areas amongst the red cards. Quite simply, the ‘ruck’ needs sorting.

This problem of functionality and safety agendas colliding, has also now been extended to the tackle area. Good luck to Bundee Aki for example, in going low on a charging Billy Vunipola who is leading with head and shoulders! Nothing but danger down there! Alternatively, Finn Russell was harshly sent off for a poor fend on a tackler who was himself upright and may have been sent off had Russell not fended!

The intent to make the game safer is sound, and maybe it’s work in progress, but we need to be careful where we’re heading with all this for a number of reasons.

On that note, can we please outlaw the ‘crocodile roll’ as it has come to be called, which is a variant of the Greco wrestling I referred to it in my previous blog. This is a completely illegal procedure that ‘did for’ Jack Willis and has no place in the game. Neither would there be time nor necessity for it in a proper dynamic ruck situation.

And whilst we’re talking about animals, the ‘caterpillar ruck’ is a hideous creature that simply has to become extinct as quickly as possible.

On that note, Italy must be sweating a bit as well, since sadly they are a ‘given’ in terms of match outcome, their saving grace being a good away trip and the fact that without them there would only be two games a weekend.

Finally, as we moved back to domestic matters this weekend and the all-Ireland culmination of the Pro 14, it was a reminder that we’re not out of the woods yet. Not the best of matches. This 6 Nations Championship however, has demonstrated that at the very top end of the game at least, rugby can deliver just as well as it ever has.

Was it good for you too?

It’s been 3 years since I left the Dragons, and I’ve not had any direct rugby involvement since, so it was lovely to join a local rugby club online last Saturday for a rugby chat. It was mostly reminiscent stuff, and it’s always nice to look back at some good times. As they say, the longer you’re retired the better you were, and it’s been a while!

Then came the question that threw me, and that lead to this blog – “What were my thoughts for the 6 Nations?”. I surprised myself with my answer and have reflected on it subsequently.

You see, without all the things that make this historical event such a magnificent staple of the rugby calendar, such as the biannual trips, the habitual match day out meeting up with old friends, the atmospheric grounds or the rugby club gatherings, it will just be rugby stripped bare, albeit with a touch of ‘showbusiness’ from the accompanying coverage.

And the truth is as far as I’m concerned, that rugby is not very ‘pretty’ at the moment. It is too often turgid, formulaic and unentertaining. Something has gone wrong with our beautiful game and it needs saving.

Through a combination of poor governance and law making, an uncontrolled evolution in the interpretation and application of some laws, the focus on strength and physicality that in many ways is a by-product of these first two factors, and a seemingly standard approach to playing, it has simply lost its way.

This has all adversely affected its spectacle, and more worryingly its safety, both of which will undoubtedly combine to deter both participation and viewing figures if not addressed.

At the heart of the problem is the lack of space and what’s become known as ‘the breakdown’. You won’t find a heading for it in the law book, but it is a truism. It’s a breakdown in flow, enjoyment and ambition, and it does nothing to attract defences and create space. Many forwards though, are never happier than when they’re ‘going around the corner’ from one breakdown to the next, hitting the deck at the slightest contact and setting up the next phase, a yard at a time, yard after unambitious yard, phase after boring phase. When the ball is released, agoraphobic backs seek contact and safety among the masses, not least because space is such a rare experience in the modern game. Defence is certainly king.

Then again the term ‘Ruck’ is still in the law book, and just read that section if you want an example of where I’m coming from. Apparently, players must have their heads and shoulders no lower than their hips in the ruck, they must bind on a team mate or opponent and stay on their feet, and not intentionally collapse a ruck. I remember it this way! It’s why we used to go to the tackle area in numbers and try to win or maintain possession.

This being the case though, how did we ever arrive with the Greco wrestling shambles that we now witness going unpunished in almost every ‘breakdown’ in every game?

Ahead of the ‘ruck’ though and just after the tackle, there’s a split second, if that, when a defender can ‘jackal’ for the ball. This sees a player in a static position and bent over almost double, routinely being cleaned out by onrushing 20 stone colossuses. There may be an ongoing debate about concussion related dementia and its foreseeability, but ‘jackaling’ is an accident waiting to happen for sure. Give me a good rucking anytime in preference.

And whilst on the subject of safety, a few more observations.

Why are defending players routinely allowed to run obstructing lines in front of opponents who are chasing a box kick or up and under? The timing of the challenge for the ball in the air is absolutely critical to player safety, so why countenance allowing anything that interferes with this?

And what is worse than having to tackle a twenty stone player? Answer, tackling two twenty stone players, a scenario that is apparently legal when players ‘latch on’ to combine their weight and power ahead of making contact with a tackler. This is a ridiculous scenario.

Some may say double tackles should be similarly outlawed, but attackers have choices as to how they engage with defenders. However, a lone tackler has no such choice and just has to tackle whatever is coming at him.

But back to the 6 Nations, with the best players and the best coaches on show. Will it be more of the same, just an elevated war of attrition and prevailing of the strongest, a mix of rugby tennis and box kicks, until a penalty is won, a resultant line-out gained in the corner and the ball shoved up the jumper until it’s muscled over the line?

Or will there be innovation, pace, continuity and excitement?

I really hope it’s the latter, but either way, the absence of any of the usual match day distractions will undoubtedly illuminate the fare on show.

Please prove me wrong 6 Nations. So many of the things we love are under threat, and rugby needs its own shot in the arm. Or is it just me?

Businesses are facing challenges like never before as they emerge from lockdown. Staff have been furloughed or departed, critical skills and expertise have been lost, income decimated and budgets slashed.

In such circumstances, it is often the case that investment in training is the first casualty and the last consideration, as businesses seek to adapt, respond and in some cases simply survive.

However, whilst this is an understandable reaction, it is also dangerous path, and the fact is that training and development doesn’t have to cost anything. The Welsh Government has long recognised the importance of investment in such areas, and as an approved provider, Gower College Swansea is one of a number of Further Education establishments that has access to a variety of initiatives designed to support businesses with their learning and development strategies, with no direct cost.

One of the central pillars of this provision is the fully funded apprenticeship. It used to be the case that apprenticeships were the domain of school leavers, but whilst these ‘traditional’ apprenticeships are still very popular, it is also the case that existing employees are developing their knowledge and skills by undertaking an apprenticeship. For this reason, there is a vast choice of apprenticeships across a range of sectors, subjects and levels that are designed to meet the needs of employers and employees alike.

In the present economic climate, both of these scenarios, namely an apprenticeship for the new recruit or existing employee, have great relevance. With overheads needing to be tightly controlled, companies may no longer wish to outsource certain requirements, and may need to develop capabilities in-house by having existing staff develop additional skills. Alternatively, some specialist staff may have left the business, meaning that someone else needs to acquire the skills necessary to fill the gap, or an employee may simply want to expand their role.

The recruiting of a new apprentice could also be a very expedient and pragmatic way of growing your business. With a vast number of people seeking employment opportunities and work experience, an apprenticeship can be a very attractive route into a career, and a great benefit to the business.

Whatever the reason, an apprenticeship is definitely worth considering and its cost is fully funded.

Furthermore, Better Jobs, Better Futures, an employability initiative that is part of Gower College, can help with any recruitment needs and apprentice sourcing, providing a free service in support of businesses.

In addition to apprenticeships, and as an alternative route to recognised qualifications, the College is able to access a number of other Welsh Government funding initiatives, such as Skills for Industry, which delivers 100% funded courses, including leadership and management, coaching and mentoring, business administration, ICT and many more. Previously, an employer contribution would have been required to the cost of the qualification. ‘Too good to be true’? Well, actually no, but the time to take advantage is now since there’s no knowing how long this arrangement will last.

So, despite these tough economic times, the development of your staff and the growth of your business can still go hand in hand at no cost.

Help is at hand, just reach out and ask.

My client, Eastside Insurance, recently brought back some great memories when they shared footage of me scoring on my debut in Ireland. It was an experience that I will never forget, not only because I lived every Welsh rugby supporter’s dream in scoring the only and winning try, but all these years later I am able to reflect on a number of other lessons that stayed with me from that time.

The parallels between sport and business are well documented, and there’s good reason for this. They are very real, albeit you may not appreciate them at the time.

When I was made captain of Swansea RFC in the amateur days of 1991, my then boss presented me with a bottle of champagne and suggested that having the honour of leading one of Wales’ leading teams would hold me in good stead in my professional life.

Whilst I greeted his words with just a brief acknowledgment, and was far more impressed by the fact that I was in possession of otherwise unaffordable ‘bubbly’, he was, of course, right. Leadership and management demands surfaced almost immediately, as did coping with my own ‘promotion’ and the challenges that can bring.

It was around this time that the national selectors began taking an interest in me. It still felt like a pipe dream though, since every side seemed to have a quality player in my position, and there was quite a pecking order. Before too long though, the choice for the first game of the 5 Nations had boiled down to being between me and a couple of others. Ahead of one particular press conference close to the side’s announcement, my coach Mike Ruddock took me aside, knowing that my natural disposition was to be quite self-effacing. He stressed however, the importance on this occasion, of telling everyone that I was ready for international rugby. He recognised the need for me to appear confident and ready, and not just to be feeling it, even if it went against my natural instincts to announce it. This would have been for the benefit of the selectors, the coach and my prospective team mates, and I learnt that sometimes it is necessary to make a statement that ordinarily you would not be comfortable making.

Perhaps it worked, because I ‘got the nod’ and my debut was to be against Ireland in Lansdowne Road. Aside from the physical and tactical preparation, being selected for Wales brought a huge mental challenge in so many ways, akin I suppose to a big promotion in work. Self-doubt would certainly have been one of them, which wasn’t helped by the extraordinary amount of scrutiny from a hungry press and opinionated Welsh public. Did I deserve to be in this company? Was I good enough? How would I be perceived, or judged even, by my new team mates? Again, Ruddock was a source of inspiration and reassurance, reminding me that all I had to do at international level, was what I’d done to get myself selected in the first place. More good management.

To say I was out of my comfort zone would be an understatement, but the memories are vivid all these years later. Gareth Llewellyn, nothing more than a brutal Neath adversary until my selection, was now my ‘roomy’. And you know what, he was more than ‘alright’; we got on great – and another lesson there for me about making judgements too early, after all, he was only doing for Neath what I was doing for Swansea, just a bit more ‘physically’ perhaps! That said, I recall him being very unimpressed with me using the courtesy hairdryer on the morning of the game! (Therein lies the difference I suppose between playing for Swansea and Neath!)

As for the game itself, I remember the first time I was tackled; it was like running into a brick wall. And the pace of the game, oh the pace really was quicker like everyone said it would be. And I remember thinking ‘how am I supposed to perform with all this noise and emotion around’? And then a breath, a moment to take stock, and begin believing that I could cope, contribute and maybe belong here. Then, Anthony Copsey playing his ‘enforcer’ role on his opposite number with great effect and much leniency from the referee, thank goodness. And of course, a sniff of a chance for glory. My perfect distance as well, 2 yards out, and the rest as they say, is history.

In terms of parallels though, and back to good management, playing for Wales was a pressured environment with selection being a very public and cut throat affair. The days after games would be loaded with opinion and conjecture about who should be playing the next game. My coach in Ireland was Alan Davies, himself a management consultant as well as a top coach as it happens. Ahead of the game, he found me in the tunnel just before we walked out onto the pitch. He tapped me on the backside and whispered in my year that whatever happened in the next 90 minutes, I’d be playing the next game.

This was a superb bit of management, and absolutely what I needed to hear at that exact time. I have no doubt it impacted positively on my performance, and it was a great example of how good managers say the right things at the right time.

The rest of that weekend is all a bit hazy. Not through concussion, just celebration, which was how it was ‘back in the day’.

There is an ‘epilogue’ to this story I suppose, in terms of lessons learned, although this one surfaced a few weeks later. As you can imagine in the circumstances, the press wanted my thoughts on the game, and I was well versed with such things through my Swansea role.  The last question I fielded was what did I think about international rugby. With an obviously ironic smile on my face and a delivery that screamed light heartedness, I said that I didn’t know what all the fuss was about. It didn’t quite translate into print though unfortunately, and after England beat us at Twickenham in the next match, Wade Dooley, their giant second row shook my hand and suggested to me that there was probably more to international rugby than I might have thought!

Note to self, if good communication is more about tone and body language than content, be careful what you say when the first two of those are missing!