Former Ospreys head coach Sean Holley joins Sportin Wales co-founder Alex Cuthbert and host Geraint Hardy to run the rule over the rugby news this week.
Alex and Sean give their assessment on Warren Gatland and the pressure he is under this summer, along with their opinions on his man management style after criticism from Wales international Sam Parry.
Both give their assessment on Wales’ chances for this summer’s tour to Australia, while Alex suggests there may be a few surprises when the team is announced this week.
After the WRU announced their new strategy and our bonus podcast with Abi Tierney, Sean Holley gives his thoughts on the announcement and what it might mean to one of our regions in particular.
Also, Sean opens up on the reasons why he left coaching and his new venture with Great Days Golf, including a certain round with one Sir Gareth Edwards!
spor in Wales podcast supported by dragon v your go-to for Welsh sports News and Views hello and welcome to the sportting Wales podcast sponsored by Dragon bet and co-founded by Alex cber and Gareth Anum I’m gin Hardy and I’m here to keep the guests in check as we look forward to the sport in Wales week please remember to click follow and thanks for listening to this podcast and this week on the Pod we’ve got Alex kebert and also an extremely talented man Sean Holly a man who can do many things including hit some sexy golf shots Sean welcome to the Pod mate I’ve been watching you on your Instagram playing golf you you can you can swing a bath fair play yeah I can uh when I want to when I when I feel like it no yeah thanks very much great to be on the show I I’ve got a golf company great days golf so uh I’ve got to be half tidy at golf never had a lesson um so I really strive to get down to single figures got down to one last year with loads and loads of practice started in covid where had lot of time to do that and golf was one of the things that really kicked off but um well you started your golf career in Co well re sort of properly yes wow I’ve always played always played you know but I was yeah in just before Co I was 18 handicap now I’m two three so yeah yeah that that’s breaks my heart Al yeah I’m mind oh he’s a good golfer a I just over the I say the last couple of years I we before when I was ex to we used to play all the time in the week I guess as I got older and trying to like stay stay healthy week to week playing rugby golf is actually quite more tax it’s a lot more taxing than you think especially if you don’t have buggies and and and you’re walking you know 18 holes and if you’re left right and everywhere you’re walking 10K a day aren’t you this is the difference between a player and a coach though see right when I was at ex I used to get out and play golf they they go you know they they’ve done their training and fair play that’s what they play to do but then as a coach you’re you’re first in last out yeah all the ones you get invited to you never get to play because you’re last out your weekends are full obviously with games and reviewing so when I finished coaching I decided to knuckle down with golf yeah and you’ve never had a golf lesson I had a petting lesson from Gareth Lewis uh a couple of months ago Louie who’s now um with the the professional rugby Players Association so and he’s he was brilliant my putet in CU he was a pro in harle right yeah brilliant coach and uh had a petting lesson and it’s made a massive difference okay you’re having lessons right now yeah you AB what’s wrong with your game tell us oh everything just getting off the te finally left short game I’m all over it you know I’ve got a good touch 150 out you know I’m I’m pretty good just getting off the te I think you know when you get when you play with the lads it’s a bit of a man test who can hit the furthest and you you start you know if one of the boys hits a good one first out you’re like right can’t be you can’t be beating me especially if I’m playing Gareth yeah you got to take the ego out of it though that’s the thing that’s the hardest thing it is the hardest thing you know shots you see them on TV and then it gets in your head so you you’re slightly behind a tree under some branches you got 220 to go and you’re saying to yourself like a com you said yeah I’ll just take my four iron out you and I’ll bend it around the tree and and then bounce it on when in reality you take a seven eyon take your medicine and then put a picture in we John but it doesn’t it doesn’t happen but uh I’m loving it uh say we got great days golf who we’re in collaboration with sporting we’ve got a sportting golf day in 24th of September um and our events are flying and we we’ve got travel now online which is fantastic we got everybody trying to book in to to come abroad with us or actually come into Wales cuz a lot of good courses of people want to come and play so loving it so do you organize this or You’ got a team of people behind you we got a team we got a team I’m in right in the thick of it you know it’s probably the what I’m most busy with particularly out of rugby season um events are flying at the moment we had a cracking one last Friday call the singles open for the gold jacket okay yeah everybody comes along wants to win the gold jacket a bit like the Masters last year’s winner present it it’s bit like a jacket from the the the ‘ 80s band sh W mind right it’s just ridiculous jacket but awful jacket awful gold jacket but it’s a bit of fun live style you know booze on the coast bit of music and but we got a couple of serious ones coming up for great Charities one um with Jason boen former Wales football International for M andd he’s suffering from that it’s rugby against football at p and kig my charity day for valindra Cancer Center in August sold out both sold out so we do a lot of good for for charity as well uh on the gold jacket did the person who who went winsday do they have to bring it back the following year they bring it back but they keep keep it right right and this is only the second year so last year’s winner he couldn’t have like a pre-event dinner on his own it’s quite funny he presented the new one and those two can now go for dinner before the event next year nice that’s like the like old school Masters is it yeah we we had a similar one for Ellis Jenkins stago a couple of weeks ago Mar uh 16 of us out there we called it minutti Masters nice so the whole trip we just drinking Ros the lot and um day one I was winning 34 points I nice second day bottled it Lloyd Williams overtook and won and he won this this like bright pink jacket he wears for the night out and now it’s his um his he has to organize the trip next year now that’s how they do it Trophy and everything it was it was class very and keep the jacket you can’t lose it though ever no that that that has to be yeah if that’s not the bat next year some serious consequences the thing about golfy when you finish playing professional sport of being involved it you still have that competitive element you know it’s still a banter with boys and girls lots of women taking up golf now but it’s brilliant for business you know we finding we have a business Network through Golf and people are realizing that the hospitality sector is changing and you can spend a lot of time on a golf course with uh clients um like-minded people and do a lot of business on the course and that’s the angle we’ve taken really and then now we have that golf golf business Network we finding that they they want to go abroad because our Winters are Dreadful so they’re looking at Spain Portugal Dubai turkey all sorts so um it’s a good place to be at the moment yeah if you’re listening to us on on this on on a podcast is that Sean Holly’s got a lovely tan that’s a golf tan right took took 20 um 20 claims to marer uh just after Alex last week probably a good job last he made sure you guys have gone I was checking actually every bar we went and I was checking they weren’t in there but uh but it was the ospr in the community so the charity arm of the ospr Tom Sloan heads that up and 20 of those sponsors of the uh charity well we took three games of golf four five nights and they raised £5,000 for osies in the community for dementia Alzheimer’s close to my heart cuz my dad has Alzheimer’s and you know so while they’re having a grip great deal of fun they’re they’re making a lot of money for charity as well yeah fantastic stuff um so you on your golf days and in golf in general who is the most famous person you played with who’s good at golf that’s a good one because you know we we’ve heard about you know I I’ve seen GTH play Bale play in the C man not played with him he looked good and Ramsay’s quite good apparently but from the rugby boys is anyone who kind of stands out uh Joe Simmons down ex was pretty good okay he would have been near enough scratched when he wanted to but he was always quite easy to get into mindwise so it’d be me and another lad called St T and we’d always go against him and a guy called OE Devoto who they were better golfers but we were very good chirping off you know we ended up always winning cuz he’d bottle it or were longer than me and he was trying to we’d always make sure we’d be first and you know just it was quite good we got on his head but uh he he’s one of the one of the best ones in terms of striking it I think he was probably very very consistent there a there’s a lot of good rugby playing golfers you know remember Nicki Walker the Scotland Wing he could hit the ball you know Lee burn hits a long ball um lot the quels I mean you play with any of the conel Scott Craig Gavin hit the ball a mile obviously they’re massive but I remember I played at BM medo got invited to play and I was playing with Gare sir Gareth Edwards and um we’re in a buggy and went to the first hole and Sagar is the nicest guy you’ll ever want to meet to everybody right and he’s complimentary the two we’re playing it’s 2v2 oh nice to meet you this that all up the first all now um I’ve chipped on and pet made the pet for a birdie and he gets in the buggy and he changes like he goes well done Sean we got to beat these bastards he just flipped like that you know so comp so compe yeah well I played with Gareth once in Celtic mana and we were losing and we playing against Rob Briden Rob Briden is not a very good golfer I think he’s off 24 or something and he was like Gant we cannot lose against Rob Briden he plays off 24 and he had a put to win right and he missed it and oh he fum absolutely fum in with himself what I mean and me blaming me as well which is fine but you got I got one more golf story you know people ask you ever had a hauling one I had one right on P and kig and I was playing with my dad fortunately and Scott Johnson remember the old Wales coach so it was on the fourth Hall and they and we watched it was a good one only one I’ve had and we watched it all the way in I’m celebrating my dad is ecstatic I turn on Scott Johnson’s thrown his Club on the floor and G ah mate M and I’m G jonno it’s a it’s a hole in one come on give me some credit and he goes nah mate n n n as he does n man you don’t understand he said I’ve only ever played this course twice and the last time I played it Mark Davis carcass the Wales phys he had a ho one on the same so he was filthy as well so if you want a Holy One play with him play with yeah speak the sport um I watched Alex play a bit of cricket um last Friday it was Chris Cook’s testimonial you were decent mate yeah it was right it good fun was it but you did right he was our one of the bosses here daughter rightless he bowled straight on her head no I bowled a full toss and I didn’t realize it was her daughter uh his daughter sorry and then I was a bit good after cuz I actually celebrated because it’s my first Wicket I felt a bit I felt quite bad from the side but then she bowled at me after and she was going for my head again so it was but you were whacking it for fours and sixes yeah it was yeah it was too fast did you enjoy that you you I did yeah I do enjoy it it was good it was it’s um it definitely it’s a lot harder than it uh looks on telly when they when he did throw a few down at me it was uh yeah it was it was good fun did any of the glammy boys kind of Go full Pace at you do you think no we had dang who balls about 90 miles hour he was on our team and he was throwing some heavy balls down to the other Lads and they they couldn’t get near it and they’re actual cricketers so it was quite scary and you could see the difference so Gareth Anin Bal he opened and he got hit for 29 did he got hit for 29 off two overs but the difference from where the wiki the Wicket keeper was from his bowling to dang was about 50 m the speed was just unbelievable fair play it’s uh it’s impressive you kind of hear the ball don’t you before you actually see it and it’s past you do I mean I think laash Shan he he was batting he ah he made it look so easy he don’t you remember he took a uh unbelievable catch on the the far boundary caught it one hand over his head threw it up in the air stepped out Ste back in caught it he just made it look like so easy player that did it in the literally in the final yeah it was the same what’s your other sport then rugby golf Cricket I played uh school boy Cricket International School Boy Cricket oh did you yeah yeah I was with Glam Morgan for a bit the coach played for the seconds I was Captain of Wales in the 16s and fortunately for me um in the same team was when Robert Croft okay who was also an offs spinning batsman like myself um for I say fortunately because I wouldn’t have had the rugby coaching career I would have had if it went for Robert crof because he was much much better than me I was I was average to say the least but uh still president of my local Cricket Club tart Steel in portalet very proud of that we we run four teams couple of junior teams so I don’t play anymore um yeah the ball’s too fast now and it’s too hard and and the knees won’t let me and golf’s taking over but yeah from a from a passion point of view yeah it would be cricked yeah good good you mentioned coaching there um so where where did you start your coaching Journey there what what age did you kind of start so I I was at Lefty University studying Sports Science graduated 94 and went straight into a job into what is now col cigar okay yeah it was CCTA back then the great campus went straight into lecture a level p and B Tech sports science uh and they had a a rugby team and I grabbed that opportunity was playing for aravan at the time uh actually November 1994 playing against South Africa that was the end of my Rugby career smashed into a couple of spring boxs uh did all my knee anything that you can do to your knee I did the worst thing was I smashed my patella into three anyway in it took me 18 months three operations to convalesce in that time the game had gone professional the game had passed me by I never really made enough of a good enough recovery you know but uh I was teaching and coaching so it it sort of took gone from there I I wrote a a course A B spoke B Tech course called rugby studies which gram Henry came down and Phil Bennett to endorse Adam Jones the prop was one of on the first cohort and it sort of went from there and I I started doing my badges I was young I was only 24 25 I was a young coach and the union must have seen something in me because I I did my badges really quick started coaching the likes of David and 21s Dwayne Peele Barry Davis those sort of guys and um then managed to coach the wel students which sort of catapulted me into coaching the likes of K Sweeney and those sort of fellas and um Wales under 21s then I did the first ever level four and I was the youngest on that got through that and and um and then got the job as the first director of rugby at hary College where Alex went and uh I know it’s my fault all the well she’s the cot of hary college it is my fault and how I didn’t make that documentary I don’t know but um that was great for me it coincided with me shifting to Wale sens head coach I got experience of the seven circuit uh and then 3 and a half years later around about 2003 Steve hansome for and said get down to uh to the null I wanted to be interviewed by Mike Cy and Lyn Jones and I got the ospr assistant coach job and the the rest is history I suppose yeah so when was the first time you met Al then it’s quite late actually I’d left hary by the time he got there yeah Alan Lewis was my in charged when I was there yeah so that would have been two three directors of rugby after me Andrew Stanley was after me then gar John then Lou I think yeah g John I remember so uh no coming back on my team playing against Alex’s team would have been yeah he off PR yeah that would have been 2011 probably yeah so in terms of coaching do you do you because you speak with so much passion about rugby and you know we all enjoy your pendry on scrim five do you miss coaching You’ got any aspirations to go back to it I did miss a again I did I um couple of things happened uh you get burnt a lot when you’re professional Alex is nodding there whether it be a coach a player administrator you know you somewhere along the line you’re going to get burned you know we run out of money at the ospr there was a big review that was in 2012 uh a lot of players had to go I had to go I’d been there nine years four trop five trophies um top of the league but you know you you never really recover from that went to Bristol three years three titles got promoted to the Premiership had to go you know and uh you saying had to go because what because you were burnt out or because you just number of reasons or financially it was kind of they couldn’t afford you no no no not on the contrary brist still you you know sometimes you you knock heads with certain players or coaches at the time it coincided with my Elder son having a tumor so I decided to take a year off and uh see him right that year became 2 years 3 years four years 5 years is um why because you realize some things are more important in life that when you’re when you’re a head coach you are 247 whether you like it or not you are immersed in it you’re driving the bus from the front you’re opening your laptop the minute you get home your first in last out as I said and it it consumes you you were you are fine because you’re the man you’re driving it you’re Mr Ospreys or Mr Bristol or whatever you you know but you don’t realize how it’s affecting all your friends and family around you until something like that happens happens and then you know that after that year two years you know when when your kids are saying that you’re a better dad you know you’re more at home uh you’re calmer you know we see you more yeah yeah you know you’re’ able to play golf holid it so yeah and then and and you know I got to be honest I got heavily involved in into the TV hosting events I’ve got an outdoor adventure business down in uh St David’s pen Brookshire then great days golf came on and then Co hit so you know things passed me by I did miss it I got some great offers to go back I resisted and now that’s flown really I I’m I’m I’m at peace with it all and I’ve gone back in John Neil the new um head of coaching performan has brought me in as a coach mentor and I’m mentoring Five Guys that I coached James Hook Richie poo Bradley Davis Paul James and Andrew Bishop so I’m mentoring those five and a group of what a group what a group and I’m loving it and I feel like I’m giving back it’s it’s it gets me close enough commentating and pund gets you close enough to the game Alex will know that and and I so I think that’s probably that yeah when the office came for other jobs was was there a conversation within yourself or did you take it to the table took it to the table I have a word of the s first took it to the table I never used to uh when I became head coach of the ospr Lester Tigers came in European Champions at the time you’re a too later Axel Foley rang me want you to come and be my attack coach at moner that was a difficult one yeah that was was like turning down man united at the time you know it was like oh my God young family sort of plays a part in that but then when it finished you know you got things like Coca-Cola and Japan why did I turn that down you know they’re not a very good team but doesn’t matter you know um you know chance to go to America chance to go to France chance to go to Ireland again you know back into Welsh region rugby it it does tweak you but I think you got to be strong and and and weigh the options up yeah yeah interesting don’t he right the book I could write the book I don’t want to throw anybody into the bus that’s the thing go for it to sell it that’s how you sell those books how would you control that 5 name there Al I’m not sure cuz Bradley would be the one if you saw him you s the others wouldn’t you but um yeah they’re good they they’re good young coaches and I think in Wales we do have a lot of good young coaches but they seem to get to a point and then sort of disappear and I think that that’s where they need mentoring until they can go further a field they can leave Wales they start opening their mind up in terms of seeing the game differently whether it’s in England France Japan or or down in some of the hemisphere I think you look at Mark Jones for example yeah you know he he did his Dillan in in Wales he did International he went to North Wales did his time there and then he went to Crusaders and I think that opened up a big book there he came back did wer and then now he’s at Ospreys and you can see the the fruition that he’s had in coaching the way he is with the players and how everyone really wants to buy into what he wants to do on the field it’s good to see yeah pendry now Al’s doing a lot of it this year he’s good yeah I get him with it actually what advice would you give him then for kind of be yourself you know that I when I went on there um I was timing was good for me because only Dean Ryan really as a coach was on he was on Sky Sports at the time so it was a bit of a niche for me and I became the coach on TV and I’ve been doing it 12 years now so I must be doing something right but I think what I do aside from commentary and that what I do particularly like six nation and scrum five is dare I say quite difficult for people to do when you turn it around that quickly and then be able to wrap it up in the time you’re allowed and articulate it across to so many people live you know Alex will tell you that that’s not easy to do you get like a 4 minute section right but you you you maintain that yourself didn’t you you’ve got I do all the clips myself with with a guy called Big Al you know I prepared it all I never get any sleep in the Six Nations but I think it’s really important really important part of the show and I get a lot of good feedback for it but it’s tough to do it is tough to do and then when the red light go on as you know and you’re live you know it’s got to come out and I never get it’s never scripted it’s never never know to tell it’s got to be authentic you know so I love it that pressure is something that you get from the coach in a professional world so yeah it’s good and hopefully I get get to do it a few more years but these uh Whipper Snappers that are coming up and chasing my tail um I don’t know how how do you cope with um former players or current players sorry kind of talking to you you you critiqued me there show like I you doal with that I think it’s easier for me I think you know and Alex maybe can back me up here is that having been in the coaching room that’s going to get harder as I get older and the younger ones come through I haven’t coached but and I’d like to think that most of Alex’s generation and people like Dan biger Sam wton Z and all that who I coached it would be no different to what I’d say to them face to face in a one-on-one or in a video analysis session on a Monday so I’m I’m not I’m not holding anybody out yeah just being know and I can back it up with some facts and some video yeah we can have a bit of a bit of a disagreement over it but ultimately that’s what I think and if I show you that and articulate that the right way then they can accept it nobody likes it’s not personal likes never never malicious until and I I I’ve always I figured out quite quickly in terms of the information that we’re saying is is what we’re seeing and what the there the simple facts has it’s never a crack at a single player is it most of the time it’ be around how they’re playing or or how the team are trying to set up to play and I always try and say like you’re very good at in terms of like why they kicking in the middle of field you know people like why are they kicking the ball all the time well rby nowadays no one can play in the middle half of the field because if you to have a penalty it’s a 22 meter driving line and the odds of them scoring is about 80% you know just little things like that it’s not a crack at like oh why did he give away a penalty the end of the day rugby is is hard enough as it is you know it’s a split second decision but we are just stay in the facts and it’s never going to be a personal you know barge at that person I think it’s you know you you educate the general public that’s it a lot of people in WS you’ve only got to think of your immediate family and friends they all think they know the game when in reality they don’t you know and so it’s about educating them in a nice way clear concise way so for example I always get ah why is there so much kicking in the game well I always say look if you go back to the 1973 barar against all blacks have a look at the ball in play time and have a look how many times the ball was kicked the ball in play time is nearly half of what it is now and they kicked the ball twice as many times as in the modern game so don’t come at me with that you know there’s an easy answer the greatest game ever and we do our research we know how the teams want to play you know I’ll speak to all the boys in the week right how how you going about playing especially Derby games I know exactly what they’re trying to do both sides of the ball so we can be more critical there because we’re like right they’re not actually doing what they want to do yeah yeah it’s interesting isn’t it actually because we did touch upon it earlier when we weren’t recording now um like the English football boys now do you I mean they they seem to be biting at the kind of comments that the kind of pundits have said to them so like how hard is it Al when you’re playing to to to not bite I suppose well it makes me think what them them biting I think that pendit I don’t think they’re biing into what obviously the coach wants them to do is it because in theory they be they B that away and be like right this is how coach wants us to play this is why we’re doing it they obviously don’t agree with probably what what Gareth is wanting them to do which is why they’re probably frustrated about comments coming from the outside but it is hard I remember being a young player and I had a bit of stick for a couple of years from pundits and you always saying oh you don’t know anything but when you look at it from this side now I I learned an awful lot then as I do now so you understand it’s never personal that’s the thing but I probably didn’t get you don’t get as a young player it’s hard to explain really you don’t get it unless you have the experience of it I say to my son’s like you know um the further up the mountain you go and I mean in terms of experience the more you can see yeah and like as a young coach at the a space Jiffy was was constantly having a pop at our back play we we were scoring loads of tries in that but you at the time I got really prickly about it and um Lynn brought him in so you know I got to know him and understand him a little bit more now as Alex says when you when you’re older and wiser and you understand then and the shoes on the other foot you know it’s a much easier thing to accept but that’s always going to be the case I think particularly with younger players is uh so it’s our job to be as clear and as informed as possible so there is no real recourse you know yeah it’s hard though with social media these days as well I think that’s what Harry Kane said I think it’s very difficult for them to get away from it because you pick up your phone or it’s not newspapers anymore is it there there’s a plethora of of mediums which they can they can access that even their family you know texting them screenshotting something but I think you’ve got to get over that you know when you got someone like Gary Neville who’s had eight campaigns as a coach player for the England national team I think he’s coming from a pretty solid place you know he’s not having to go for the sake of having a go you know um so just switch off and get on with your job I think yeah yeah yeah um speaking of uh jobs at hand Wales in Australia um what is fair level expectation Sean in your opinion of what fans should expect from the Welsh Boys on this tour I I Improvement you know and it’s really hard you know Welsh fans will say oh we can we can go win the series well let’s be let’s be honest you know even where Australia are and they haven’t played since the World Cup Joe Schmidt’s comeing they’ve gone well in the Super Rugby for a change so their curve is upward whether they played or not they they are favorites they home and I would if Wales can get within a score in either test I think that show some improvement you know I think going over there we haven’t W over there for how long ever I can’t remember but um I think the hardest game as well is going to be the Reds yeah the reds are off the back and sad is it but Reds off the back of being together all through Super Rugby can you imagine going notice like oh we got an international team they would have finished a couple of weeks ago wouldn’t they yeah so just Improvement bled some youngsters cap Regan Grace off the bench in the second test that’s it because he’s not ready um but get a look at players and and keep building that would be the expectation for me so the Regan Grace hype you’re telling fans not ready he’s he’s had a long injury hasn’t played rugby union in Anger since he was I don’t think he play see I think he just got to cap him if I’m being if I’m being you know I know they I know I know for the fact they’ve made quite there’s a lot of people starting first test that you wouldn’t think would be starting so there’s going to be tell us tell us ins knowledge I know nine and 10 are to are different to what probably people were expecting okay so I think they’ve sort of thrown caution to the wind and they they’re going to give these young boys a go and they’re going to be W are going to be a tough team to beat they’re going to be niggly they’re going to be right in their face you know they did well in Parts against South Africa against a very physical pack against South Africa you know Australia aren’t going to have the Pack that they had they’re not going to have the line speed that South Africa had so they are going to have more chances it just be how they want to play I can see them kicking an awful lot in the midle third and you know the likes of Rio and Liam on the wings they’re good in the air they’re good at chasing they’re going to just do what they’re good that’s what they’re good at so they’re going to probably do a lot of that I don’t think we see much at all me I think you’re right I think he’ll strip it right back yeah go to a kick in I would imagine he done a lot on Fitness a lot on defense lot on kicking you know that yeah and I don’t see anything wrong with that he’s got to he’s got to put a mindset into the young players that this is the bare minimum you know you you do something you do something next as quick and as fast as you can faster than than the other guy that’s what you did in 20112 I remember with Shan Edward we every unit session we did the same thing all the time over and over and over and the end of the day we had the best defense in Six Nations and we won it you know if you concede less than 10 12 points a game you’re going to Wi you know so that that’s the Mantra they want to hang their hat on something and I think that’s the easiest thing to go to is hardworking tough to beat physicality that’s what so that really Echoes tompkins’s comments this week about going back to kind of boring rugby for like Sean as he well yeah well there you go if we got an experienced player saying that then look from a coach’s point of view you just finished bottom the Six Nations you’ve lost a load of experience in quality players youve got a group of youngsters in Warren I would I would be thinking exactly the same it’s not sexy it’s not it’s probably not pretty to watch but the building blocks are Fitness and War’s massive on that setpiece you know so they’ve done a lot on even restarts but uh scrum and line out defense with fores sure kicking game kick Chase transition play you know limitting the the scores we have against us and if we get opportunity from spillage turnover interception whatever take it any any opportunity for points take it and I think that I I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that because we’ve got a bill for the next world cup and these young players have to understand fundamentals building blocks and Basics that are required for International Rugby they need a win Sean I you know seven losses in a row winning losing and winning is a habit but I will say you know I I remember back in 2012 we won Grand Slam we went to summer we lost every game Autumn we lost every game we lost first game in Six Nations that was eight games in a row these boys are only seven so you know they’re they’re in the same beat same situation you know hopefully they go bit more than that but we end up winning you know the championship so it can change very quickly all it takes is one little scrappy win just get over the line International rby is about winning results that’s it’s a results case it’s not like Club rubby where you can you know find your feet and go through internal rubby is winning you know so what changed in that year was it was it just a single win yeah France away we won hor it was a horrible game George scored Ming crossi kick from B yeah that’s right and scored in the corner his old man’s running on the field you know we’re like who the hell is this old boy like it’s George s you know we scrap through that win and then from then on you know the rest is history know we beat England 30 points half the team are on the lons tour it can change so quickly but like in my head thinking back about that six nations campaign like we were playing free flow in rugby were we like we lost 30 points to 20 against Ireland at home first game of the campaign you know we were in the and then we had to go to France away that was you know just a scrappy little win game that that’s all it takes is that one win you’ve summed it up there you don’t remember short memory you don’t remember you remember George George’s dad coming on and and the win you remember that you don’t know you don’t remember the eight losses before that I do remember though right it’s CB’s corner I tell a quick story it was my mate’s 50th birthday right okay and and and usually I wasn’t working it probably because of that I said I I’ll buy you tickets we’ll go up and we’ll have a we have a good day on it and we’ll enjoy this like fancy Wheels you know because England were coming down for the championship as well and so I got him tickets and I looked the tickets like this is I normally get quite decent someone if I can we go in we now in that corner bottom tier about six rows from the back I’m like man I’m so sorry I’m really sorry I said I I don’t know what’s happened here but look I get let’s get a couple of beers we’ll enjoy anyway now right so the anthems come on now and that’s the other thing I’m on scrum five tomorrow as it is right yeah yeah so I’m at the game I’m a couple of beers the anthems come on and I would watch the warm-ups and he still Lancaster and about maybe half of the team or more of England hadn’t played at the stage and you can sort of see him body language as a cach you know and the anthem that’s the best Anthem I’ve ever experienced ever and I’m thinking myself we’ve won this not did we win it we actually smash him and he scores two Tres right in front of me and my made like see I got you the tickets they were the tickets thanks sorted me out there those that moment though that was a good night I’d imagine that one yeah yeah that that was the the one international game I played where we I’ve scored and we we’ve known we’ve won we’ve won the championship you know we’ve w we beat inam they were going for a grand slam and we beaten them that you know 10 the last 10 minutes was was so much fun yeah just knew we were going to win we just that was probably the one time I really really enjoyed it and took it all in yeah it was you know the atmosphere that that day is is probably the best I’ve ever been involved with maybe other than maybe like the first Tesla lions in in Australia that year but that’s number one for me at the and that’s it’s I’m nothing’s beting that atmosphere wise most of it was short in the corner yeah well it was amazing it was amazing performance F of that one um gats then is he under pressure is is it fair to say he’s under pressure then he probably is but the thing with gats is he never feels it you know oh he does feel it but he’s probably been in worse situations I remember having a a bottle of wine with him in New Zealand the night of remember he put the clown’s nose on yeah yeah um and that that morning in the New Zealand ha was a big caricature of him with with the Clones no he felt a little under pressure then I remember you know speaking to him but this one he’s probably taken as a different challenge you know he’s he’s been lucky is he’s had generation players groups of players come through hen days of success now he’s got to roll his sleeves up so knowing him he’s probably seen it as a bit of a challenge but you know he’s got to do it at the end of the day it is what it is now he’s he’s got a really show his minerals and like at any time before I think and and earn his corn again with the Welsh public so you know let’s hope he does it do you think he’s got the back room staff for that though that’s I that would be my question has he got you know because he usually has very good generals underneath and at the I don’t feel like that’s probably the right set of guys for this young team at the moment if in my opinion well I’ve worked with John hump a lot uh I think hump hump is very very good you know he’s very good with young players uh been around a long time now that’s I’m saying Howers is he in is he doing the right role I don’t know I don’t know what his role is really obiously Alex King’s Alex King so what’s what’s hollers doing hollers for May May needs to be doing what he was doing before and that’s probably what Alex King’s doing yeah for sure still the jury’s out at International level so you’re right you know question marks are around that but but again it’s on gats isn’t it he’s picked them you can tell when he’s under press he gets quite spiky doesn’t he in the Press he he changes very you know when he’s laid B and chilled and he’s got nothing to worry about he’s he’s very up and down in the in the Press I’ve noticed you’ll know when he’s under pressure he gets a little bit short his words are shorter and he’s a little bit more abrupt you know he’s you can tell very much in he does get a bit prickly yeah you know the Sam Parry situation and and I know you know him Al I don’t know if you know him as well but but that wouldn’t have helped things so what’s your opinion on the situation there because I mean I’ll give my opinion if you want you know I look at it his job to play rugby and I’d imagine that level of criticism and the rejection is massive in sports I mean as it is in show business but like you you take the bumps and you go within you keep going Nick Tompkins kind of said them similar to like I personally wouldn’t have left but it’s up to Sam is fine but also Sam’s had a new baby recently asn’t he and he’s proba thinking if I’m not valued here I’m going to go and spend some time with my M and babies you know I mean so I can see it from both sides but if he wants to progress as and a part of that Squad he’s got to kind of get on side with Gat right it’s difficult not knowing the full fact isn’t it being in the environment you know having been a coach in that situation it’s you know dealing with players had Mike Phillips and JY Marshall try to imagine manage those two right you know because doesn’t matter who you pick the other one’s going to have his ass out yeah you know and and Nightmare you know so so me I was about building relationships with players so that when those times came then it was slightly softer blow but it’s was never sof a blow because i’ had people knocking my door at home and coming in and and having that which is fine but yeah Steve Tandy oh Steve Tandy Steve T didn’t live far from me and he wasn’t getting picked over Marty holler who happened to have 40 old black he pretty good behind 40 old black behind Josh cromi and regim M by the way he was arguing that he should be playing in front of him and to argue that maybe not but uh yeah all you know dayto day those things happen because boys want to play it’s their livelihood they want to showcase big games they want to get out and prove themselves get another contract you know the friends and family are watching whatever so I get it but you’ve got to build a relationships and trust and maybe in this case Warren hasn’t done that with some that that wouldn’t be one of his strengths though and I I think that probably has to change with this squad I think you know back in the day with obviously lights of Dan Dan biger alowin those boys they like that bit of tough love you know are sort of looking over the shoulder sort of coaching he Warren is a little bit like that these young boys are different they’re different era you know half these boys are born in 2000 you know so it’s a totally different mindset that you have to go in I think these boys need to have a relationship with a coach look at Andy Farrell he’s very good with the Irish boys he’s on the phone to him a lot Steve B’s very good at that I think that this era now you have to have that personal relationship as a coach especially International you know you don’t want to be you want to be looking forward to going to training you want to be have that confidence whereas Warren is quite standoffish that’s probably what’s happened here with Sam that the communication hasn’t been great they didn’t tell him he wasn’t so they named the squad but usually name a a short smaller Squad and have a couple of players come in for the week but what they did they named everyone but didn’t tell the players that weren’t going to Australia early enough right so these boys come into Camp thinking they would go you know going to Australia but they weren’t I think there’s a big communication uh lack of it I think and that’s something that Warren is probably you know that’s not his strong point so and obviously then what’s happened is Sam just felt disrespected and that that was his decision yeah I mean surprised me the comment if true you know the what Gatlin had said to S Parry you know the way less lack of Kit and stuff like that I was quite as a fan going oh W I’m surprised by that you can’t do that if that’s true you can’t do that I mean what I know of Sam uh he he’s a good he’s a good standup kid you know he’s not a kid anymore it’s probably why he’s put out because this his opportunity um but uh yeah you can’t you know the minute you give it’s like selection by bib isn’t it you know just put that on Al right put that on don’t read into it Thursday morning don’t read into it Thursday morning put I love that that’s actually the best Monday Tuesday when that happens it’s unbelievable you kit and stash players love kit and stash you know so you give somebody less than than somebody else then it’s like but it’s bit it’s bit in both hands now isn’t it so obviously OT D not fit Sam would be the perfect fit now and now they’re having to pick Ean Daniel who would have been on probably holiday you know last four weeks yeah he been zti yeah so young he’s uh he’s probably not going to be the in the best shape and uh he’s suddenly in a Wales Camp so all the best there we go we’ll see if we can amend that relationship between Sam and uh and Gat um let’s get on to the big one quickly Sean strategy wiu the house were you little bit we never mention it no but I only bit because I think we spoke to Abby didn’t we last week Al and it was a bit and I we I said to her you know I think the disappointment is that we’ve got a straty but no house do you I mean it’s a shame we didn’t do it all in one you know I think as well the way been communicated uh I it’s not clear for me um you talk let’s let’s say my my dad and my father-in-law sort of 80 and then my sons who are 23 21 I asked both of them and they don’t really understand or have a clue what the strategy is so that that you know if you’re involved in it like a a lot day today then you you sort of get okay there’s a lot of consultancy jargon in there for me yeah spin yeah spin we’ve had enough of that you know right this is what’s happening and this is how we’re going to do it it by then yeah and this is what going to cost and this going to save us this is what we’re going to make so and you the you’re the goals quite clearly we going to win the Six Nations again there and we want to be number two in the world by then you know that that for me that’s never changed though has it that’s that’s surely been the match of the last 20 30 years isn’t it yeah you well you say that when when I went in for my level four uh interview whenever that was back in the 1930s all you know we was director of rugby I know who it was it was Teddy cman he said I said I I said as a young coach what is our Mission he said we want to be in the top six in the world and I said as a 32y Old Co said why wouldn’t we want to be number one in the world and he said well we we’re not going to not going to do that are we I well well well where are we going then you know what am I doing then I don’t doing this want be number one like you know so so that’s always been there but um yeah a little bit vague and spinny me was a good word spinny yeah I mean suppose September is what we’ve been told that know we’ll get decision on kind of the regions going forward what are your concerns with kind of my concerns are the OS will go that you know that is the bottom line I know there’s plans to move to St herand Swansea you know Bri counsel trying to counter it and get something going there but the plans are way down the line we are I I keep saying we because well I spent nine years my home there from the Inception I know the heartache and the work that it took to create a new brand a new entity what it meant to Neath supporters and swansey supporters and abam and and what had to happen to the Celtic warriors and those clubs you know you know was devastating so for for the more successful region to go would be a crying shame an absolute crying shame but but it seems to be all all guns are point in that way Al it does I had the feeling I think in the conversation with Abby I think cu the deficit is too big I think they worked out what I found crazy they didn’t know what they their lost profit was that was so whoever did the finances for well not this year in in previous bit of a shambles there but the deficit is too big to have four teams and I just think that they’re always going to have to take away from the regions and they’re never going to be that competitive yeah and then then what happens then is the Senior Team are really going to feel it and top six is well out the reach at the moment isn’t it where I think where we like ninth in the world at the moment so from a business point of view three regions is looking the more likely it seems like it it’d be fun it’ be interesting to see come September if they can’t fund that deficit where they do put the OS and Cardiff together then you obviously have the West obviously East and then obviously with the Northwest as well so you know it be some team wouldn’t it if they put the OS and Cardiff together but logistically it would be a bit of a nightmare so well what what what OS fans will say is it it will become Cardiff you know and and it will will but which a shame but we should have we should have a city um region if you like we you know we should have a lot of resource into that you know when you look at Linder you know they they get that resource because it’s dubling you know it’s just looking past the history and the heart the heart heart says we need four teams you know we want the ospr the most you they’ve won the most trophies they’re the most they’ve been the most competitive in a lot of competitions you’ve got to look past that you got to look long-term while strug how are we going to get better as well Shug how’s the national team going to get better and it is probably in my opinion three teams you can hear here you know se’s heart was talking straight away do you know what I mean I can hear the austri fans in my ear say why are you saying that but you know we all want the same thing and I think I don’t know what I’m hearing is the Neath fans what they were saying to us in 2003 yeah yeah the nethan Swansea fans you know and we had to say look was in we’re trying to you know bring a new brand and a bigger entity professional era you know transform a new generation which is what we did up until 2012 you know but it’s happening again and needs must you know if the money’s not there some he has to go but the argument from the OS fans will be why not the Scarlets and why not the dragons you know particularly the dragons who’ve never it’s a fair argument though for them it’s a massively Fair argument we hope it doesn’t happen do we like you know I’ve loved my time with ospr I’ve loved that club you know they they got unbelievable group of young boys the coaching staff they’re all young and and and and it’s a great environment like it’s a really good team spirit there and for them to like you know suddenly dis spant it would be OD be horrific you know yeah well they got till September sorted out really long apparently we’re going to get an answer till then so um we’ll see thank you guys it’s been really good um you going to have more golf lessons yeah I got a few more this week um he’s got 10 booked in I think yeah Will Will at HW un believeable place there if anyone’s been there get down there um yeah and you just the kids they’ve got a nice summer off we got Alice jenkins’s wedding in ibe a couple of weeks so I’ve got to get to gy cuz the boys are all looking good and I put a bit of weight on S together well there two ways to go with isn’t it there either like the drinking practice or the gym practice I’m good at the drinking practice already I’ve had I’ve had my first share so uh yeah I got to back get get back in the gym and Sean what’s what’s plans this week uh more events uh coming up with great days golf um yeah uh so lots of golf for me now uh food trips to Spain uh to prep for next January February March when we got clients going out there so it’s very much golf until uh rugby season kicks in again and I know golf fans will be asking what’s your actual handicap I’m currently 3.3 but that’s good that’s singly good yeah too good for if I ever play a for ball with you um we have a good scramble team we yeah we yeah we would actually yeah yeah what you are F uh what am I 12 point something at the moment we clean go get going let’s get a forall going happy days now cheers guys been fantastic so have your company and thanks for you for listening as well at home wherever you are remember you can follow us on our socials just search sport in Wales tell your friends about us and share the L and we’ll catch you next week wherever you go wherever you are enjoy your sportting Wales week Sport and Wales podcast supported by Dragon bet your goto for Welsh sports News and Views
1 Comment
I'm sorry but wtf are you lot on about. Ospreys are Wales most successful team and the only one that is currently performing. If any team should be scrapped it's the dragons, they can't win a string of games to save their life. Scrapping the ospreys makes no sense.