Football managers, mindful of the brittle sensibilities of
their charges and the fickle temperaments of their bosses, tend to blame
referees when they get beaten. Conor O’Shea’s response to the Quins defeat at
Exeter was refreshingly honest. Lucky not to get beaten by more, he said.
Coaches and managers need to talk sense if teams are to
improve. If all reverses are due to other people’s incompetence or some
malevolent Fate, then athletes will not learn the lessons they need to learn to
avoid it happening next time.
With the Heineken campaign just a few days away, this
weekend’s Aviva matches are a pretty good illustration of why the powers that
be are crying foul over the qualification criteria. As O’Shea noted, none of
the top sides can take results for granted. There are just too many good
players around. As well as the mighty Quins being given a warm West Country hospitality,
the supposedly struggling London Irish side blew the Saints away. Over the
border, unfancied Glasgow went to the Arms Park and gave the Blues a lesson in
how to scrummage.
Some of these results may well be down to players and
coaches having an eye on the European ball. Some of these results reflect some
teams learning some harsh lessons. But all of these matches show what all rugby
players know, that the mentality goes hand in hand with the physicality in any
given game. Get that wrong, and you’re rubbish.
