Over-coaching has held our players back

AFTER watching another disappointing result against the All Blacks, I have finally resigned myself to not witnessing a Welsh victory against New Zealand in my lifetime. I am a couple of months off 75 years of age, so am not holding my breath for a win.

I was at Cardiff Arms Park in 1978 when we almost beat them but sadly the opposition dipped into their dirty tricks locker and a player feigned being pushed out of the lineout.

The All Blacks were awarded a penalty, which was kicked, and won the game 13-12.

We haven’t beaten the All Blacks since 1953 and I am fed up of Welsh coaches, over the decades, saying after each loss that this has been invaluable experience for these players, if you want to be the best, then you have to play the best.

With that logic, why, after all these defeats, all these many, many Welsh players haven’t got so much better with all the experience they supposedly get from each loss? By now we should be up there with the best.

Personally, I think players are over-coached and when a naturally gifted player comes along their talent is coached out of them.

Instead of all the gym work these professional players do, it’s obvious they need more ball skill training and revert back to flair rugby.

I was always told by my PT teacher when learning to play rugby, make the ball do the work and tackle around their legs.

For me that’s as relevant today as it was then.

We seem to have made a simple game extremely complicated. I can only hope that things change very soon.

Rant over.

Phil Pearce Pontypool