World News – GB – Williams Column: Gethin Jenkins Fits Perfectly on Sam’s Size Shoes

It was a bit of a shock to read the news about Sam Warburton leaving the Welsh coaching staff for this fall internationals His appointment as technical guru for the blackout seemed like a great idea. last season and you could see the impact it had

But coaching isn’t for everyone Maybe it was a bit too early for Sam to return to the game at such a high level without having any hands-on coaching experience to fall back on You see a lot of top footballers come into the game immediately after hanging up their shoes, but for every Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard, there are dozens of them who don’t reach the grade.

In football players go through their Uefa license badges while still playing and must have reached a level in their training to qualify to become a coach This process is only just beginning in rugby and I’m sure that it will extend

You see a lot of players working with U18 teams in their regions and clubs Josh Turnbull did it when he was at Scarlets and will coach forwards at Carmarthen Quins this season as well as play for Cardiff Blues

He knows he wants to become a coach and is actively preparing the ground for that step after his playing career ends Wayne Pivac visibly saw an opportunity with Sam and quickly invited him to pass on his skills to many of his former Welsh camp teammates

It’s sometimes easier said than done I know when I tried to do a little coaching while playing in Japan at the end of my career, I didn’t find it easy , and it didn’t go very well The language barrier was an obvious obstacle, but I was very quickly frustrated when I found out that the players I was working with couldn’t do the things I judged easy to do

This is where the art of coaching comes in It’s not always what you know, but how you can impart your knowledge Communication is king in coaching – just like when you work with it your players

Shaun Edwards was still frustrated with how little time he spent with Welsh and British & Irish Lions players performing his defensive drills when in contact with these two teams Every coach faces a battle for what is a very limited time on the grass at international level

At club and regional level coaches have all week to prepare and there is enough time to go around Whatever the reasons for the change, it does not reflect Sam’s abilities

He was a world class player, he remains an icon of Welsh rugby and I am sure we will see him again in training no matter what level he wants to get involved in

Meanwhile, the players have another all-time advantage to help them fall with Gethin Jenkins stepping into Sam’s shoes. It might be a bit of a culture shock, but what a great position for Wayne. Pivac to have someone of Gethin’s caliber on his doorstep Gethin has gained coaching experience with the Cardiff Blues Academy, Cardiff RFC and with the Blues, so he has spent the last 18 months earning her encouragement in coaching

He may be a completely different character than Sam, but his knowledge and abilities are certainly on a par.

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Wales National Rugby Team, Gethin Jenkins, Rugby Union