How Alexander became a great No.8

As true follower of Trevor’s Blog on the Learnerlab, I really had to smile when I realised that something I observed earlier has an official name!

Hilversum Colts

Many years ago at the start of my career I was the coach of the Colts (U18) team of Hilversum. I was still very much in the start of my journey but wanted to provide the best possible training program for the team. I asked my friend Dé to come out and help me and we both enjoyed doing this together. Dé was a truly old fashion Open Side Flanker, hard working, hard playing, physical but also very much enjoying the camaraderie of the sport. Later we brought in Ton, a backrower too!

Obviously we did a split backs & forwards thing, and with the two of them took the opportunity to do great back row stuff.

Becoming better players

Midway the season, we evaluated and both Dé and Ton admitted that being a trainer was tough, because they had to answer the question “Why am I doing what I am doing?” and the reflection made them better trainers, but better players too.

No.8 pick up – back of the scrum 5m

One of the things both Dé and I admired was the explosive start of Ton out of the scrum and we wanted to bring that into the team. That was in the time that backrowers could leave the scrum directly after the put in. One of the plays was the no. 8 pick-up with a player nicknamed Haantje (Dutch for Rooster), stay low and dive over the tryline for a score. This worked like magic in the Colts. A couple of seasons later and both the players and me as the coach were in the seniors. I had some arguments but managed to keep Haantje on the no.8 position in the 2ndXV. Remember very vividly me shouting “Go for it Haantje!” with the first scrum near the tryline, and him scoring a try. Everybody shocked, but I looked at Dé and Ton and they had big smiles on their faces.

They recognised their part in it.

Learner Lab

So, great fun to see Trevor explore this effect in his blog and to learn there is a name for it: the Protégé Effect. Now supporting coaches at AAC and RC Amsterdam, we are bringing in 1stXV players to help out too. Telling about the effect is surely a motivation for them and hopefully a new appreciation of the role and impact you can have as a trainer.

Dé had a great run as a coach after he stopped playing, perhaps it was because he experienced that feeling of seeing Haantje score those tries from no. 8 pick-up? Will ask him next time we talk.

Related material

Learner Lab webiste and the Protégé Effect;

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