Jim says game-plan executed to the letter

YOU COULDN’T help but notice a look of disappointment in Jim Williams’ demeanour when asked would he have liked to have been on the Millennium Stadium pitch, winning a Heineken Cup medal with Munster on Saturday.

The Munster assistant coach might have spent one more year playing but it is likely he would have had to contend with more bench-time rather than “time on the paddock” as he likes to put it.

Then again, he might have stood in the way of Denis Leamy’s development as Munster’s supreme blindside flanker and his meteoric rise as Ireland’s no 8. And Williams is not the kind to hinder the rise of an up-and-comer.

There have even been rumours that the former Munster skipper might link up with Alan Gaffney at Saracens next season, the pair having worked so well together at Munster.

They were also the double act who brought the walls tumbling down (in the aftermath of the Wasps defeat in April 2004) in their demands to how training should be conducted in the province and in sorting out the travel issue for players between the Cork and Limerick centres.

If Williams does leave, he has left a sound legacy. ‘Seamus’, as he is known to those in the Munster set-up, has played a huge part as player and now as coach in the evolution of this Munster team.

He admitted that it was “a bit alien” watching the game from the sidelines and being a back row specialist, Williams would have loved to have been out there clearing out rucks or stetting up field position in those tense, closing moments.

“The last six, eight minutes were excruciating to tell the truth,” says Williams. “You’d much rather be a player because you’re out there in the thick of it. When you’re on the sideline you’re expecting the team to do things and. especially after playing, it is a little bit frustrating.

“Yes it’s hard not to be out there. It’s my first year coaching. To go through the experiences I have as a coach, I’ve seen it completely from the other side. But I’ve enjoyed it. Having Deccie (Kidney), and Brian (Hickey) and Graham Steadman to a certain extent and then having Tony McGahan, it has helped me immensely to try and get through this period in my career. I learned a lot off them.

“The boys have trained very well this year and every time in the Heineken Cup, they have played really well. They executed the game-plan to the letter. From a coaching perspective to see them play the way they train, it is especially pleasing.”

Munster have developed a fondness for the Aussies especially after John Langford’s influence, followed then by the arrival of Williams and then Gaffney.

But the Munster continuity coach is first to acknowledge that the development of indigenous talent is crucial to fostering a winning team.

“First and foremost it’s crucial to have local boys on the local team. I’d be the first to admit that — it’s always best if you’ve got home-grown talent. You can get one or two players in to help bring on other guys, which can only add to the set-up of Munster. It’s fabulous to see a lot of young talent around now.

“Teams go through certain cycles. Obviously the players are getting older and stuff like that. We’ve got to make sure we have players coming through the ranks and try to get them to a final early in their careers. That then will give them a taste of what it means to pull on a Munster jersey and what it means to win in the colours.”

This year the mix has been just right. Trevor Halstead became Munster’s key midfield figure in his first season, while another South African, Shaun Payne, (signed by Gaffney), has been a paragon of consistency since his arrival via Swansea.

Williams was effusive in his praise of Halstead who has coolly and effectively handled the transition from Super 12 to Heineken Cup rugby in just one season.

“He has been excellent,” admitted Williams. “He was a very good player back in South Africa with the (Natal) Sharks. He has peaked at the right times and you want guys like that playing in big matches and playing well in big matches. Trevor has certainly done that.

“He is more than simply a South African hard man. Through the knock-out stages especially, he has played exceptionally well. He is absolutely crucial to a momentum side like us.”

Williams spoke eloquently on what game-plan Munster enacted against Leinster in the semi-final. He termed it “possession pressure”. And while Munster did not monopolise ball in the forwards against Biarritz as they did against Leinster, Williams was still satisfied with his players’ implementation of his strategy.

“We played good pressure football, made our tackles, got the field position when we needed to, scored the tries and converted penalties into points. From that perspective, watching it on the sideline, it was very pleasing to come away with the title at the end.

“The majority of work had been done – it was a just a matter of keeping the cool heads and just try to play for field position. You gotta look after the score. Through the knock-out campaign, Biarritz have been in front at every stage. I think it was important that we were in front and that set us up in the end. After half time getting that penalty and going up 20-10 helped us out immensely.

“We let ourselves down giving away those two penalties and letting them back. It was good that the boys could regroup and being in past finals helps you. Experience is the best remedy for that kind of stuff and the boys learned from that and made sure they held their composure.”

Williams compared Munster’s first Heineken Cup victory with his former club the ACT Brumbies who made the breakthrough in the old Super 12 in 2001.

“It’s a lot of relief – if I could make a comparison to the first time the ACT Brumbies won a Super 12. It’s a huge sigh of relief after being there three times.”