Rugby Coach

You probably would not believe that schoolboy rugby can be as intensely competitive as, say, international matches played before tens of thousands. Not just rugby but any games played by schoolchildren are highly competitive and when parents turn up to support their offspring the intensity of their support can turn nasty. I have seen parents of opposing teams almost coming to blows and parents desiring to throw referees in the nearest river. When I refereed rugby for under fifteen schoolboys parents would often shout abuse from the touchline and refuse to speak to me after the game.
Then, coaching schoolboy rugby can be fraught with all sorts of problems, not the least of which being the attitude that the coach develops towards opposing teams. Think Ferguson when Man United is playing Man City. Think Genghis Khan.
I was coaching an under thirteen rugby team in a boys school; the coming Saturday there was a particularly important match against a team that had an exceptionally good outside half.
I took the boy who played wing forward aside and said to him: "Now listen to me, their outside half on Saturday is a strong player and needs to be stopped. Get me?"
"Yes sir."
"I mean stopped. First scrum, if the ball is passed to him, tackle him, and hit him hard. Get Me?"
"Yes sir."
"First scrum: ball is passed out to him..... now listen to me carefully: even if he hasn't got hold of the ball - hit him anyway. Hard. Get me?"
"Yes sir."
"Right then, off you go."
A few minutes passed before the boy came back to me with an eager, menacing look on his face.
"Shall I get him BEFORE the game sir?"
I'm afraid that is absolutely true.