Believing yourself

Peter Hewat has played 3 years as a player and this is his 3rd season since he becomes a coach. We are here to ask questions about his views about coaching for this season. (Interviewed on 18/08/2015)

◆Tough job

—— I thought you will fit into coaching role since you were player, what is your thought on 2013-2014 seasons after becoming coach?

I love it, the coaching role suits me. The most pleasing thing for me is to see the players you work with improve. It has to be little things especially we have a young group now.

—— Is it harder being a coach than a player?

When you are player, you are more selfish in your preparation; you are worry about yourself getting ready. But as a coach you got to prepare for the players and you got a think about the programs. You also have to understand what every players needs to improve. It is definitely tougher but it is very rewarding.

—— There are three foreign coaches in the team at the moment and obviously you are here since you were player which makes you here longest. Have you taught anything in particular to the other coaches?

Anyone come in to new in our system, it's quite a big change because we do things lot different here, our style is different and rare.

So it is important to make sure everyone is understood what we are all about, it's our style, culture, so it is my role to educate Friendy (Head Coach) and Bakes (FWD Coach) on our style and culture.

Obviously they've got their own ideas on to do things so we can add their experiences to mine and Yama's (FWD Assistant Coach) knowledge to our style. I think it's a good match.

◆I know when the players are ready to play

—— What's the most difficult thing being a coach?

At the start I thought I needed to be patient. I thought everything is good straight away. This is my 3rd year coaching now and you know that things take time.

Especially with the young guys, when you developing them you can't slow a lot of information straight away. We have to give them bits of information so that was a hardest thing when I first started.

As a player you can fix and you can have a control in what you can change. But as a coach, it's a bit harder for me to control.

—— What's the timing of the players to improve?

Obviously last year, we had Ryoto for example. We throw him in too early. The year before we had Tsukamoto and last year's Zuru was the same, you see them in trainings and you can see that they are ready.

This season we are seeing Emi and looking like he is getting ready. Keisuke is starting to do things where he is developing nicely. Some players take longer than others. Like I was, I didn't play Super Rugby until 26 years old and some players make it in 18～１9 years old.

I think it's a part of your development and understanding that you believe. Once you know you belong in playing Top League that's when you get confidence.

—— Do you talk to the players about that?

Yes definitely I do, I can tell them every day but until they understand themselves and until they get confidence in what they are doing. Then they will understand "I can play".

We are having about 10 players away so younger guys are having game time which will lead to their developments.

◆Fighting Spirits and Culture

—— What was the reason for not able to play our Aggressive Attacking Rugby last season?

I believe we weren't on the same page. We tried to bring in some new things probably little too early. That was a learning experience for us but we also did bring in some good stuff too.

I think when you try to add something to Suntory style, it's a balance of how much you bring in and there are lots of things involved, but we are heading in a right direction. Everyone is working towards the same goal and understands how we are doing it.

—— What are the key coaching points for this season?

Scoring tries (laugh). My role as a coach is developing young guys. Obviously skills are important and basic skills are more important.

Rugby is a very simple game. Big thing for me is every team has skills, but teaching the young backs is all about our culture and our fighting spirits. Everything we do is about our fighting spirits. And if we can add that to the skill, you got a good environment.

If we have the skills without the fighting spirits, you can win some game but can't win the big games. When you are under pressure, you want to see guys fight, compete and do anything for the team. Compete is a big word.

—— I feel the younger players are bit quiet than those senior players, what is your thoughts?

Firstly it might be a culture thing in Japan but something we are trying to change and we are slightly getting there. But also more confident in getting their performance is the key for those young members.

This year noticed a big difference in like Tsukamoto, Zuru, Emi is talking a lot more. So the lot of outside backs were quiet are now starting to talk. Keisuke is in a vital position so he needs communication skills, Ashi is taking his leadership role and he is talking his game to another level.

◆Make the better players

—— So you've started your coaching life in Japan but do you think it is suiting you?

Yes definitely, I think I know the culture and I really respect the hard work when you give the boys something and they will try to do it really hard. That's the thing I really enjoyed when I was playing too.

—— Do you have any interest in coaching other than Japan?

In the future, yes definitely. But when, I'm not sure. I also find with the Japanese players is, when they come out from the schools or universities, they've got good skills but in terms of game senses, game understanding are not so great so that needs a lot of improvement.

That's a hardest things to teach and longest things to teach. But I think I've got good understanding of it and I can give my experiences as a player to pass on to those boys.

—— Your Family is here in Japan?

Yes, I have my wife and two kids with me. Both boys and one is 3 years old and another boy is 10 months. My son is started to talk in Japanese and sometimes me and my wife can't understand because he is talking in Japanese (laugh).

—— Do you want them to play Rugby in future?

The way he is going he will play rugby. Whatever makes him happy, I don't mind any sports.

◆Score tries by playing fast rugby.

—— What kind of image do you have about this season?

I think always in the back ground you got to have aggressive attacking rugby. Bakes (FWD Coach) is adding to the Fwds in terms of set-piece and the work he is putting into lineout and scrum will help us.

I would like to see a fast skillful team and the big thing for me is our fighting spirits. Putting teams under pressure with our relentless, fast, attacking style rugby. Especially with backs we've got very quick backs so the good image is those guys working hard. Fwd pack working hard and it's a fast attacking rugby.

That's how I was taught is our style of Rugby. We are obviously adding something to keep improving our rugby.

All the successful teams around the world also needed to keep adding those bits and pieces to get better. But you always have a strong base, for us we've got a have aggressive attacking rugby.

（Translation：Nao Yoshimizu/ Interviewer & Context：Kazuyoshi Hariya/ Editor：Yutaro Igarashi）
[Photo：Aki Nagao]