Jacques Nienaber hints at reviving waterboy gig after Leinster players request ‘simpler messages’
Leinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber could be returning to the touchlines again as a waterboy after his players requested ‘simplified messages’.
Nienaber is no stranger to running water during matches having started out on his rugby journey as a medic and physio before transitioning into coaching.
He was often seen running water and more importantly, passing on messages to his players during his time as an assistant coach running the Springboks defence between 2018 and 2019 before taking on the head coach job.
After leading the Springboks to Rugby World Cup glory, Nienaber took on his next challenge, joining Leinster where he has been tasked with revolutionising their defence and helping the Irish province end their trophy drought.
“Simplified messages”
The side came close during his first season in charge as they agonisingly fell short in the final yet again, falling to a defeat to Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup.
During that match, Nienaber was approached by EPCR officials after he came down from the coaching box to run water and pass on messages to his players in the second half – which he was allowed to do as he is not the head coach of the team.
The former Boks coach revealed this week that he might reprise the role as waterboy this season after transparent discussions – led by team captain Caelan Doris – with his playing squad over how he delivers his messages.
“When we say we give a message, it will be a suggestion, ‘this is a suggestion, this is what we’re feeling’,” Nienaber explained ahead of Leinster’s URC clash with Benetton.
“Obviously we’re not playing the game. We don’t see it the way they see it. So this is a suggestion and then it’s up to them to take it or don’t take it.”
The World Cup-winning coach explained that because English is not his first language that his messages can be rather clunky and too long and his players have given him some constructive criticism which he has gracefully taken on board.
“Because it’s not my first language, I struggle to get to the point,” he explained.
“So they’ve given me, ‘Listen, you need to shorten it up. Think what you want to say, shorten your message, it’s too clunky’. Which is brilliant and that’s the transparency you want in a team. It should be transparent like that, I love it like that.”
Jacques Nienaber hits back at accusations that Leinster ‘mocked’ World Rugby with waterboy loophole
Waterboy return
Because he is not carrying the title of head coach, Nienaber is within his rights to take on water for the team and pass on messages which he is considering going forward.
“I’ve done it in the warm-up games, so maybe at half-time I’ll change and go down,” he told the Irish Mirror.
“I think it’s always a good thing when you’re carrying water, you’ve got a much better understanding of what they are feeling.
“Standing there in a huddle, you can see are they blowing? Are there solutions, are there emotions? So you can get an emotional connection. When you see in the box, there’s not an emotional connection and it’s ‘are they confident, are they frustrated, are they angry?’
“That’s the beauty of it if you are closer to the team.”
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