Chris Horsman addressed the assembled press and media at the Vale Resort ahead of the World Rugby Under-20 Championship in France.
The skills coach highlighted the importance of player development at this level compared to success.
“We want to go to France and we want to perform,” began Chris. “Ultimately our job is to decide what is best for the players and their development.
“Our ultimate goal is to make sure that everything we do as a coaching and management group goes back to that. If it’s not going to make the player develop, then it’s not in the best interest of the player and we don’t do it – it’s as simple as that.
“As a coach, if you’re going back to that primary reason – is it the best thing for the players? Are the players going to develop? I think you’ll have a successful tournament. We’re very clear as a management group that everything’s got to be based around that.”
Wales face tough competition from Australia and current holders, New Zealand in Pool A. The 41-year-old progressed to reveal what the squad want from those two games.
“We want to put in a performance against one of the two big teams – Australia or New Zealand. We have to do that as a nation and if the players do that they will get better and develop – I believe they will. It’s crucial that everything we do is about the player developing.
“We want to start putting performances in and getting victories against big teams – we’re not going to shy away from that fact.
“If we only perform against the big teams – that’s good but it’s not great. We’ve got to start pushing ourselves and I think we do that for the selfish reason – we want the team to be successful so that we look good as a group.”
The former RGC 1404 head coach proceeded to utilise the 2016 World Rugby Under-20 Championship as an example of the squad’s tournament strategy.
“Two years ago, we went to the World Cup and I believe we had a squad that was capable of winning it. We’d just won the Grand Slam, went to that World Cup and had a couple of narrow losses by one point. The ultimate feeling was that it was an opportunity missed.
“But now there are players from that group who have been capped at senior level – so it was a success. I’m not saying that was the main reason it was a success but when you look at that cohort of players – they’ve gone on and been successful.
“You have that ultimate goal and knowing whether the tournament is a success or not isn’t always instantaneous. It’s going back to that core principle – is it going to develop the players? Well if they’re winners, if they’ve got a mindset and they’re driven – then they’re going to develop.”
Horsman concluded by telling of his first interaction with Joe Goodchild and how the Dragons back has developed since then.
“I’ve worked with Joe for three years and my first, real interaction with him was giving a message about chasing kicks against Scotland at St Helen’s. His response wasn’t the greatest because he was just a young kid.
“Now when I see him in the environment – the way he talks on the field and how he conducts himself. The way he speaks in meetings, communicates with staff, goes to the coaches with information – you can see that he has learnt a hell of a lot.
“I was lucky enough to work with him in the British and Irish Cup and seeing how these players develop is another pleasing aspect of what this competition is about.”
