Halpin's new wake up call

THE world over, the Irish are fondly regarded for the rather quaint manner in which they compete hard but are able to laugh off a defeat, have a drink and get on with life. Trouble is, defeats are making this almost an integral part of their psyche. White this development tour is attempting to change much that is technical or physical, lately has come this mental side. No more Mr Nice Guys.

It's a message that has been conveyed clearly from the Irish management and is now progressing - through the players via the squad's captain, Gary Halpin. It's time to toughen up a bit, to get a little nasty with each other and the world. Sadly or not, some of the old Irish attitudes won't do. This sport is business now. Besides which, it's more fun to laugh when you've won.

For Halpin and the remaining London Irish octet on tour here, it's also something they've been through this season, and so the captain can readily relate to what Brian Ashton is seeking to do in changing attitudes.

"We had a situation where, in a nutshell, we were losing loads of games, the coach goes, a new coach comes in with new ideas - so far a mirror image of what Ireland aye doing - and we had to win a certain amount of games, i.e., short term success, for long term goals," explains Halpin.

"But to do that at London Irish, before we did a thing on the field, individuals had to change their attitudes, i.e. turning up for training on time, the way they come to training, everything. Basically. Willie Anderson, through me and other people, initiated a system whereby change was made the only option. Change or get out.

"To give you an example of that, I have often heard, and been a part of it myself, where Irish players would be recollecting past events and we would be laughing at our mistakes made on the field. Now that's comical and unacceptable for guys that are in the position we are in. We (at London Irish) started thinking very seriously about the game. We took all the haphazardness out of the game.

"Players were given objectives. Players were given responsibility to meet their objectives and they were monitored constantly along the way in the development that was needed to change as rugby players."

Before even thinking about improving as rugby players, Halpin believes that players have to change their lifestyles. This whole aspect of the game has been reinforced by Ashton, and in one comment in particular which the coach made to his captain.

"Brian said something to me that really made me think. He said that if we were presently on a Bath tour, individuals who were seen to be not pulling their weight would be ostracised by the group.

"Now that's what winning teams do. That sounds cruel, but that's the business you're in now performance, results, results, results. Now, I'm not suggesting for a second, as I said to Brian, that we can overnight adopt a French foreign legion philosophy or approach to man management. But we must move to some sort of medium. We must move to between Billy The Joker and Francois the Commander.

To this end, there's been a discernible shift towards demanding higher standards in training. Mistakes no longer go uncommented upon. Halpin has encouraged the players to bitch at each other.

"How many times have you seen Irish fans shouting `Don't be bitching at each other', on the basis that it's a bad sign? Yet how many times do you see Peter Schmeichel shout his defence up an apple tree if they leave his rear open in the wind? You need to communicate things sometimes, and there is always a forum to do it.

"Now, I'm not saying we go around telling each other all our mistakes, but today Stephen McIvor shouted me out of it for putting my foot on the ball and delaying his pass from a ruck. I need to know that. And I didn't put my foot near the ball again for the rest of the session. Guys need to start talking like this.

"The great thing about the last two days is that there has been a noticeable change. Guys want to take this on board. At the same time, it can't be too heavyhanded. But definitely in training we're going to be a totally different outfit. We're going to train harder, and that will be brought onto the field."

Radically changing attitudes is but one part of it. Irish rugby has so much ground to make up, and this development squad is only a manifestation of that cultural divide.

This tour will ultimately sort out the men from the boys, and provide a benchmark for others. By diving in at the deep end, the squad as a unit have had to take a step backwards in order to make a couple forward.

"Brian's job is made doubly difficult out here," adds Halpin. "because whereas he has seen most of the established internationals playing on numerous occasions in England, but his up and coming players, his backup players, he simply doesn't know about.

"On this tour his overall objective will be to see what players he has available to him and what has he got to work with basically over the coming season.

"Now, the situation is critical in so far he has to make some very difficult decisions. He needs to be able to assess basically who has it and who hasn't got it at this level, and he will be very direct in this and honest with the players in telling them what needs to be done in order to compete with this level.

"For example, we're to adopt a New Zealand style, and I use that term loosely. To be able to do that we have to produce, backs who are capable of taking their man on one to one, breaking the tackle, getting a pass away and then us getting in behind to create havoc, just like the teams are doing here.

"Some of the guys simply don't have that yet, and Brian needs to see what guys can, potentially, play like that. So, some guys are struggling and some guys will make it, and that's the reality of the situation."