Defence wins titles — Drua must prioritise specialist coach

South Africa had one of the world’s best defence coaches in Felix Jones during their 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cup-winning campaigns.

He was considered a vital component of the Rassie Erasmus-led management team. Jones later left the Springboks to join England, and Erasmus recruited another defence specialist, Jeff Flannery, in March last year.

Flannery was tasked with continuing the work Jones had started.

This underlines the importance of having a specialist defence coach in any sporting team.

A defence coach implements the right systems that contribute to a team’s success. Every team has the ability to attack, but when it comes to defence, it is a different challenge altogether.

Defence in rugby is foundational to success. It is a primary way to regain possession, prevent points and disrupt the opposition’s momentum.

Last Friday night, the Highlanders upset defending Super Rugby Pacific champions the Crusaders 25-23 in Dunedin.

The win was attributed to the work of the Highlanders’ new defence coach, David Kidwell.

When approached by the media on Monday, Kidwell said: “We had a plan, and the boys came up with the plan and executed it defensively.

“Eighty-eight per cent tackle efficiency — that’s pretty good, but I want higher, always higher. They executed the plan, and the end result was part of the process.”

Kidwell is a former New Zealand Rugby League head coach and played for top National Rugby League clubs including the Melbourne Storm, Parramatta Eels, Sydney Roosters and South Sydney Rabbitohs.

It was there he honed his understanding of defence.

Other respected defence coaches include Shaun Edwards, Jacques Nienaber, Scott McLeod and Brad Harris.

It was unfortunate that the Fijian Drua lost Harris at the end of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Harris had been with the Drua since their Super Rugby debut in 2022. That year, the Drua managed two wins and came close on several occasions — an achievement some South African franchise clubs, as well as the Sunwolves (Japan) and Jaguares (Argentina), struggled to match.

In 2023 and 2024, the Drua progressed further by qualifying for the Super Rugby play-offs.

However, Harris left to join the Melbourne Rebels, and since then the Drua management have not appointed a specialist defence coach.

The impact has been evident. A total of 73 tries were scored against the Drua last season. The trend has continued into the new campaign, with six tries conceded to Moana Pasifika last Saturday.

Currently, Greg Flemming is in charge of the Drua’s defence.

With respect, Flemming is an accomplished forwards coach. He joined the Drua in 2024. Last season, he was moved to oversee defence while Chris Gibbes took over the forwards.

In today’s professional game, having a specialist defence coach is critical to a team’s success. It is not a role that can be filled casually.

The Drua still have time to turn their campaign around, and the appointment of a qualified defence coach could help plot the way forward.