The Iron Curtain: My Rugby Journey from League to Union

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You’ve also got to know yourself; how you react to pressure; how you react if the defence doesn’t work well or how you react to players that are a bit difficult and you’ve got to be able to control your own feelings,” Larder explains. “You’re not necessarily always smiling, but making sure there’s always a positive aura about you.” Gatland: 'Wiganers are a bit mad' Larder taught at Saddleworth School for 16 years, becoming Head of Physical Education before leaving in 1982. Larder, part of Sir Clive Woodward's support staff when England lifted the Rugby World Cup in 2003, teams up with the Warriors for the second time having worked at Sixways during the 2006-07 season. The evidence of the (2015) World Cup is that the northern hemisphere teams, especially England, tended to play the old-fashioned way: the forwards were there to win the set-piece,” he says. Being at Leicester is a little bit different but I tend to stay down one or two nights a week. It allows me to get a lot of work done during the evenings and spend some time with the other coaches who stay down here as well. We’re able to talk shop, so it’s been a really enjoyable journey so far for me. I came here for the challenge and I certainly got one.

Even his current role at the Rhinos is more centred on overseeing the club’s performance department as opposed to actual coaching. I texted him straight after the [Argentina] game and told him you won that game. The defence was absolutely awesome. I thought it was outstanding, I really did. It shook up Argentina to the extent they lost all their confidence.” That all changed when South Africa employed Jones on a consultancy basis in the run-up to the 2007 World Cup. Lions Record: Playing 1980 & 1983. Toured South Africa in 1983 playing in 2nd and 3rd tests, also appeared in nine other matches scoring 4 tries, 5 conversions, 8 penalties and 1 drop goal to make a total of 53 tour points. Also toured New Zealand in 1983 playing in 7 games and scoring one penalty goal.He scored for Sheffield in their famous Wembley triumph of 1998 before playing for Halifax, Salford and his boyhood club Hull Kingston Rovers.

Phil has been involved with England rugby through all levels of the game. Following a successful playing career with Northampton, he progressed into fitness and conditioning before turning to physiotherapy. He has looked after players from school boy level right through to the senior England squad.Look at the way they create numbers against defences that are well organised. That’s what rugby league players have to do every day. He’s really driving things forward in terms of a new approach and style.” Eighteen years separate the appointments of Phil Larder and Paul Gustard as England defence coach but a strand exists between the two, because Gustard was a Leicester player during their glory years of 1999-2002 when Larder oversaw the meanest defence in the land.