Marler Shows The Value Of ‘Old-fashioned' Drinking

Having just read Joe Marler’s take on the British and Irish Lions and what it taught him about rugby, I must admit to a sense of joy.

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For Marler to openly admit that learning to drink was one of the things that really made a difference for him on a tour where he was seen as a ‘midweek veg’ says to me that Gatland got something more right than some of his predecessors.

The ability of a head coach to understand and allow players to deal with the elation or disappointments that happen in sport in whatever way they choose is one of the key factors for building a successful squad.

It also reveals a level of trust between the management and players showing they know what is expected of each of them and disappointment is kept under control.

Naturally, any player should not do anything in such excess that impacts on either the individual or team performance and must take into consideration proximity of games and training – but otherwise pretty much anything goes.

Knowing, as Joe said, that you are not destined for a Test spot unless there is an injury or a player has a nightmare game is pretty hard to cope with, as I know having sat on the bench or been cannon fodder in training for the whole of England’s 1987 RWC.

What I thought interesting, was Joe’s view that drinking is no longer part of the culture of the game at the elite level and many of the young players coming through the system don’t drink.