Mike Catt hoping to steer Ireland back to the top under Andy Farrell
Catt: "In other teams I've played in and coached, there has always been big egos... I've been very impressed with the group of players that are here"
Friday 31 January 2020 07:05, UK
London Irish, England, Italy and now Ireland.
Mike Catt's coaching journey is primed for another twist, as the former British and Irish Lion teams up with Andy Farrell in a bid to revive Irish fortunes.
The 2003 World Cup winner was recruited by his former international team-mate as they look to rebuild from the rubble of a fruitless trip to the Far East in 2019.
The 48-year-old has been learning his craft, and with his broad spectrum of experience, he'll be looking to have an immediate impact.
But he knows it's a marathon, not a sprint.
"It's been brilliant," he said on Thursday, when speaking to the media for the first time since joining up with the Ireland camp as assistant coach. "My main sort of objective is building a relationship with the players and getting to know the rest of the staff.
"I'm massively excited. You want to get a game under your belt, see where we're at and build on it from there.
"We're just trying to create an environment where players can be themselves, go out and express themselves like they do for their provinces, and I think as a group of coaches we've to jump on the back of that as well. Let the players do what they're good at, give them the freedom to do that. It's down to the relationships we have with the players, and build that trust and letting them do what they're good at."
From the early soundbites, it's clear that the new management are keen for Ireland to implement their own style of rugby in the coming years.
"Andy has a philosophy," explained Catt.
"I think a lot of it is trying to complement what the provinces do as well. You know, you're not going to be able to change them overnight so it's just being realistic about how certain squads do certain things and then us jumping on the back of it, or the players bringing their skills to the way Andy wants the game or the way we want the game to be played.
"They've responded very well to the way Andy wants to play and I think we're all pretty excited about the way he wants to play.
"Rugby is a decision-making game. If it's on to kick, you kick. If it's on to run, you run. That's what we try to instil into the players and as long as they're making the right decisions all of the time, the right decisions for the team, we'll be alright."
A lot of it is trying to complement what the provinces do as well
'No egos'
So what has struck him about the panel thus far? And what is different from other groups with whom he has worked in the past?
"[They're] very humble guys, extremely hard working and the willingness to learn I think is one of the big things I've learned. No egos," he noted.
"In other teams I've played in and coached, there has always been big egos. You have a perception from the outside and you come into it and I must admit, I've been very impressed with the group of players that are here. There is no time to have this ego, to be above your station. And again, that boils down to your provinces and what it means to play for Ireland.
"Ultimately, we need to maintain that. The culture and environment that Andy produces or reproduces is going to make sure none of that happens."
Having worked under Conor O'Shea with Italy in recent seasons, Catt is no stranger to coaching in the Six Nations. As a result, he can offer a real insight into Ireland's weaknesses having plotted their downfall in recent seasons, and this can only be an advantage for the 2018 Grand Slam champions.
"Listen, [they're a] world-class side, they don't get to No 1 in the world by not being a good side," he outlined. "When you look at the quality of player that they've got and you watch the provinces as well, all of the provinces are playing some really good rugby and being successful too so jumping on the back of that and complimenting what they're doing is crucial for us.
"You've got world-class players, still young, still learning. They've got to go all through these downs before they get to the ultimate ups, we've all been through that as players and as coaches so it's how we respond on the back of it and I think Andy is going to put a good environment in place where these guys can deal with those sort of things and deal with international rugby is about."
