Welsh rugby is full of unsung heroes be it kitmen, physiotherapists or coaches. Geoff Davies should be celebrated as a national treasure having played a significant role in developing some of the finest scrum-halves in Welsh rugby history. The former schoolteacher and rugby coach sits down with Steffan Thomas to recall his 50 year career in the game.
Max Boyce once famously spoke of a mythical outside-half factory which spun out legendary playmakers such as Cliff Morgan, Dai Watkins, Barry John, Phil Bennett and Jonathan Davies. While the location of this centre remains the stuff of dreams a similar factory could easily be conjured up when assessing the quality of scrum-halves Wales have produced down the years.
From Gareth Edwards and Terry Holmes to Mike Phillips and Rhys Webb Wales have produced some of the finest scrum-halves to have graced a rugby field. And one man above all else was at the heart of producing some of Wales’ best pass masters.
Geoff Davies might not be a name familiar with most Welsh rugby fans but the former head of physical education at Cwmtawe School played a pivotal role in the development of some of Wales’ best scrum-halves.
“I was head of the PE department in Cwmtawe where I was in charge of the school first 15 and I had load of teachers help me run the other sides along the way,” said the 77-year-old.
“We were very competitive and competed with the best schools in Britain. Schools rugby taught these players great discipline and they learnt to play for each other and to stay within the laws.
“I coached Robert Jones who was technically outstanding. What set him apart, you could see this when he was a schoolboy, was the fact he could create time for himself under the most severe pressure.
“In those days the offside line wasn’t policed that well so your opposite scrum-half was literally right on top of you. Even as a kid Rob seemed to play the game in slow motion and he’d always take the right option.
“He was very sharp both mentally and physically. Some coaches pick scrum-halves based on their size but Rob was the smartest scrum-half in the world for a number of years.
“He used to be training out there for hours after the training session ended. His box kicking then became his greatest aspect.
“Rob was also a tough competitor and his tackling technique was absolutely superb.”
Davies went on to coach at first class level with Bridgend where he mentored another future Wales and British & Irish Lions scrum-half in Rob Howley.
He said: “The one thing about Rob Howley is that he’s a very honest guy. I coached Rob at Bridgend and he remains a very close friend of mine.
“He was a different sort of player and character to Rob Jones. Rob has to wait a long time for his first cap.
“For me Rob Howley was up there with some of the best scrum-halves to have played the game. He scored some of the best tries in Welsh rugby history.”
Robert Jones won 54 caps for Wales and was a key member of the Lions side who famously won a test series against Australia in 1989. And Jones insists his former teacher was one of the main reasons he hit the heights on the international stage.
“Geoff is one of the most knowledgeable rugby coaches I’ve ever come across,” said Jones.
“His attention to detail is phenomenal. He played a significant role in my development as a player and I’m not sure I would have achieved what I did in the game if it wasn’t for him.
“He’s up there with any coach I’ve ever been coached by at international level. The biggest thing I took from Geoff was how to perform under intense pressure.
“When I was a youngster at Cwmtawe Geoff taught me that my passing and box kicking had to be accurate under the most severe pressure even if it was the 80th minute and you were blowing out of your backside.
“People used to comment on how good my service was and let me tell you Geoff was the reason it was so accurate.”
Davies was held in such high esteem that he was plucked out of retirement by former England No 8 Dean Richards who brought him on board as an assistant coach at Leicester Tigers.
He said: “I was walking my dog in Aberaeron on the railway and Dean rung me out of the blue from the south of France. I told him straight away that I was a man of the past and I was finished.
“But he said he wanted me to come on board and help the likes of Harry Ellis develop his game. He kept persuading and persuading me so in the end I accepted just to show them how to organise these sessions and get the best out of the players.
“I worked with Harry Ellis, Austin Healey and Jamie Hamilton on their skills. Hamilton was a huge talent and he went out to New Zealand to coach Canterbury and he’s also been All Blacks performance analyst.
“I told him I was yesterday’s man but he still pushed me to go. He gave me a three-year contract but I could only survive a year because of health problems.”
But Davies has also expressed concerns at the lack of Welshmen coaching at the top level. Currently the head coaching jobs at all four Welsh regions are not held by home grown coaches and Davies believes it has to change.
He said: “When you have the WRU saying categorically that there are no quality coaches in Wales they are talking a load of rubbish. Guys who have not proven themselves as coaches themselves giving an opinion on guys who know the game in and out.
“In Llanelli I really rate Ioan Cunningham. What a knowledgeable man, what a good coach, what a good communicator.
“He is an unsung hero as far as Wales is concerned because nobody is looking at him as far as being a future Wales coach. He’s still in the back-up stage and they bring a New Zealander in to oversee everything.
“I find that very difficult to understand. You’ve also got Geraint Lewis who is an exceptional coach. Mike Ruddock was also treated unfairly.
“It was also the same with Kevin Bowring who was starting to establish a team and then they brought in Graham Henry. Why that happens I don’t know.
“Is it that they don’t like the Welsh? It’s bizarre.”