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'To protect ourselves we started to look for excuses': Changing the mindset of Irish boxing

Former performance director with Irish Boxing, Gary Keegan is the first to let us pick his brains on our new coaching podcast.

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IN THE THICK of an enthralling discussion about his own approach to coaching and philosophy around building culture on the inaugural episode of How To Win At Dominoes, Gary Keegan hones in on the seismic shifts he helped to bring about in Irish boxing early this century.

Historically, boxing has been the most lucrative sport for Irish Olympians as it has provided just over half (16) of our total 31 medals. And in recent times, boxers from these shores have been sent to Games with high expectations of collecting a prize to bring home to show for their efforts.

Yet, forging a link between historical success and the 21st century was no straightforward job even after the high of the silver and gold won in Barcelona. The decade that followed was to be a sharp comedown for Irish boxing.

shane-keegan Shane Keegan with Galway United in 2017. Bryan Keane / INPHO Bryan Keane / INPHO / INPHO

The host of The42′s all new coaching podcast, How To Win At Dominoes, Shane Keegan spends the best part of an hour of episode one picking the brains of a man who was integral to bringing high performance to Irish sport. Crucially, probing into how Gary Keegan set about turning the fortunes of Irish boxing on their head.

“In many ways the culture had devolved, based on our experience of defeat – our experience of success or not success on the international stage,” says the former performance director the inaugural episode of How To Win At Dominoes, released this week.

The culture devolved out of our learning and growth not being stimulated by being exposed to better teams, exposure to other coaches, for long periods of time, where we could really engage with what ‘good’ looks like. 

“And I think part of our experience by way of failure in the international arena had affected our belief in ourselves and to protect ourselves we started to look for excuses. So in many ways we were saying ‘the other teams were bigger than us, they had bigger talent pools and they had more resources, better facilities, we had a lot less’.

“Because when we stepped into our national gym it had seven punch bags and one ring and it was just a big open space. So our reality had remained very traditional in our ways and yet the world had moved on and the sport itself had changed…”

He adds:

“We were still very traditionalist and we were using a lot of traditional methods. That excuse culture and some of our limiting beliefs. We had practices that were holding us back, that we didn’t really understand because we didn’t measure the affect of some of our ways and our practices. Only when we came in to begin to look at that – ‘what is currently limiting us from being successful and what is helping us to be successful?”

A key tenet of building standards back up in the sport is alluded to by Keegan, identifying where the benchmarks were. Then, with a blend of determined optimism and no little pragmatism, he and his coaching team had to figure out how an Irish team could replicate an approach.

gary-keegan Gary Keegan at the 2008 Olympics. Morgan Treacy / INPHO Morgan Treacy / INPHO / INPHO

“It’s important to point out that we had a very clear ambition to begin with,” Keegan says of his work with Billy Walsh and Zaur Antia among others.

“‘To consistently stand on world podiums.’ And that meant there was no point in looking at people who weren’t doing that…”

That criteria took their gaze to the USA, Russia and Cuba. In America, they figured there was no secret sauce at play, simply a great volume of excellent fighters. So they turned to what appeared to be similar setups in very different climates.

“Cuba was very systemised. Why? Well, they went to the Soviet Union, pulled a load of coaches out, got them to help them build a system in Cuba and then deported them back to the Soviet Union and set up a system that was beating the Soviet Union.

“We chose not (to follow up with) Cuba for a couple of reasons. They box with flair, they box like a dance; a lot of rhythm, a lot of flair, a lot of different styles and that’s too hard to replicate.

“The second reason was they don’t allow you to train with their senior team. That was no use to us…”

Training with a junior squad, a shadow of the top competitors carried no interest for Keegan who wanted Irish boxers to work in an environment where they could absorb every last drop of international quality.

“Russia became hugely important to our development. So did Germany, so did France. We had to take small steps before we could take bigger steps, but we always had the ambition to be with the best, to be exposed to the best because we wanted to be among the best.

You can’t avoid the best in case you’re found out. You have to be right in there to see where the learning is available to you.”

How To Win At Dominoes is exclusively available to The42 Members, which costs €5 per month or €42 per year. Sign up here and get immediate access to this podcast and five others, all of our podcast archives, and lots more great membership benefits.

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    Mute gerrygag
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    Mar 19th 2023, 9:35 AM

    Excellent analysis of all the pieces of the jigsaw of moves leading to great tries

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    Mute Kenneth O Connor
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    Mar 19th 2023, 9:41 AM

    Great analysis as always. What an atmosphere yesterday. Delighted for Sexton and Healy!!! What a Six Nations send off

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    Mute Noel Lynn
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    Mar 19th 2023, 10:47 AM

    @Kenneth O Connor: Healy not getting a run was disappointing and strange

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    Mute Gary
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    Mar 19th 2023, 11:06 AM

    @Noel Lynn: He did… only about 4 minutes but he did play.

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    Mute Gary Donlan
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    Mar 19th 2023, 9:54 AM

    Yesterday(and last week) should put to bed any doubt about Conan’s value. Every bit as effective as Doris imo.

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    Mute Gary Galligan
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    Mar 19th 2023, 11:10 AM

    @Gary Donlan: doris level ahead

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    Mute Bill Smith
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    Mar 19th 2023, 1:23 PM

    @Gary Donlan: I’m a big, big fan of Conan – he’s an outstanding player – but I’d have to acknowledge that Doris is at the very top of the global tree. And he has so much more to grow, being so young. Arguably a future World Player of the Year nominee, if not winner.

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    Mute Cian O'Toole
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    Mar 19th 2023, 11:04 AM

    I see lots of people saying how England really used line speed yesterday to get in Irelands face, that’s not what happened at all. England played a soft drift defence, not putting too much pressure on the first carrier / passer, and not committing too many men to the breakdown, opting to be more disruptive and messy rather than look for turnovers. It was an interesting tactic and one that threw a lot of the Irish players off, particularly Furlong who takes the first pivot option quite often. Ireland will need to learn how to adapt to it by World Cup, I can’t imagine South Africa or France would try it, they would trust their line speed, but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Scotland or even New Zealand thought about using it.

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    Mute Noel Lynn
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    Mar 19th 2023, 10:22 AM

    Great analysis there. It shows really how intelligent this group are. Dorris, JVF,, Aki, Sexton, Hansen running subplots and dummies lines and how they build a try 3 phases out. To have so many on the same page is extraordinary and as Farrell said, they will get a lot better over the next few months with more time collectively in camp.
    Roll on the WC

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    Mute Eamon Holly
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    Mar 19th 2023, 10:32 AM

    It was squeaky bum time for much of the game. England gave it everything. Ireland found a way to win. Work done with decoy runners is magnificent. Enjoy, upwards and onwards to France

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    Mute Jb Walshe
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    Mar 19th 2023, 4:25 PM

    That was some offload by Conan for sheehans try.

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    Mute Gary Galligan
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    Mar 19th 2023, 1:53 PM

    Sheehan is a pure speed merchant

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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Mar 19th 2023, 11:33 PM

    @Gary Galligan: He’s a 4×4 at full speed.

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    Mute Padraig Fallon
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    Mar 19th 2023, 12:11 PM

    On the strike plays which Ireland use we have seen a few of these in this 6 nations I believe they have only used a small number of these in this 6 nations and there are many more which they had no need to use and they are been reserved for the later stages of the world Cup.

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    Mute Pud
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    Mar 19th 2023, 12:11 PM

    I would imagine when Farrell and his team review this game they will be a little concerned. Obviously the short term gain here, winning a grand slam, is brilliant. But there was a lot of pressure going into the game and we did not handle it well. Ultimately a red card may have won it for Ireland and whether you agree or disagree with the card the nature of it shows it can how easily happen under current rules. (There was at least 1 red card possibility for us that was missed by the ref and TMO). This team will ultimately be judged on how it performs in the World Cup. When they meet Scotland on the 7th of October it will more than likely be a knock out game. The pressure on them will easily be as intense as yesterday, probably more so. They will need to be a lot better. If we don’t make it out of the group, this Grand Slam will lose a lot of it’s shine. Of course hopefully by the time we meet Scotland SA will have 2 losses so it won’t matter :)

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    Mute Bill Smith
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    Mar 19th 2023, 1:35 PM

    @Pud: OTOH, the experience of yesterday, a real pressure cooker, will stand to them. Plus, those guys played a lot of intense rugby over a short period of time. Some were definitely not at their best, following injuries (Furlong, for example, looked rusty; Henshaw wasn’t fully up to speed; Ringrose in and out). Farrell took some risks, playing guys like Porter, VDF, Keenan, Hansen and others to their limits (Keenan looked tired yesterday, as did others). The player management plan for the RWC needs to cater for the interactive effects of physical endurance and how it affects mental/emotional resilience. I’m pretty confident they’re on top of that. And again, all the players will be better for the experience of this 6N.

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    Mute Seamus Kelly
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    Mar 19th 2023, 9:11 PM

    @Pud: South Africa then Scotland…followed by France or New Zealand…three massive banana skins….I don’t think if we are stopped before semi final, yesterday’s outstanding achievement will be diminished….cruel world cup draw.

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    Mar 19th 2023, 3:16 PM

    Herring sealed victory over the All Blacks with a similar try in the third test .. hooker is definitely a position we don’t need to worry about… bench again made the difference yesterday

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    Mute Paul Mcnevin
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    Mar 19th 2023, 11:29 PM

    Murray Kinsella, single handedly helping other teams work out Ireland!!

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