A SIDEWAYS MOVE from Vern Cotter.
In a World Cup, teams will try everything they can to give themselves the edge over the course of the tournament, and it seems Scotland and Vern Cotter are trying out a particularly unusual tactic to prepare themselves mentally.
The Scotsman report that a French hostage negotiation specialist has been drafted in to coach players on their critical decision making at their pre-World Cup training camp, which started this week.
Eric Blondeau has trained negotiators at the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), who worked on the hostage situations in Paris earlier this year, following the killing at the Charlie Hebdo magazine.
Head coach Vern Cotter confirmed to The Scotsman that Blondeau has been drafted in, after previously working with him at Clermont Auvergne.
“There’s a chap who’ll be coming to meet us in France called Eric Blondeau, who has worked in hostage negotiations and with the National Gendarmerie Intervention Group (GIGN), which is the French SAS equivalent.
“He has a lot of experience in traumatic, or let’s say difficult, decision-making situations and he’ll come and speak to a few of the players.
“He’ll be periodically coming in and having a talk with myself. I met with him a month or so ago and we spoke about the challenges we have ahead. He’s very good at throwing up ideas, Cotter said.
Despite his extensive background in high-pressure life-or-death situations, it remains to be seen how Blondeau can help Scotland prepare for their World Cup opener with Japan on September 23.
– First published 10.20
He is absolutely right. For far too long the mentality is and this even goes to the our nick name the ” wee county ” that we are a small county so we dont expect to do well. If we beat a Kildare or a Meath the year is a success which is not acceptable. We have a bigger population than most. Louth does have a large choice to pick from. Look at the counties that surround Louth. Dublin, Meath, Monaghan, Armagh and Down have all enjoyed success in All Ireland competition were Louth is left behind. The question has to be asked, why? Cause the mentality is not right, we shoukd be expecting to beat the teams I just mentioned except for Dublin who are a professional team in everything but name. Dublin are showing the future of GAA and fair play to them.
what would you describe as success would it be winning Leinster?
Winning a Leinster Championship would absolutely be a success for Louth as it has not happened for a long long time. Its all about making baby steps forward to an ultimate target. Why cant they get to the knock out stages of the All Ireland series and build from there year on year. Ciaran Byrne a superb talent whi recently joined Carlton in the AFL even said it himself in an Irish Independent interview “we are a small county so we dont really have a chance in winning a Leinster or All Ireland” so if a mentality like that is in a young star at that stage its definetly an issue and it shouldnt be. 2 of the biggest towns in the country in our county. Some people forget this. We have been perennial underachievers in my opinion.
Winning a Leinster Championship would absolutely be a success for Louth as it has not happened for a long long time. Its all about making baby steps forward to an ultimate target. Why cant they get to the knock out stages of the All Ireland series and build from there year on year. Ciaran Byrne a superb talent whi recently joined Carlton in the AFL even said it himself in an Irish Independent interview “we are a small county so we dont really have a chance in winning a Leinster or All Ireland” so if a mentality like that is in a young star at that stage its definetly an issue and it shouldnt be. 2 of the biggest towns in the country in our county. Some people forget this. We have been perennial underachievers in my opinion.
improvement in the league might be more realistic over the next couple of years as this dublin squad and management have a fixation on winning and that includes Leinster titles and I agree as a dub I would love to see Louth challenge for leinsters
Louth have a bigger population than Kilkenny…so it’s not about population.
Patrick you say you should be expecting to beat teams except Dublin that’s great mentality way better so getting to a Leinster final and its against Dublin do you reckon there’s any point in heading up to croke park
infairness Robbie he is been realistic
Baby steps Robbie, baby steps!!!
Baby steps for life I’m afraid !