AS URUGUAY MADE World Cup history with their shock win over Fiji in Japan today, Dean Lester watched on from Belfast with tears of joy streaming down his face.
The rugby world has been united in its delight at seeing the minnows earn their third-ever World Cup victory in Kamaishi, but Lester has every right to feel pride in the Uruguayans’ success.
The 36-year-old spent nine months living in Uruguay as part of their strength and conditioning team this year, helping them to build the fitness levels that shone as they rocked the World Cup today.
While he didn’t travel to Japan with the squad, Lester has undoubtedly played a role in helping Los Teros towards what was perhaps the greatest shock result at a World Cup.
“I have pride in the boys, not myself,” said Lester today after Uruguay’s win.
“You could say it was a surprise because Fiji are a massive side and so athletic. But it’s not a surprise at the same time because I’ve seen over the nine months how much work those boys put in.
“They always stepped up, they never took a backwards step and we saw that today. They were relentless in their defence. That’s something we had worked on, we knew we needed to close the space down and have the fitness levels.
“They were incredible, the emotion and the heart they put into it and the pride for their country. I’ve never come across anything like it in my life, they’re an incredible group of people, Uruguayans as a whole.
“You heard the crowd, there was only a pocket of them in the ground but they were pretty loud.”
Lester’s phone hasn’t stopped rumbling with messages all day and he was speaking to the squad immediately after their win via a video call, meaning he could enjoy the scenes in the changing room as the players shouted “Dean machine” and celebrated their success.
Lester is a student at Setanta College in Ireland and the opportunity with Uruguay came about through the Tipperary institution.
Founder Dr. Liam Hennessy and Setanta man Mark Murray let Lester know that Los Teros were looking for an S&C coach to take up a nine-month internship. Moving to Uruguay was tough to get his head around but after getting that call, Lester went into his living room, where his fianceé and mother were encouraging.
“They both said at the same time, ‘You have to go for it.’”
So Lester spoke to Uruguay’s head of S&C Craig White – formerly of the Lions, Wasps and Leicester – and agreed to take a leap into the unknown. He first met up with Uruguay for three days last October when they visited Belfast to play Ulster.
Lester and his fianceé, Linsey, then moved out to Uruguay in January and he got stuck into his new role, while she worked in a school.
And Lester swiftly became part of what he describes as an amazing group of people.
“I came home in September because my father passed away. He had been ill and the Uruguay rugby union flew me home to see him.
“I was determined to go back out because I wanted to see this job through. The response I got from the players, they made me feel like part of their family. That’s them, and it shone today in that performance. That was 23 brothers out there fighting for every inch they could get.”
Uruguay lost that fixture 21-0 to a very inexperienced Ulster team back in October, but they have improved rapidly since. They finished second in this year’s Americas Rugby Championship, beating USA and Canada in a good campaign before recording wins over Russia and Argentina XV in the World Rugby Nations Cup in June.
The Uruguayans then had a 10-week pre-season for the World Cup, with the players gathering for training from 8am until 4.30pm most days and putting in a serious effort to get into peak condition.
“You have your standard lifting that any team will do but there was a lot of high intensity running, really building on that and the volume of it,” explains Lester, who ran the squad’s GPS tracking.
“We really wanted to focus on that rush defence and being able to do it repeatedly because we knew we would have to defend a lot at the World Cup.
“There was a lot of high-intensity capacity work where the boys were pushing heavy prowlers up and down to the point they were almost collapsing. There were the four or five S&C coaches dragging them through it but they never once gave up. They never once complained, they just got on with their work.”
Another Ireland native and Setanta College man, Simon Coulter, joined the Uruguayans along with the highly-regarded S&C specialist Ben Pollard – who World Rugby sent to aid their cause – as they beefed up their backroom for the pre-season.
Lester said they built a brilliant atmosphere through that slog.
“When you have a group where everyone gets on and there are no egos, it makes a hell of a difference,” said Lester, who will soon move into the Master’s degree at Setanta.
“The players are just normal guys, no superstars and everyone knows they have to go out there and work hard.”
Making Uruguay’s achievement all the greater is the fact that many of them are amateur players. Los Teros do have players in the French professional leagues and Major League Rugby, but others play their club rugby back home in Uruguay.
In that sense, Lester delighted in seeing the likes of replacement prop Juan Pedro Rombys making an impact on the biggest stage.
“I have a bit of a soft spot for the big man because I did a lot of one-on-one work with him when he was injured,” said Lester, who is now hoping to pick up an S&C job with a professional club.
“The commentators mentioned how he had given everything up. He hadn’t played international rugby since 2012 or 2013 and he has been working in agriculture back in Uruguay.
“He basically gave that up to give rugby another shot. He had a lot of work to do but it showed, he was fantastic when he came on. He carried ball, steadied the scrum, even tried a wee offload! He showed what he was about.
“To give his job up, it’s incredible and it wasn’t easy for any of the players. There are other players in the squad who had to give up their jobs to be part of it.”
We’re definitely building momentum at the moment and the confidence seems to be back in a big way… None more so than Marcus Rashford! I’m thoroughly enjoying watching this team for the first time in quite a while. Onwards and upwards!
@G Bot: you are easily pleased. Rashford only one performing at elite level.
@roderick: you obviously don’t look at football your narrative doesn’t make sense, did you ever hear about de gea, casemiro, varane, eriksen, shaw?? Just asking??
I’m expecting this United team to win now and that’s a very dangerous mindset lol
@Aidy McBride: it’s one game calm down … that’s coming from a utd fan ..
@Ciaran: and the previous 7 games.
@Ciaran: one defeat in 17 games, 7 wins on the bounce. Where are you getting 1 game from?
@Ciaran: congratulations been on this app for a while now and some of the comments on here are mind blowingly terrible but you my man just one first prize well done the most stupid comment I have ever read on this app.
@Ciaran: 100% would not be getting too carried away alot to work on. Everton could of easily won that game tonight. If people think martial is the saviour well we are in big trouble.
@Pauly Kel: no one thinks martial is the saviour I literally have not heard one person say that.
@A$AP ETH: one game in the FA Cup.. and going to win it already .. do me a favour …
@Aidy McBride: one game in the FA cup played and United are going to win it already.. do me a favour ..
@Ciaran: he didn’t say that, and aren’t fans allowed be pleased when their team wins anymore?
@rory: *won first prize.
One game in the FA cup played and United are going to win it already.. very ambitious but I can see where you are coming from. Confusing one with won. Man Utd have only played ONE game in the FA cup this season.. they haven’t WON the FA cup.. primary school level English there pal..
@Ciaran: You clearly misinterpreted his comment. As a United fan who’s seen far too many false dawns in the last few years I know exactly what he means!
@A$AP ETH: read the initial comment .. “I’m expecting this utd team to win it now” .. so he did say it
@Ciaran: maybe you should start following a different team mate, just a thought.
@Ciaran: that’s not what I said. Put the bottle down and go to bed mate.
@Ciaran: he said, ‘i’m expecting this utd team to win now’. Not win ‘it’ now Which 99.9% of people would take as being confident in the teams ability to win – not just confined to one comp, but shur whatever you think yourself.
@Ciaran: Jesus mate, who s41t in your handbag this evening??
@rory: he is the center forward now, I realise what he brings to the team with he’s pressing and working as a unit but he is not going score the 20 goals a season what is needed.. Taking off last 7 games he has started? A few friends of mine(season ticket holders) think he’s the man? I beg to differ.!!
@Ciaran: spot on!
@Aidy McBride: Very sad to see you arguing with your own now. Where will it end.
@Damien Leen: Obsessed
Scoreline flattered united a bit in the end. Good to get the win though. Rashford looking better with every game. Real test are the next two, still looking a bit dodgy at the back. Hopefully martinez gets a start next game.
@A$AP ETH: first game in a few that Utd looked shaky. Was like looking at them last year. Plenty of the ball around the box with no penetration. Really really need a good striker, or even a half decent one. Still a win is a win. Everton look doomed. Playing terrible and just seem to be throwing themselves to the group when they run out of ideas.
@Cormac Flanagan: hopefully it is just shaw being a bit inexperienced at cb. It’s worked the last few games, but i don’t think he’ll cut the mustard in there against city and arsenal. I suppose dalot was bit rusty as well.Right about a striker, I was hoping they would throw in a bid for toney, but they might be put off by the betting stuff.
@A$AP ETH: How is is the real test? United beat Arsenal and got hammered by City. United are going to be the only team to have played Arsenal and City, twice in their first 19 games.
@Alan Kenny: don’t really understand your point. I don’t think it’s too unreasonable to say that playing city and arsenal will represent a bigger test than any of the opposition they have had so far post world cup.
We’ve made good progress from where we were this time last year. If we keep up this momentum 4th spot is achievable especially when the likes of Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea haven’t been as consistent as we have. This isn’t a team that can win the league we’re at minimum a year or two away from that but if we can at least establish ourselves as a team who can make at least make top 3 and maybe a domestic cup win or something it’s a step in the right direction. And that’s just from the on field perspective as we can only speculate on what may occur if the owners sell. And sure maybe I’m just enjoying being optimistic as a United fan for the first time in a long time but it feels nice
Not a bad win for a ten man outfit #martialisalazywastergetridofhimyesterday
@Liam P Dunne: manager says otherwise… But I’m sure you know best…
@Markonline: I know he’s the worst I’ve seen in 44 years.
@Liam P Dunne: after all that time you’d think they’d listen to you so…..or maybe not?
I seem to remember Ole having a great start too. How did that end up?
@Eoin McCarthy: ‘There’s only two types of manager. Those who’ve been sacked and those who will be sacked in the future.’
@Eoin McCarthy: absolutely fantastic to see fans of other teams obviously starting to worry about Manchester United again. All trying to convince yourselves that they aren’t improving. Will they win the league this season? No. City might well beat them easy next weekend but without doubt United are improving
@Brian Dunne: it’ll be a hard task to beat city and arsenal, I think both games will be close. The improvement in Uniteds play is the most obvious thing in the premier league so far but some just refuse to see it.
@Eoin McCarthy: I was mistaken before, bots are getting more thick
@Brian Dunne: I’m not worried. I’m just fascinated by recency bias. If, after 38 games, United qualify for the champions league, well then fair play to ETH. But he’s achieved nothing yet. Ole’s first 18 games, United looked great. The middle part of the 2019/20 season, they looked great. The middle part of the 2020/21, they looked great. United fans were singing Ole’s praises during those periods just like they are of ETH now and yet, there were no trophies.
@Eoin McCarthy: for recency bias, read ‘being a football fan’. You are allowed be pleased when your team are doing well, even if they’ve won nothing. Trophies are the ultimate aim and would be great, but it’s ok to celebrate individual games and moments too. Most united fans are more realistic then you give them credit for. Don’t think many are expecting a trophy fest this season, but securing top 4 and maybe one of the cups would represent a great season for ETH imo.
@A$AP ETH: exactly. If a football fan can’t get excited by his team doing well then I’ll give it up and watch bowls instead. United have genuine world class players now in varane and casemiro. They have top class playere such as ericksen, bruno, rashford, martinez etc. They have a young excellent coach, jaysis even the glazers are talking about selling! Exciting times for United fans.
I’m getting a nice few quid atm by backing Rashford “shots on target”. Lost my stones over the last year with “Ronaldo specials”. Keep the pressure off for a while.