Coaches love big ideas until pressure hits and the ideas melt. Today we share our drafted chapter on Eddie Jones and pull out the hard, usable lessons that survive heat: culture as behavior, observation as a craft, and high standards delivered without resentment. After nearly 50 interviews with elite rugby minds, Eddie’s lens still cuts the clearest path from theory to team habits you can see and measure.

We start by redefining culture as what people correct in each other when it’s awkward. From Leicester’s “we don’t do it like that here” to Springbok players pushing back on language, Eddie reads non‑negotiables as the true map of a group’s values. He shows why diagnosing the room beats importing templates, and how a team’s game model should mirror its social DNA—contain and strike for England, speed and relentless work for Japan. That coherence turns slogans into self‑policing standards.

Then we go deep on “walk the floor.” Eddie treats observation like a superpower: who stands with whom, who lingers for extras, who drifts to leadership without a title. Small social cues—pre‑meeting chatter, post‑training extras—become live metrics for belonging. The goal is player ownership, where leaders gather units for work unprompted and the coach nudges rather than drives. To test it, try the teabag test: add pressure and see if conversations hold, habits stick, and the group stays connected.

Finally, we break down coaching without resentment. Keep the bar high; change the delivery so people can hear it. Eddie’s switch from blunt critique to data‑led self‑review shows how standards and dignity can coexist. He also normalizes doubt and builds a “second set of eyes” ritual to turn emotion into decisions. You’ll leave with simple actions: diagnose before you design, name your identity in one sentence, map cultural leaders, track the tiny tells, and tailor your corrections so they land clean.

If this episode helped sharpen your coaching, follow the show, share it with a coach who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can find it.

Send us a text

If you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. Ben

To subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:

www.coachingculture.com.au

Support the show

Share this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

What if the best culture in your team is hiding in plain sight—in the way players clean a table, put plates away, or stick around for a coffee that really means connection? We sit down with Nathan Gray—Wallaby, defense specialist, and now director of rugby—to map the behaviors that make standards visible and repeatable under pressure.

Nathan pulls back the curtain on selection and reveals the trait he hunts that tape often misses: intent. He explains why toughness is both physical and mental, and how to coach it without crossing into chaos. We dive deep into defense culture, separating system errors from individual misses, and explore how clarity turns aggression into smart decision-making. His mantra—think clearly, act aggressively—comes to life through drills that pair collisions with immediate second actions, training the red head to blue head switch that wins big moments and avoids cheap penalties.

We also talk about the coaching journey: moving between micro and macro lenses, writing down the big picture to remove emotion, and leaning on assistants who live in the details. Nathan shares the story behind the Safe D Tracker, the simple tool that makes tracking lines visible so players arrive safe, tackle better, and build confidence. From rewarding the low tackler who creates turnovers to reframing roles without damaging trust, this conversation is packed with practical coaching cues, culture signals, and performance insights. Along the way, we champion growth outside rugby—study, family, other sports—as a secret edge that makes better players and better people.

If you value culture you can see, defense that players love, and coaching that treats the person as well as the player, you’ll find plenty to use this week. Subscribe, share with a coach who cares about clarity, and leave a review with your favorite takeaway so we can keep raising the standard together.

Send us a text

If you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. Ben

To subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:

www.coachingculture.com.au

Support the show

Share this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.

Ever feel like two practices a week can’t possibly cover skills, systems, set piece, and fitness? We unpack a practical blueprint that turns time pressure into sharper sessions, starting with the one choice that clarifies everything: define your team identity and let it set the plan. From there, we lean into a DIY fitness culture that takes conditioning off your training clock and puts ownership in your players’ hands, using simple prompts and social accountability to make extra work normal and even fun.

We keep set piece clean and efficient. Instead of a binder full of lineout calls, we argue for one to three options executed with ruthless quality and a hooker who throws outside team time. The scrum gets the same treatment: clear sequence, tight timing, and micro-extras for front row craft after practice. Less variety means fewer meetings and more ball won when it counts. On the systems side, we show how a straightforward one-three-three-one structure can build confidence, spacing, and predictable support, whether you have two full sides to scrimmage or you’re repping on air. We talk video, minimal stoppages, and how to lock in one to three focus points so players leave with a clear picture.

Skills are the heartbeat. We prioritize the big four—catch and pass, run and evade, breakdown, and tackle—and multiply reps through small-group rotations. With a stopwatch, tight constraints, and simple cues, you trade lines and lectures for density and intensity. Defense gets its own spotlight with two or three signature drills you can scale from no contact to live, creating a shared language and a built-in fitness hit. The throughline is simplicity: do fewer things, do them better, and connect them back to how you want to play.

If you’re a coach juggling time, roster size, and ambition, this conversation offers a clear path to more impact with less clutter. Subscribe, share with a fellow coach, and tell us: which block are you streamlining first? Your feedback shapes future deep dives, so leave a review and drop your biggest coaching bottleneck.

Send us a text

If you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. Ben

To subscribe to the newsletter or to get a copy of the book, jump onto:

www.coachingculture.com.au

Support the show

Share this show with your mates, rugby, coaches, leaders! Dont be shy.