It would be wrong to call it gentle, but that is about the best word I can come up with describe Mark Hammett’s coaching style – at least from what I witnessed during Tasman’s 90-minute session on Wednesday.
Here he was working with the forwards, the drills aggressive, powerful and confrontational, yet he barely raised his voice.
Maybe it is because he is still getting to know the Tasman squad as their new Assistant coach, but I didn’t hear him use a single nickname during the session. Every player - even those called in as injury cover - was addressed by their first name. That is not the usual fare at a Kiwi rugby practice, where the uninitiated observer would struggle to comprehend the coach’s orders as player’s nicknames are bellowed out.
This is not at all what I expected from an uncompromising former All Black front rower, with a reputation for being something of a shit-kicker. At least that is how things looked when he left the Hurricanes after four-years.
He admitted that the first year in Wellington was the worst time in his rugby career, but he refuses to delve any deeper into the personalities or events that eventually wore him down. Hammett does however take some solace from what many of the players he fostered in the Capital have gone on to achieve. He also feels he played (his own words) ‘a small part’ in helping turn the Hurricanes into Champions.
Was he made a head-coach too soon? “Possibly…but it’s like being a parent, are you ever really ready.”
Now after personal issues (not a euphemism either) forced him to quit a three year deal with Cardiff, and a season spent answering the Sunwolves SOS, Hammett is back restarting his coaching career at home.
He doesn’t make excuses nor dish out blame. Admirable qualities, but also the reason Mark Hammett is misunderstood by a large number of rugby followers – after spending some time watching him at work, I realise I had misunderstood him too.
Newshub.
