todd louden not experienced enough
"Not experienced enough", eh? Let's have a look at how much experience Todd Louden has:
In 2004 as Director of Rugby at Sydney University Louden implemented their EDS (Elite Development Squad) program which is still operating and is the foundation for their status as No. 1 Club in Australia. In that year Uni won the Sydney Club Championship with all nine grades contesting the finals. In the years since the implementation of the EDS system Sydney Uni has been producing more professional rugby players than any other club in the world.
In the 2004-2005 season he was Head Coach of Meiji University which participates in Japan’s 120 Collegiate Rugby Program. Louden took them from 68th to the top eight.
In 2006 he returned to Sydney as Head Coach of Randwick. Their 1st XV advanced from 9th to Minor Premiers. They were narrowly beaten in the Grand Final by Sydney Uni who were forced to make more than 300 tackles during the match. Louden was named Sydney Premiership Coach of the Year.
The next season he moved to South Africa as Attack Coach with Heineke Meyer’s Blue Bulls who went from 5th to winning the Super 14. They were the first South African team to win a Super title, with their success widely attributed to their new attacking style.
In 2008 he was appointed Attack Coach with the NSW Waratahs under Ewen McKenzie. The ‘Tahs went from 13th in 2007 to 2nd before being beaten in the Grand Final.
In the 2008-2009 season he went back to Japan as Head Coach of the Ricoh Black Rams, who had been relegated to Second Division status. Under Louden’s guidance Ricoh were undefeated in the Top East League and therefore qualified to play the winners of the other two second level leagues to determine who was to be promoted to the Top League. By winning both games Ricoh not only returned to Top League but also qualified for the All-Japan Rugby Football Championships, playing against Top League teams as well as the top two university teams. Ricoh were eventually beaten at the semi-final stage of the All-Japan Championships. In the following two seasons while Louden was there Ricoh finished 9th and 8th in the Top League.
When he came back to Sydney Uni as Head Coach in 2011 he implemented an expanded version of the EDS by establishing an additional Wider Training Group (WTG), so well over a hundred Grade and Colts players were involved in a professional style training regime. There was also a much greater focus on skills acquisition. Although Uni 1sts were beaten in the Grand Final that year the Club still won 4 out of the 7 grades contested. Last year Uni won 5 out of 7 grades with only 4th Grade and 3rd Colts missing out.
So the “not experienced enough” Louden’s record as an assistant coach in Super Rugby reads: 2007 Bulls 5th to 1st; and 2008 Waratahs 13th to 2nd.
And his success in improving the performance of every Club with which he has been associated means that he may be exactly what is needed in Victoria where the challenge is not just to improve the standing of the Rebels but also to integrate the professional franchise with Melbourne club rugby.
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