VIDEO: Boks Office - Focus on one competition only
WATCH as former Springbok head coach Nick Mallett alongside former Springbok centre Robbie Fleck and BOKS OFFICE host Hanyani Shimange explains why teams should focus on just one tournament regarding the Champions Cup that's played in-between competitions and not aim to win 'the double'.
Mallett, whose decorated coaching resume includes being in charge of Italy and a 17-Test winning streak with the Springboks opened up on his time at Stade Francais and the difficulty the side had to aim for the Top 14 and Champions Cup titles in the same season.
"My first year [coaching at Stade Francais] we did really well and we were top of the Top 14, and were in a semifinal position, then we got to the quarterfinals of the Champions Cup," Mallett said.
"I actually sat Fabien Galthie down and he said 'Nick we're going to have to choose' and I said 'what do you mean we have to choose?'.
"He said 'we're going to have to choose whether we want to win the French championship [Top 14] or the the Champions Cup'.
"He said 'I've been here before, we've tried and it's very hard to do the double'.
"So I said: 'what would the players prefer to win' and he said 'we would prefer to win the French championship [Top 14], a lot of our players haven't won it.
"So we said 'okay', we didn't put out a reserve team [for the quarterfinal], but the focus was more on making sure that we were the best we could be in the Top 14.
"I think we lost to Munster away by 32-36, it was a really good game, and the guys were almost relieved and they got onto the plane and said 'right now we can only focus on our local championship'.
Mallet suggested that the format of the Champions Cup should be re-looked at and played more on a consecutive weekly basis.
"And that's a problem, it's really a problem for this competition, I think being such a strong tournament it needs to have a space somewhere.
"This two weeks now, then we don't play for a while, two weeks in January, then we don't play for a while and then somewhere in April.
"It needs a time period of six weeks where you just focus on the Champions Cup."
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