Bath head coach Johann van Graan has praised the coaching qualities of Leinster defence guru Jacques Nienaber ahead of their Champions Cup meeting. The two South African coaches have a long history, having first faced each other as technical advisors for the Bulls and Cheetahs, respectively. Van Graan describes Nienaber as a 'class coach' with a deep passion for the game, noting his impact on the Leinster defence.
Bath head coach Johann van Graan has hailed the “heart and soul” coaching qualities of Leinster defence guru Jacques Nienaber as the two South African coaches prepare to go head-to-head in the Investec Champions Cup this week.
The two South Africans go way back, having first come up against each other when Van Graan was a technical adviser for the Bulls and Nienaber was at the Cheetahs, first as a physio and then Rassie Erasmus’ defence coach. “We worked at the Boks for a few years and we had a tough series against Ireland in 2016. Ireland won at Newlands, we won at Ellis Park and it went down to the final pass in Port Elizabeth.“He is definitely one of the best coaches I have come across in terms of passion for the game, always wanting to learn more. He is always heart and soul. And you can see that in the Leinster defence.
“We average nearly 40 points and five tries a game, we have come up against blitz defence in the Premiership. We can play in many different ways and we need to get selection right,” said Van Graan, whose Munster team only managed to beat Leicester twice in 13 matches over a five-year period.
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