Germany are coming. That is the message from men’s head coach, Pablo Feijoo — a man worth listening to. After captaining Spain at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, the San Sebastian native took over the top job and put in place many of the systems and pathways that have propelled Los Leones to the HSBC SVNS top table.
And now, after several years directing a quiet evolution in Germany, Feijoo is confident he can do it all again.
“I think we are building something special,” he confirmed. “We started with a very young team, now the average age is probably around 22-23, and we’ve given these players a lot of experience. I don’t know if it will be next year or in two years, but they will be able to compete with any team.”
Recent signs suggest his team may even be ahead of Feijoo’s predictions. A brilliant win in the opening HSBC SVNS 2 tournament in Nairobi, followed by second place in Montevideo saw Germany wrap up qualification for the HSBC SVNS World Championships trifecta with a round to spare.
Challenging perceptions
Performances that inspire confidence ahead of their debut at the three-day Hong Kong tournament, which kicks off on 17 April. Confidence that not even a long injury list is likely to diminish much. Especially, given the fact their rise up the global ladder is built on strong foundations
“One thing that I learned here, and also in Spain, is if you want to achieve things that you’ve never achieved you need to do things that you’ve never done before,” Feijoo said.
“The first thing is that, in these kinds of countries, we need to train more. Because we have a lack of skills and experience and knowledge about rugby. In England or Ireland or Australia, many of the players understand rugby, they’ve been living rugby since they were six years old. So, we need to spend a lot of time giving them that knowledge.”
What that means, in practice, is that the German squad have been through hell in the past few years.
“He’s a tough, tough coach, he’s challenged us a lot,” team captain Tim Lichtenberg smiled. “It’s different work compared to the other coaches. We have to sacrifice every day. They’re tough, tough sessions — but in the end, he is right, because we are progressing.”
Building on a defensive rock
Lichtenberg is one of the few seasoned campaigners to have survived Feijoo’s squad refresh. A dedicated servant of German rugby for more than a decade, the skipper agrees with his coach on the fundamentals fuelling the team’s rise.
“My footprint is that we need to be a really strong team in defence,” Feijoo explained. “With a strong defence you can build a strong team and you can win tournaments.
“Obviously, we are not going to be like Fiji. We need to learn how to keep the ball and be accurate in the rucks and the set piece, but the footprint will be the defence. If we feel comfortable defending then we will be able to attack.”
This ties in beautifully with the team’s nickname.
“They [German commentators, several years ago] called us the Wolf Pack because we defend like wolves defend, caring about each other,” Lichtenberg said.
“I can feel it in training. It’s more speed based, we’re getting faster every session and working on those things to be like other nations in the top eight.”
Growing the game
Around 60-70 per cent of the squad have contracts with the German military, allowing them to focus the majority of their time on rugby. But there are still a good chunk who are students, somehow making it all work. Lichtenberg, for one, is attempting to complete his accountancy degree at the age of 28. Teammate Felix Hufnagel balances a job with life on tour.
All of them are part of the long-term plan to keep growing the sport in a country where football, handball and basketball dominate.
“We are trying to create a better structure and pathway for the players,” coach Feijoo said. “And slowly, slowly some youngsters are knocking on the door to join the programme.”
Wins over all the fancied teams in HSBC SVNS 2, from USA to Uruguay via Kenya and Canada, will only have helped. And now lining up in Pool B in the sevens mecca Hong Kong, alongside Fiji, France and a struggling Great Britain, the Wolf Pack no doubt fancy their chances of causing an upset or two.
Whatever happens though, they know they are on the right track.
“It’s a big step forward,” Lichtenberg said. “I’ve been in the team for over 10 years now, I’ve felt every step and now we are at the highest point in German rugby union. It’s good to be there and now to step further forwards.”