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Geoff Parling, student of the game, on coaching behind enemy lines with Australia

Geoff Parling gathers the ball - Getty
Geoff Parling gathers the ball - Getty

Just three years ago, Geoff Parling was coaching Taunton Titans and readying himself for a jump into the unknown with a move from Exeter Chiefs to Munakata Sanix Blues in Japan. Little did he know that leap would eventually land him a role as Australia forwards coach.

The former England second row’s appointment in Dave Rennie’s new-look coaching team was confirmed earlier this month as Australia prepare for their opening Bledisloe Cup match against New Zealand on Oct 11. His elevation means that the Wallabies have more English coaches in their set-up than England do.

It seems incongruous to see Parling talking with a Wallaby on his chest. His defining moments of a 32-Test career came against Australia, playing in all three Tests of the 2013 Lions series victory and more painfully suffering a 33-13 defeat that eliminated England from the World Cup.

Even he admits that the prospect of coaching against England “would be a bit strange”, but the 36-year-old has learnt not to look too far ahead. His move to Japan as a player-coach was both open-ended and eye-opening. “Trust me, when it’s your first gig as a player-coach, you are in Japan and you can’t speak the same language as the players then that’s a good learning experience,” Parling said.

He spent the next two years dividing his time between Japan and Australia, where he had taken up a similar role with the Melbourne Rebels. This year he was in regular contact with Rennie regarding the Rebels forwards before an unexpected invitation came to join the Wallabies staff alongside former England attack coach Scott Wisemantel and Saracens prop Petrus du Plessis.

Parling left Exeter for an adventurous second career as a player-coach in Japan - Getty
Parling left Exeter for an adventurous second career as a player-coach in Japan - Getty

“He [Rennie] said he had spoken to quite a few people about me,” Parling said. “He told me what they were after and he asked me if I would be interested having been away from home for three months already. Thankfully I have got a very understanding and supportive wife. I jumped at the chance and I am really enjoying it so far.”

A dedicated student of the game, particularly when it came to studying the mechanics of line-outs, Parling always seemed destined to become a coach. He has coached local and university teams throughout his career, in which he was continuously taking notes on his laptop of coaching pointers and tips. He even still pitches in at his nine-year-old son’s local side in Melbourne.

“I think it depends on you as a person when you are a player,” Parling said. “Some players will take a big interest in coaching and will be very receptive at picking things up from a young age. Ten years ago I started compiling a log on my laptop of good things coaches had done or drills I liked. Or you can play your whole career where you just want to play and you don’t take notice. It depends on what type of person you are.

“I have always coached everywhere I have been. Every club I have been at I have coached local teams. In the professional teams I have been in I have probably always assisted with the line-outs. Whenever I was injured I would do my coaching badges, right back to when I was at Newcastle doing stuff with Newcastle Uni almost 15 years ago. It [Australia] is obviously a bit of a jump from Taunton but I really enjoy coaching whatever the level and whenever I can get my hands dirty and get stuck in then I will.”

From the dog-eat-dog environment of Richard Cockerill’s Leicester Tigers to the pragmatism of Rob Baxter at Exeter and Stuart Lancaster’s idealism, Parling has experienced a range of different philosophies. In Parling’s eyes all successful coaching comes down to man management, which has to be underpinned by honesty.

“The main thing you pick up on is how someone made you feel as a coach and how they were as a person,” Parling said. “I do a feel a lot of coaching is common sense. As a player you just want honesty. Even if you don’t like what you hear at first, in the long term you always appreciate honesty.”

After Australia’s quarter-final defeat by England at last year’s World Cup, Rennie has been tasked with restoring the Wallabies’ attacking ideals and devil forward play.

“If you look at any of the teams he coaches, he certainly likes ball movement, whether you look at Glasgow or the Chiefs, I would also say they have had a bit of an edge to them. I know he likes players to have a craic but he also wants a bit of a dark side when it’s needed. Everyone is just desperate to play. We can’t wait to rip in.”