Former Wallaby tighthead Ben Darwin now works as a data analyst and is co-founder of GAIN LINE analytics in his native Australia. In the first-part of his interview he explained that after having to retire at the age of 26, he found out through a process of trial and error that his calling was in data analysis and not coaching.
In the second-part of his interview he tells RugbyPass about the Pro14's effect on Test rugby, how coaching and culture are not definitive keys to success and why England and France often underperform on the global stage
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Having only four sides to pick from, for Ireland and Wales, and only two sides, for Scotland, has massively increased the cohesion figures for those three countries and allowed them to compete on the global stage in a way they had struggled to previously."
It's the reason why England and France often underperform in Rugby World Cups, Darwin believes. "The two unions have the biggest player bases and the most money – but it doesn't translate into easy success because of the diversity of their domestic leagues. It can have an impact, which you can see in the women's Six Nations, where England and France are entirely dominant over their amateur counterparts."
When the playing field is more level, however, those things don't give you the edge. "The long and medium-cohesion that teams like Ireland, New Zealand and Wales have gives them an advantage in the early stages of a tournament. As the tournament progresses, however, the short-term cohesion factor comes into play, allowing England and France to catch up and – on occasion – pull away."
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