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Concordia Winter 2024

The inspirational Nigel Smith

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Loughborough, focusing on the development of individual skills through demonstrations and games while improving fitness. OMT rugby was thriving, but the school’s fixture list was proving too challenging so it was reorganised to create a gentler start to the season and allow teams to gel. There were coaching sessions for the SCR and Derek Herriott (1950–1953), an OMT and first-class referee, was employed to shed light on the darker recesses of the law book. For many, John’s greatest innovation was the pre season trip to Malvern, which led to the infamous Malvern waddle after a week of long runs and hill sprints. Everyone who attended those weeks will have their own story: the three-course lunches with their inevitable impact on afternoon sessions; and such legends as Rob Morris and Paul Overton showing their talent — or lack of it. The trips did much to bond the senior squads together and a place on a trip was sought after: John was creating a buzz around the sport. Nigel Smith (1975–1980) remembers those trips as very tough but that no-one complained as the team would ‘run through brick walls for John’. I asked John about the players who left a lasting impression. Richard Brooman (1966–1974) was the first to win a Blue during his time (two in fact) and Bob Marsden (1972–1978) was unlucky to be on the bench for rugby (he more than made up for this with a Blue in cricket). Alex Cadwallader (1994–1999) went on to play for Newport and London Welsh, and Robin Laidlaw (1971–1976) was the best scrum half John worked with. Then there was Nigel Smith (1975–1980), described by John as ‘awesome’. The 1979–80 season was probably the greatest during John’s time as First XV coach, despite a disastrous Malvern trip that had seen a pre season thumping by King’s Worcester. Under Smith’s inspirational leadership, the side won 11 of its fixtures and were beaten only by (whisper

it) Haberdashers’ and St Paul’s. Smith went on to write affectionately that ‘The Boss’ had suggested the team would be lucky to win three, and that that produced a team spirit determined to prove him wrong. The relationship between Smith and Pallant was interesting. JNP caught his First XV captain with a bag of alcohol on a CCF training exercise and felt duty bound to report him to the Head for suitable punishment, but not before lending him a magazine to protect him from the cane. Smith then reported back to JNP so that they could pick the First XV for Saturday’s match. level. Trips to Europe were a regular feature and, again, will have created lasting memories for those who took part. I was lucky to accompany John on several of them: the 1988 Barcelona trip was memorable for the hotel view on to Las Ramblas and the exotic activities opposite; and no-one who went to Canada in 1992 will forget the matches on the plains and the wonderful hospitality of our hosts with whom the boys were billeted. John initiated the era of personalised The side played two matches on tour to Scotland at half term and John took touring to a new