Since every top team is a technical and tactical expert, Commens argues the real edge is the bond between coach and players. He recalls trading counter-strategies with Mark Hager’s New Zealand, each new plan cancelled by the next, and points instead to Shane McLeod’s hours of one-on-one meetings learning each Red Lion’s why. That work drained Commens as a coach, yet he now rates it the most important thing to develop. Watch the full masterclass: Common themes of top teams.
