Reflections: Small Players Tackle, Big Players Run

One sentence can tell the truth about a team: small players want to tackle and big players want to run. We took that line apart and found the blueprint for a culture that turns comfort zones into competitive edges and effort into belonging. Across the mic, we share stories from the 10–7 connection, why the jersey’s history pulls more weight than any motivational speech, and how visible acts of courage and generosity become the signals that set standards without shouting.

We dig into three pillars. First, meaning bigger than self: players who feel the weight of the colors, the families on the sideline, and the kids dreaming in the stands make different choices when it hurts. Second, peer accountability: when a small halfback chops a runner or a big forward chases a kick with burning lungs, the group recalibrates to the example and excuses die. Third, team-first thinking: roles flex to meet the moment, with backs hunting collisions and forwards embracing repeat-effort runs because the team needs time, territory, and momentum—not comfort.

We get practical about coaching, too. Connect standards to story every day so effort feels like honor, not rule-following. Celebrate the unseen carries and pressure tackles that buy the next phase. Build training that forces generosity under fatigue, where players rehearse choosing the harder version of their job. The outcome is a locker room where people adjust themselves before anyone calls them out, and where identity is proven by actions you can see from the first whistle to the last ruck.

If this lens helps you lead, share it with a coach or captain who sets the tone. Subscribe for more coaching culture reflections, leave a review to boost the signal, and send us your favorite culture quotes so we can feature them next week.

If you can SUBSCRIBE, RATE, and SHARE the show and series, you would be doing your bit to grow this show. Very appreciated. Ben

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Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome And Quote Setup
• 2:47 Why The Quote Hits Hard
• 4:12 Bigger Than Self: Meaning And Identity
• 6:57 Peer Accountability In Action
• 9:52 Team-First Choices Under Fatigue
• 11:47 Closing Reflections And Invite

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 1:35

Welcome to Coaching Culture Reflections, the midweek spark for anyone who loves leading teams and growing through that journey. I'm Ben Herring and I've been loving this side of the game for bloody ages. Each week I'll break down key components of leadership from culture building to communication, from mindset to motivation, all to help you lead with more impact, heart, and clarity. And level up. Let's get into it. G'day team. Hope everybody's well. Got a wonderful quote which was sent in this week from an old mate of mine called Ian Humphreys in Ulster, Ireland. He uh sent me a text message, actually. He just heard um a culture quote from a coach, and he just thought it was our standing here to share. And it's this a good culture in a rugby team is one where the small players want to tackle and the big players want to run. And I just thought that was outstanding too. It's a nice sum-up. It's one I haven't heard this whole year of doing the coaching culture podcast. I haven't heard that sort of phrase before. And the idea behind it is that when the smaller players have the courage to be wanting to make tackles, and the big players are wanting and have a work ethic to just run and run and run, everybody is doing things well outside their comfort zones, and they're doing it for the team, the environment, the setting, the culture lends itself to people doing what they wouldn't inherently do. And I just think it's awesome. It's a great concept. And I love playing with Ian Humphreys because he played 10 and I played seven. And I love making all his tackles, and he's lift he'd do this beautiful job of just leaving the first five to run so I could get a great chop tackle. And if he's listening to this, he might have a chuckle at that. But it does highlight a couple of things I just want to dive into a little bit, and it's kind of around some of some concepts around it. And I've got three concepts which I take out of that quote around culture, and I just want to expand a little bit and reflect on a couple of those. That one, there's something bigger than self in that quote. Two, there's peer accountability in that quote. And three, there's a team first mentality around that quote, too. So I'm going to start with number one, something bigger than self. And a good culture in a rugby team is one where the small players want to tackle and the big players want to run. Now, why would a smaller player want to tackle and why would a bigger player want to like run lots? And the simple answer is the meaning. They're not only playing for their own comfort or reputation, they're actually playing for something bigger than themselves. In great teams, the jersey carries weight, as we know. It's there's history. It's the mates who you train with in the rain, it's the families who show up on a Saturday, it's the kids watching who dream of wearing those same colours. When the players feel that, they start to judge their choices differently. The question becomes what does this moment say about who we are? Now, a smaller player that steps up into making big tackle is not trying to prove that they're fearless. They are saying, I'll protect our line. I will not leave a teammate alone in a hard spot. That is loyalty made physical. Ooh. And a bigger player choosing to run hard lines over and over again is not trying to chase a stat sheet. They're saying, I'll carry the fatigue for the group. I'll be the engine when others are hurting. And that's generous, made visible. Ooh. Now, this sort of bigger purpose creates that sort of energy in a team. Um, and it's bigger than like individual goals, you know, because you're doing it for each other. You're doing it for something bigger than just you. And if you're doing it for other reasons, sometimes the motivation dip when you're tired or injured or whatever. But when the reason is the team's story, you know, that kind of energy, that fuel there lasts longer. You know, you're prepared to suffer a little bit longer because there's the cause you believe in. And that quote shows that the identity of a team is shared. Okay, it's not split up into backs and forwards, big and small. The environment is telling every player that effort is part of belonging. If you want to be here, you do the hard work. And when you see that in your group, whoo, that's powerful. I think for coaches, you can actually strengthen this by every day or every session connecting those standards to the wider mission. Why do we chase the hard thing in training? You know, because we respect Jersey. Why do we tackle with intent? Because our mates deserve protection. Why do we run with urgency and and keep doing it? You know, because the people that support us want us to be doing our best. And when you keep that link, that connection really consistent, you know, the players don't see standards as rules. They they start seeing them as an honor to each other and something bigger than self. Number two is this concept of peer accountability. And I think we all know, and I'll just read that quote again. A good cult in rugby is one where small players want to tackle and big players want to run. And when I mean running, I mean doing the work, you know, doing the hard running, the fitness running. And we we kind of know, I think generally speaking, as all coaches, that when it's peer accountability, when you're accountable to your mates and the people you play with, not just the coaches, that's a way more stronger driver than being accountable to the coach. Because there's a whole lot of you for starters, and they're your mates, and you don't really want to let your mates down. So for the small guys that want to tackle and the big guys that want around, there must be an unspoken standard that's inside the group. When you see the the little guys, you know, diving into tackles and the big guys running hard for fitness, the standards there aren't enforced by fear, which is sometimes what we as coaches do. It's enforced by pride and the quiet pressure of mates who don't want you to let the bar drop. And that's that peer accountability. Um, so think about what happens when one small player throws himself into a tackle on a much bigger opponent. Yeah, the rest of the team see that, and the message is real clear. If he can do that, we can all do our jobs. And in that moment, that sort of effort becomes normal. It becomes expected, and the group is held together by that example and not just a speech from the coach. And and and you can always flip that. You know, imagine a big Ford who just keeps running hard, chasing kicks, even when his lungs are like burning. This is a real culture signal too. That player is saying, I'm not too important for the ugly work. You know, if the biggest body is willing to work like that, the rest of the team has no excuse to conserve energy. And that is pair accountability at its very best. And I just think it's a really good one just to remember as coaches, that's not just, you know, confrontation as a coach that drives standards. There's this, you know, this underlying thing when you look at your teammate beside you and you adjust your behavior before anyone has to call you out. That's the environment that peer accountability driving culture. And I think those two references of the big guys running and the small guys making tackle is just the reference point and the visibility of a good culture in action. And thirdly, is the team first philosophy. Good culture in rugby is one where the small players want to tackle and the big players want to run. Now, in a team first philosophy, it sort of says in that one line, it shows that a team is is not about comfort zones. That the small guys are not hiding behind the idea that it's that tackling is someone else's problem. They want the tackle. The big guys are not hiding their fitness behind the idea that they're powerful enough and their power will get them through. They want to run, they want to do their part for the team. And both groups are choosing the harder version of their role because the team needs it. And that's a team first uh philosophy in action. It's you know, when what it's that habit of asking, what does the team need from me right now? And sometimes that answer is the thing you least want to do. Yeah, a smaller player knows when a bigger runner is coming at speed that their body is not built for that collision. You know that. But the line must be held, man. And a bigger Ford knows that the next three carries they're gonna have to do is gonna absolutely wreck their lungs. The body wants them just take it easy, but the defensive tide and the space must be won, so they've got to go. And team first concepts is not just about everyone doing the same job. In fact, it's not doing the same job, it's about everyone doing the job that helps the team with the next moment. When the small guys want to tackle, they are giving the team time, field position, all that stuff. When the big guys want to run, they're giving the team, you know, momentum. And, you know, the the impact that has on the whole team when you see people doing the things they're probably not designed to do, just sparks so much good stuff. And that's that is my little reflection for this week. Building on the phrase, the quote that Ian Humphrey sent in, all the way from Ulster in Ireland. A good culture is a rugby team where one is where the small players want to tackle and the big players want to run. And you can see that. And that's just two examples. There's probably a whole lot more you could add to that, but that just cuts through. And I thought it was absolutely lovely. If you have quotes or aspects of culture that you think are just absolutely gold, little tidbits that we can bring back on this reflection piece for the benefit of the whole community that is listening into this, please send them in. LinkedIn or on the show notes, your fan mail, on the newsletter, email, whatever way you want touch base with me, do that. What a pleasure to chat to you today. I will see you next week.