In a way, the former fly-half from the Rhymney Valley has been on the journey to becoming a coach since he first picked up a rugby ball with the Penallta minis. He came through the Gwent pathway before arriving at the club that would define him as a rugby man – that despite some famous performances along the way for Cardiff Blues, amongst others.
“Pontrypridd was me,” is how he sums up his affinity to the iconic club. “All the core values the club has, I still carry them with me today. I liked to play with ball in hand, but I also recognise that the game does start up front.”
He’s been fortunate to work with some top-class coaches over the years. “Coming through, I started off with Dai Young and Rob Howley, then working with Paul John at Ponty was very good. I moved to Ospreys and saw a different style with Scott Johnson. You try to take the best bits from each coach and mould them to what you believe in.”
Far from transitioning directly from playing to coaching, Flanagan first gained valuable (and eye-opening) experience in the world of education. “I was the first school rugby officer when Newport High trialled it,” he explains. “There was a teaching side to it, which was a massive learning curve for me. It’s something I’d advise most professional players to try: get a proper job once you’ve finished playing the game, because it’s a different world!”
Helping a group of 25 academy players – which in his time at the school included Leon Brown and current Wales U20 players Max Williams, Chris Coleman and Joe Goodchild – to balance schoolwork and rugby was, unsurprisingly, a big job. “I worked closely with the headmistress, Karyn Keane, and the deputy head, Nathan Jenkins, who were excellent in supporting me and my long-term ambitions. The role really helped me in what I’m now doing.”
When the Scarlets advertised a kicking and skills role with their transitional group, it was too good an opportunity to turn down. It allowed Flanagan to work with the Scarlets’ kicking coach and first team as well. “I haven’t looked back since. It’s been a great move for me from a career point of view, working with Stephen Jones, Byron Hayward, Ioan Cunningham, and Wayne Pivac, who’s an excellent head coach. It’s also improved me as a person, because they’re well-rounded people who understand the work-life balance. I have two young kids and that’s important, and they get that.”
With former Wales U20 head coach Jason Strange joining Cardiff Blues this summer, it meant a space on the coaching staff for the World Rugby U20 Championship. “I’ve watched the tournament every year, but it’s not until you’re in it that you realise how intense it is,” he says. “Working with the best players from across Wales to compete against some of the best teams in the world has been an excellent experience.”
The nature of the competition means there’s little time to catch breath. “Because of the short turnaround, you have to manage players’ workloads. As a coach, you need to make sure you prioritise the things that are going to help these players perform in the next game. It’s intense, but rightly so: it’s a high level of rugby, and players need that challenge.”
As for today’s match against Argentina, he says he’s hoping to see a step up in performance. “I think we all realised we got away with it against Japan, and didn’t play well enough. We don’t want our boys to hold anything back today. We’re in our last two games in the tournament, we’ve got a chance of finishing fifth. We’ve got to go out and express ourselves.”
Wales U20 v Argentina U20 kicks off at 13:00 BST, and will be shown live across S4C’s terrestrial and digital channels.
