Omar Mouneimne beefs up Exeter Chiefs defence

By Mark Stevens

In a rugby world where there is plenty of chatter around different aspects of attack, Omar Mouneimne is happy to state his case for the defence.

The South African has spent years perfecting his art, developing various ideologies and strategies to thwart the sharpest attacking minds at both international and club level.

It’s been quite the journey for the former mixed martial arts fighter, but it’s one which remains as vibrant now as it did when he took up his coaching career way back in 2006.

Having begun his career in his homeland, Mouneimne’s exploits have taken him to various rugby outputs in Italy, Scotland, France and, for the past nine years, in England, where he is currently part of Rob Baxter’s coaching staff at Exeter after earlier spells with Worcester and Bristol.

Working alongside some of the biggest players and coaches in the game, Mouneimne’s knowledge and skill-set of his trade is impressive.

At the same time, his enthusiasm to demonstrate his craft to those around him in an ever-changing landscape is simply infectious.

Knowhow: Omar Mouneimne is part of the coaching staff at Exeter Chiefs

How times have changed

“When I started back in 2006 to where we are now, you can’t even compare it,” he says.

“It’s like an iPhone versus an old Motorola – it’s night and day.

“Back when I started, guys attacked and if they got past three phases, maintained shape, it was like a miracle. Now, everyone – both forwards and backs – have picked up that ability to run good shape, have good timing and have that fluidity.

“The continuity that sides play with is really good. Guys will get offloads away, they’ll be patient, they’ll play in behind you, so it’s crazy, but it’s also very exciting.”

Mouneimne relishes the task of trying to plot the downfall of rivals from across England and Europe, all of whom have certain rugby principles in terms of their attack, but all of whom have varying ideas of outsmarting their opposition.

Evolution of Defence

“People ask me what is the next evolution of defence, I would say it’s about creating special teams within a team,” adds Mouneimne.

“In other words, props, locks, loose forwards or backs, doing specialist defensive skills and studying separate parts of the game that pertain just to them. That way they can handle their part of the defence with precision speciality.

“Supreme analysis is key, whereby players become students of the game and students of defence, buying them more time in a game because their anticipation of what they are going to do in the game is so good. Just look at the Springboks and why they are so dangerous, Rassie Erasmus is a massive exponent of deep study of the opposition.

“If I know the opposition like I’ve given birth to them, if I know in this set up this is the play they covered the most or in this set up they are going to go wide or do this dummy move to the front, if you have that time to do that analysis, you will be that one step ahead. For me, that’s the future of defence – to shut it down sooner because you are that one step ahead.”

Adapting Mentality

It’s an ever-changing world for all defence coaches, as Mouneimne explains: “The biggest difference between myself now and when I started out coaching is that I am now more philosophical about conceding tries.

“I used to take it really badly, but if you look at the way modern attack comes at us now, a good day at the office is conceding three or less. The old days, the best teams conceded one to two or less and the best of the best conceded barely one.

“Conceding barely one all the time is very tough. With the way sides attack now, you’re going to concede three more often than you like. Excitement comes in trying to find new and innovative ways to defend, going to the laboratory and thinking ‘what’s going on here for us’ and ‘how are we going to handle this?’

“The Premiership is tough, it’s competitive and someone along the line is going to take more points than they want to because it’s abrasive, organised and emotions vary.”

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