The first time I met Pat Lam was nothing special.
I was a lowly intern on my first day in the administration department of Connacht Rugby. It was my first job out of college, and I had to move out of home for the first time to Galway. I would barely say boo to a child.
Pat comes strolling into the office with the media relations officer, clearly up to his eyes with work - Connacht would play Toulouse in France the following weekend. Someone said "Pat, have you met our latest recruit - Conor?", and he said hello but it clearly wasn't the time to chat. I was still dumbstruck at meeting a legend of the game - even if my knowledge of Lam before Connacht Rugby was that he had struggled with a talented team with the Auckland Blues.
But the second time I met Pat Lam has always stuck with me.
Pat came up to me and apologised for being so brief with me. He had remembered my name, despite the previous interaction lasting merely ten seconds. It was a gesture that defines Pat Lam, and what he has brought to Connacht Rugby. Then he showed me the famed five county handshake.
What you see in the media of Lam is exactly how he is. Some public figures take on personas, Pat doesn't know how to be anything but himself. He's an incredibly enthusiastic and passionate man.
He failed in Auckland despite having the likes of Ma'a Nonu, Kevan Mealamu, Rene Ranger, and Piri Weepu. The Blues had one playoff appearance under Lam before collapsing in 2012. They only won four games the whole season, with two of them coming in the last two weeks. Lam was effectively forced out of his job by the end. He was told that they were going to look for his replacement while he was still under contract and coaching mid-season and that he could re-apply for the job. Under that blatant disrespect from the Blues, Lam always maintained his dignity.
It's no wonder his appointment as Connacht head coach was met with such suspicion. George Hook branded him an average coach in his first season in charge, while Neil Francis said this in February 2013:
Pat Lam was a disaster in Auckland and will be a disaster in Connacht. There is no question that Eddie was the best coach who wanted the job.
So how did Lam change their mind? What happened in Auckland, and what did he do to fix it in Connacht?
Because the two things are intrinsically linked. The Blues failed because Lam couldn't mesh the different cultures of the islanders, the Aucklanders, and the the players from the rest of New Zealand.
That's why Lam is so big on culture. That's why he got his players to carry a rugby ball everywhere with them. Why there was the five county handshake, the speaking Irish to each other. The behind the scenes work on each person as an individual, helping them gain confidence in themselves.
It's not a gimmick from Lam, and it's clear that the players have bought in. They bought into taking training to Creggs in Roscommon, or Sligo, or Carrick in Leitrim.
So while Pat brought in Dave Ellis and Andre Bell to work on skills, he was building a wonderful culture in Galway. It wasn't always smooth sailing - tempers flaired at times, and team video meetings ran long. And it wasn't just the players. There's unity among the staff too. Whether it's the 5 km runs on matchdays, or the office fantasy leagues - yes, Pat Lam is very good at fantasy sports - people were bought over into his thinking.
But in doing so, Lam proved everyone wrong, turning Francis' jibe into this "It is hard to quantify just how good a coach Pat Lam is."
Lam came to Connacht with a vision, one that a lot of people thought was pie in the sky stuff. Now that he's achieved it, and is looking to build on it. Maybe we should all get behind him.
It's all about the process.
See Also: Watch: Pat Lam Further Captures The Hearts Of A Nation With Post-Match Cúpla Focail
