Rugby has changed. It has evolved. Take a look at some of the games in the 70s, 80s and early to mid-90s. They were a bit of a mess, weren’t they? There was little structure (not like nowadays, anyway) and it was more of a scrap than a clinical exhibition. Yes, there were some spectacular tries, but they occurred because defence players relied more on defence than on drilled-in patterns and meticulous examination of the opposition’s attacking game. Those days are over and defence coaches like Jean Tiedt of the North-West University (NWU) are revolutionising the modern game.

Tiedt was part of the core coaching group that helped the NWU Eagles to claim the university’s second Varsity Cup crown. He was also one of the coaches of the team that won the 2016 competition. Tiedt’s commitment to defence is the stuff of legend. The number of notes he makes during a game must be seen to be believed, and his analyses of the opposition’s gameplan boggle the mind.

After the Eagles’ 19-10 semi-final win against Maties at the Fanie du Toit Sports Grounds in Potchefstroom, head coach Burger van der Westhuizen walked up the main stands and remarked: “I don’t know how Jean did that.” The Eagles defended like Spartans at the Battle of Thermopylae.

During the 2023 Varsity Cup competition, the Eagles conceded the least number of tries by far, and led the competition in a number of defensive stats. The Eagles protected their try line with demented resolve, but the precision of their execution was also one of the hallmarks of their campaign.

On a sprightly Thursday morning, just a month after the Eagles’ stunning 27-25 win in the final on their home soil, Tiedt is at a local coffee shop and is again congratulated on their historic win. He smiles with gratitude, humbly accepting the compliment from a local supporter.

“I think the 2016 win brought more joy – this last win brought more relief. We ended at the top of the log and had the home-field advantage, and that put a lot of pressure on the coaches. It remains a wonderful feeling, but it was also a big relief. In 2016 we were not supposed to win against Maties in their backyard, so that was a completely different feeling,” says Tiedt, while sipping on a flat white latte.

“The guys defended so well during the competition. We did not concede one line break from a kick-off, no tries from scrums. I have been working with some of these players for three or four years, so 90% of them knew exactly what their roles were. I just had to remind them.”

According to Tiedt, the Eagles’ fourth game of the tournament against Tukkies proved to be perhaps their most vital win. The previous week, the Eagles suffered their first and only loss of the competition when they succumbed 28-31 to Maties. Perennial champions and finalists Tukkies had lost three games on the trot and were looking to get their campaign back on track.

“The game against Tukkies in Pretoria was so important. We played a lot better than we did against Maties, but our discipline was poor. We knew that Tukkies was going to do everything in their power to win, but we pulled it through.”

Tiedt is also full of praise for how the coaching team functioned as a unit: “Burger gave us the freedom we needed. He asked a lot of questions, but never interfered with our tasks. He gave us his backing. Chaka (forwards coach Chaka Willemse) and I have been working together for a while now, and there is a lot of interaction between our disciplines. We have a great working relationship. Bert (Moolman, conditioning coach) ensured that our players were functioning at optimal levels and that was fantastic to see.”

When the sun rose on the morning of Tuesday, 18 April, the trio of Van der Westhuizen, Tiedt and Willemse sat on a couch in the middle of the Fanie. A new day broke, there were new challenges that lay ahead and new opportunities beckoned. Tiedt greeted his fellow coaches, took the Varsity Cup trophy and headed home. He shared his delight with his wife, young son and daughter and together they revelled in holding the Varsity Cup’s most sought-after prize. Then, he took his children to school.

For this perfectionist, this workhorse, it was back to business. Back to barricading the try line.

Jean Tiedt (middle) with some of the NWU’s Rugby Institute brain trust and the Varsity Cup trophy.

Jean Tiedt (left) with former NWU star Lucian Cupido and Burger van der Westhuizen.