ZimBr Official Offsite
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.


Official Blackout Rugby Zimbabwe Offsite
 
HomeGallerySearchLatest imagesRegisterLog inBlackout Rugby

 

 Interview: Magicoctopus

Go down 
4 posters
AuthorMessage
richardturner
Senior Member
Senior Member



Posts : 58
Points : 70
Reputation : 0
Join date : 2011-04-12
Age : 30
Location : Berkshire
Team Name : Crowthorne Union of New Tea Soup

Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus EmptyThu May 03, 2012 6:08 am

The other night I went scouting for potential signings at the AbcdeFC Stadium in the Mashonaland East province, the new u20 potential Zivorashe Van Vuuren failed to impress with not scoring a single point in the 99 point thriller. After the match I caught up with Magicoctopus to grab a quick interview for the Zimbabwe Post.
1. Please introduce yourself.
I love that sentence, I always feel like I should be standing up in an AA or self help meeting, explaining how I love drinking when taking long walks on the beach. Any who, well my name is magicoctopus aka Magic, Kohls03 and to one person…Mr. Octopus. I got the name from the Irish offsite when I started doing some journo work. It wasn’t much, I only covered the cup run getting my predictions from Pablo my magic octopus…I like to think it was a success.

2. What made you choose a move to Zimbabwe and how are you finding the experience so far?
There were a number of combinations for the move. I was getting tired of playing the relegation play-offs season after season, I couldn’t see any real progression for my club. I wasn’t training any U20’s and I really wanted to be a part of training those little tykes. So with the news of other Irish managers leaving (like Wexford, Keogh, Clamps and seanand) I decided that now was time for a move. So began the search for a new country…I was looking for a community that was very active and had a bit of banter about it, which I feel Zim has in spades. Mark and seanand were also contributers for the move...Mark for being just a sound bloke and seanand, who didn’t hound me enough (I keed, I keed) and helped the move become a reality…thanks sean! It was nice to see a couple of Irish here already. As for how I am finding it so far? Absolutely brilliant! Zim has a quality community and I’m glad to be a part of it. I’m top of the table and training U20’s…what more could I ask for?

3. What are your clubs ambitions for this season?
I don’t expect anything less than winning the league. In the national cup I wanted to get to round 5 or 6 but I have drawn Mbax in the fourth round so I doubt I will be going any further. As for the Global Challenge Cup (GCC), I aim to at least reach the quarters of the cup and with my national cup run looking to come to an abrupt end, maybe I could even win it. Now for the SZC I don’t know really what to expect, competition is so fierce…I guess that’s what makes his competition so great. Last but not least I hope to bring my trainees up to 40k csr…ambitious, but I have to aim high.

4. If you could start your club over again what things would you do differently, or would you play it the same?
I would 100% play it differently. When I started I spent all my money in bidding wars on U20 prospect 17 year olds…took me a while to figure out that attack training didn’t cover agility, handling and speed (and that’s just embarrassing). Well I’m mentoring my cousin now (plays in Ireland by the name of skeeks). I would do what I have been telling him…buy a young squad and get your facilities up and running and start training players on 10 sessions asap.

5. Please tell us who your favourite player from your team is and why?
It has to be Nathan Heslin. He was an academy player of mine and is now my best player. He was the first guy I trained properly (I mean not just on 4x att, 4x def and 2x kicking). Whenever a try saving tackle is made, Heslins’ there. Whenever a crucial line break is made, it’s because of Heslin. Whenever a winning kick needs to be kicked, yep you guessed it, Heslins there to cock it up because his form has dropped!!

6. Who are your team’s biggest rivals?
I have 2 friendly rivalries. Fatmans boys (Chiredzi Hippos) and seanands Newcastle West. Fatman gave me a nice Zim welcome by thumping me by 40 points, so I have made it my mission to get one over him in the future…you could say he’s my matt to my mark. As for seanand, we are provincial rivals back in Ireland (east V west) and I guess this carries over into Zim too as my team is based in Mashonaland East and his team being from Mashonaland West.

7. Why did you name your team Little Lion Men?
Ah it was a joke amongst my college friends and we had named our college football (soccer for you Americans) team that…I also found it apt, seeing as I was moving to Africa. That said I am still pursuing a dream of genetically engineering a cross breed of lions and men…just don’t touch their poo, it can make you go blind (Sshhhhh).

8. What would you consider to be the best moment or achievement for your team so far?
Hands down it was finishing 3rd in my league prior to embarking on Zimbabwe. It was nice leaving that league with some silverware after 3 seasons of nothing. In the future my biggest achievement will be having trained a player to represent the Zim U20’s.

9. Do you support a particular team in RL or indeed play for one?
I do. Irish by birth, Leinster by the grace of BOD. I do play nowadays but several injuries and concussions has lead me to play more social rugby. I used to play for Old Belvedere where I played mostly J1 standard but had a couple of games for the firsts on the wing, but the doctor told me to quit competitive rugby to avoid serious injury to my noggin.

10. What are your favourite Band/ Song of all time and/or currently?
Easy…Mumford & Sons-Little Lion Men…it resonates round stadium as my players run out onto the field.

11. And the one question anyone actually cares for; If you were an animal what one would you be and why?
Probably the crazy nastyass honey badger…because the honey badgers don’t care and I love smacking the shit out of snakes.

12. Is there anything else you would like to add?
I’m loving the sunny weather and earlier game starts already, but can you do something about the Zimbabwe cricket team hanging around street corners? Those hoodlums are starting to scare me; surely they have something better to do like playing…..rugby?

Thanks Magic for that it really is a good read, what really interested me was how naive we can all be when we first start out a new game, I mean come on there’s an option for agility training Very Happy
Back to top Go down
magicoctopus
Senior Member
Senior Member
magicoctopus


Posts : 92
Points : 109
Reputation : 1
Join date : 2012-02-29
Age : 36
Location : Dublin
Team Name : Little Lion Men

Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Re: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus EmptyThu May 03, 2012 9:46 am

I should add that I will probably not reach the quaters of the GCC and will definitely not win it, but might win the trophy below that. Also congrats to Mbax in his win over me last week in the national cup...it was close tho Very Happy
Back to top Go down
fatman
Veteran
Veteran



Posts : 498
Points : 583
Reputation : 10
Join date : 2011-03-29
Age : 54
Location : Aberystwyth, Wales
Team Name : Chiredzi Hippos

Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Re: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus EmptyThu May 03, 2012 8:34 pm

Great read magic!

Now i'm hoping we meet in the knockout stages of the GCC, to continue our friendly rivalry Smile
Back to top Go down
magicoctopus
Senior Member
Senior Member
magicoctopus


Posts : 92
Points : 109
Reputation : 1
Join date : 2012-02-29
Age : 36
Location : Dublin
Team Name : Little Lion Men

Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Re: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus EmptyFri May 04, 2012 3:01 am

I would love to meet you in the GCC but SH is going to finish top an the guy im going to play in the top 16 is far superior in CSR...so looks like ill be in the cup lower than that...hope that you or SH brings that cup to Zim
Back to top Go down
Keogh
Veteran
Veteran
Keogh


Posts : 204
Points : 302
Reputation : 0
Join date : 2012-04-02

Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Re: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus EmptySat May 05, 2012 8:49 am

Great to have you & your 8 tentacles here, buddy!
Back to top Go down
Sponsored content





Interview: Magicoctopus Empty
PostSubject: Re: Interview: Magicoctopus   Interview: Magicoctopus Empty

Back to top Go down
 
Interview: Magicoctopus
Back to top 
Page 1 of 1
 Similar topics
-
» interview: Keogh
» Interview: Theseanand
» Interview: spotthedog
» Interview: TomasPp
» NT Manager interview

Permissions in this forum:You cannot reply to topics in this forum
ZimBr Official Offsite :: BR Zimbabwe News :: BRZimNews-
Jump to: