You are receiving this email as a part of your membership of Better Rugby Coaching. To ensure future editions of this newsletter aren't accidentally caught by your spam-filter, please add dan@rugby-coach.com to your email address book.
Dear {sForename},
Many coaches tell me they wish they had more time – more time to develop players, more time to run through team plays, more time to think about and plan their season.
Given the limitations of time, most coaches wisely focus on making the most of what they've got. They simplify the game for their players as much as they can, and train and play to the team's strengths wherever possible.
This doesn't have to be repetitive or boring, of course. In fact, playing to the team's strengths can provide even the most inexperienced coach and players with great opportunities to be innovative, both in training and with the match day tactics.
And there is no better feeling than when a clever plan works. Finding that cutting edge through careful preparation is one of the joys of coaching.
Yours in rugby,
Dan Cottrell, Editor
Your free weekly rugby coaching tips and advice newsletter
Customer Service: dan@rugby-coach.com
* In This Issue *
TACTICS: Never Say Never In Your 22
ADVERTISEMENT: Rugby Attack! Is Out Now
COACHING: The Innovative Coach
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTATION: Michael Phelps
ADVERTISEMENT: Everything You Need to Know for Coaching Rugby
Never Say Never In Your Own 22
Innovation in the way your team plays can be held back by one crucial factor – you. Look at the picture below and imagine getting quick ball for your backline. Against which defensive backline would you prefer to run the ball?
The biggest gaps are in the top picture (A). The defence wingers are standing back waiting for a kick, with the full back sitting in behind the centres, about 30 metres away. Your best option here would seem to be to run at the defence.
Faced with a flat line of defenders, as in the bottom picture (B), your most likely option would seem to be to kick.
But think about where are you most likely to see these two types of backline. In picture (A), your opponent's backline will probably be lining up in YOUR 22m area. In the picture (B), they're more likely to be lining up in THEIR 22m area. In other words, with their wingers and full back in the backfield when you want to kick, and with a flat backline when you want to run.
But why not try to run the ball in your own 22?
First, with a quick miss pass to your outside centre, who holds his opposite number, and then feeds your full back. This should create a two-on-one in your team's favour and yet retain your option to kick if things go wrong.
To pull off a move like this your team needs to have good core skills, particularly passing and running. Develop these, though, and there'll be obvious benefits throughout your game. As such, innovation gives you and your team more than just one tactic – it gives you access to a wide range of other opportunities.
The Innovative Coach
John Schropfer, the Welsh Rugby Union Regional Community Manager, challenges the way you think about the game.
Innovative rugby coaching can motivate, excite and, with good execution, make your team more successful. It can also improve skill levels. Put into practice, innovative coaching can liberate your team's playing style, whilst inhibiting opposition defences. But innovative coaching methods and plays need to be applied appropriately.
Be open minded
Accept the unacceptable. Is your team prepared to perform the same moves in your half as it would in the opposition's half? Can your team line up in completely different ways in the backline, no matter what the weather conditions?
Tighten up your players' skills
The individual skills list is long and each element can always be improved. But if skills have not been honed, innovation will grind your team to a halt. Knowing what you can and can't do may simply be a case of trying it out in training.
Be ready to reject any ideas that your players struggle with now, but look at the reasons for this. You can then go back to the training park, work on the weaknesses, and return to these innovative ideas at a later time. What might not work this week, may be honed in three months' time.
Individual skills for innovative teams
- Evasive running – side steps, swerves, changes of pace.
- Passing and receiving – quick, efficient and accurate.
- Correct decision making – tactically aware and able to react quickly.
- Support – players move to be able to receive a pass or support the ball carrier in contact.
- Contact skills – ball into contact, offloading, mauling and rucking.
- Defensive – organised and able to tackle in a number of different ways, and then compete for the ball on the ground.
- Pace, power and fitness – well conditioned for the type of game you want to play.
|
Tactics and Techniques
Give your players the technical and tactical tools in equal measure, because one without the other will not lead to good execution. Technically a player should have a range of skills available. You can hone these on the training pitch, but players also need to learn where and when to use the skills.
As a coach, you can empower your players to make tactical decisions. Give them lots of drills and moves, and let them play them. Mistakes and successes will soon enable your players to understand what works for them.
This self-discovery can be innovative in itself, and your players may find solutions you had not thought about yourself. A good coach can then reinforce all the positive outcomes and deal with the negative ones.
* Inspirational Quotation *
"You can't put a limit on anything.
The more you dream, the farther you get."
Michael Phelps, American swimmer with a record eight
Olympic medals, from Athens in 2004, (born 1985)
|
