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Forum Member
 
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| Now that we are approximately half way through the season, as a coach of an under 12 club side, my thoughts are already turning toward next season. What have other coaches concentrated on, to develop their team in order to be able to play 15 a side rugby on a full side pitch? Is it fitness/ forwards pod system/ defensive strategies to hide the weaker/or slower defenders/ scrummage/ lineouts inc. hooker throwing in over 5m/ attacking back play. There is so much to cover. I have organised 15 a side games for later this season, against teams where we have had good 13 a side games against. Is there anything else I could do
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Supreme Being
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kronfeld7 (19/01/2009)
Now that we are approximately half way through the season, as a coach of an under 12 club side, my thoughts are already turning toward next season.
What have other coaches concentrated on, to develop their team in order to be able to play 15 a side rugby on a full side pitch?
Is it fitness/ forwards pod system/ defensive strategies to hide the weaker/or slower defenders/ scrummage/ lineouts inc. hooker throwing in over 5m/ attacking back play. There is so much to cover.
I have organised 15 a side games for later this season, against teams where we have had good 13 a side games against.
Is there anything else I could do
Kronfeld - are you in England? And of so a school?
If not any u12 15 a side game would invalidate (probably) your RFU insurances.
That aside...
Most sides seem to concentrate on fitness for their lads. That is probably fair enough but be aware lots of fitness may see your training numbers dwindle. Fitness drills for fitness can be pretty unmotivating - maybe try to get the fitness through lots of other skils based excercises (CV work is after all a case of continually working at aerobic levels ... it doesn;t have to be continual laps of a pitch etc ;-).
From what I've seen stuff like backline attack patterns and defense alignmnemnt can work wonders - there is a LOT of wide space at u13 as defences at lineouts (say) rarely spread wider than the nearest goal post exhoing the fact that 12 year olds cannot pass very far and so the entire attacking backline is no wider. This isn't so you can rack up cricket scores (or prevent them) but to prmote the understanding of what the space MEANS. They 9and your oppostion) will still find acres of space to run around in!
Kicking - kicking has definite uses in the step up - but its again a case of using the space. Aimless kicking will do nothing now except present the oppo with the ball in a LOT of space. So if kicking is to be folklowed, then pertinent kicking and a CHASE plan are important.
Forward play isn't that much different from at u12 (but see lineouts) ... I personally would avoid "pod systems" (with any age group inc. seniors) becaue IME they just don;t work ... UNTIL ALL the forwards are fit enough and game awre enough to use them.
Better that ALL forwards understand enough to know WHEN to join a ruck/maul and when to move to a seoncdary support position elsewhere ready for the next phase. Pod systems will just end up eventually with pods of one or two as the unfit(ter) players drop out of their roles, or gets dropped as a matter of course during a game as the same players end up doing all the work irrespective of pod... as that's the only way any support can be provided.
Lineout - yes, 5m throwing needs to be developed. But that's not a great deal IMO. It IS a time to start making your lineout work though ... you now have a lot more space to operate in ... but bear in mind a 12 year old probably can;t throw (let aloine accurately) 15 metres so long back throws are probably unrealistic. You CAN start working on using the space in the 5-10m area maybe - all assuming your jumpers can JUMP of course whiuch will still be your biggest ball winner.
Game on :-)
didds
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Supreme Being
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| I would agree with all the Didds says here. Having watched my eldest son move up to "kicking" and "full pitch" rugby this season, there is a lot of aimless kicking and plenty of players struggling with fitness. I think the coaches love fitness sessions, and the players hate them. Games on large pitches would be better. Another problem with larger pitches: The big fast 'un running around the edges of the defence and becoming greedy. Against these teams, your side will need to develop some idea of a drift defence. That would be my only "system". Otherwise teams that master the skills of angled running, accurate passing, good ball presentation in the contact area, lower to high through and beyond the contact area and clean passing from the base of the scrum/ruck will prosper in the long run. I think that you should see the U13 year as a year of discovery. Don't write it off, but be prepared to let the players make mistakes and find themselves. The next four years turn props into wingers, fly halves into hookers and centres into flankers. Last night I was at the Osprey Academy, working with the boys who hope to play U18 and U16s next year. The U18s were players from this year's U16, players young enough from this year's U18 and players who missed out this season. It was interesting to see this last group in particular. The changes in body shapes are startling. The changes from U12 to U16 are more so...as they like to say on these "Dancing on Ice/Strictly Come Dancing" etc programmes, you are on a journey.
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Supreme Being
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| The biggest challenge to us moving up to the full size pitch last year was the width. In our area, it was the team that learned to use the width that thrashed everyone else for the first part of the season. Fast, accurate longer passing is something we work on continually as there is always room to improve. Also taking the ball at pace to make the best of the space. And the drift defence ... and tackling. With more space there is less likely to be someone else there to make the tackle if you miss it. We constantly work on this, emphasising the need to "make your tackle". Fitness is a factor but I agree, pure fitness sessions are a big turn off for many young players, or at least the ones who need them. Another thing we found early on was that some smaller boys got disoriented and lacked a sense of where they were on the pitch, leading to some odd tactical decisions! Better awareness of pitch markings and flags/post etc may be needed. I would try to play a couple of 'friendly' games (yes these are still possible at U12!), with 13-a-side if necessary, on a full size pitch to give them an idea of what is involved. Good luck - I would say you are about to enter a very exciting and fulfilling stage with your team. Cheers Ferret
Cheers - Ferret
U16s Backs Coach "There is a forgotten, nay almost forbidden word, which means more to me than any other. That word is England" (Sir Winston Churchill)
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