Start of the Year

Although we forfeited our initial game of the year and en route collected 2 additional injuries (Robert – busted shoulder – out for the remainder of the season and Simon – leg – out for possibly a couple of weeks), we have got to continue to be positive in our thoughts as well as deeds. It signifies that we as a club have actually come together and every player has to prepare and be willing to play 1st XV rugby.

If you absolutely do NOT intend to be taken into consideration for 1st XV rugby, then kindly let me know RIGHT AWAY.

We’ve snagged Conventry Colts away this upcoming week and they have also lost their first match of the season. So we are the lowest ranking 2 clubs (after the 1st week), so let us get every single one of us out for training on Tuesday and Thursday make some headway with our performance!

Player Assessments

I’m intending to perform some player development assessment for every one of you. This will certainly entail each of you undertaking a questionnaire regarding your recognition of exactly what as well as exactly how you utilize methods on the field of play and also training, generally by chosing a number out of 10. The trainers will also get together and also grade each team player, after that one by one we will contrast the final results. Before doing this, I want to know if you believe that it’s a smart idea and that you would like to do this. Let me get an idea of what you think over the next few weeks please. If nobody mentions anything then I will take it that YOU DO want to do this!!!

Pre-season Training

Pre-Season training begins, in earnest, on Tuesday 15 July. If you don’t really want these sessions to ache alot, then see to it you get some personal fitness training in before this day.

Keep in mind training this period will certainly be on Tuesdays AND Thursdays!

Touch on Tuesdays, entertainment sessions on Saturdays! 🙂

My Key Ideas

These are my 4 key concepts of the game.

1. To start with, we need to have the ball to be able to do anything with it. This entails winning the ball from set pieces – making sure that our lineouts and also our scrums are working efficiently, that we are winning the ball from kick-offs and we are also competing for the ball successfully. These contestable areas consist of scrums and lineouts to a certain extent, and a lot more to rucks, mauls and tackles. It likewise includes maintaining the ball when we have it, with efficient ball retention methods. Moving forward is merely moving to the other side’s goal-line, remembering that the actual objective of the game is winning by racking up points. So things to bear in mind here are just how well we are performing in terms of moving towards the target area.

2. Supporting the ball carrier is similarly critical if we desire advancement. When our player’s advancement is halted, supporting team players are needed to have the ability to take the pass and proceed with the assault. Some queries to ask yourself here are:
are our players providing support for the ball carrier sufficiently?
are they maintaining a deep position?
are they connecting with the ball carrier?
are they making themselves readily available via efficient positioning?

3. Continuity has to do with keeping the assault on. Obviously, efficient support play is necessary for continuity, yet so are running reliable lines; identifying and also utilizing space; as well as reliable ball recycling techniques when a tackle, ruck or maul takes place (which warrants sound body placement into contact and really good ball presentation). So ask yourself if I’m performing these operations properly and whether my team buddies are too? Just what are you going to do about it if they’re not?

4. Sustaining the pressure on the opponent is essential both on attack as well as defence.
On offence, this has to do with attacking clear weaknesses, or striking at weak points whether through mismatches (e.g. backs running at tight forwards) or with making room from the attack by committing defenders.
On defence, pressure is produced by having a reliable and also efficient protective system which most of us understand and also stick to. It’s about making first off tackles. It’s about cutting down our enemy’s time and space on the ball by dependable, pressurising defence. So once more, ask yourself just how well are we sticking to these principles of pressure, on attack and defence.

Rugby is not a game of contact anymore!

Throughout the last couple of weeks throughout training sessions, I’ve been attempting to get you all to think of rugby as a game of dodging NOT one of contact!

We have actually done a couple of sessions making us think of our lines of running, however what is the function of these sessions. Well, the first idea is maneuvering (think about the remarkable try in the Barbarians v the All Blacks match in 1973 at Cardiff), the second is that team players have to carry the ball in 2 HANDS and the third is to attempt and capture the defensive player off balance!

Via the development of the sidestep and also use of footwork, you will certainly create a much better understanding of weight transference, versatility of the ankle joint, using this method to maintain forward motion of the defender and, eventually, you will develop the capacity to transform direction promptly whilst keeping forward motion. This can be accomplished within two or three foot placements.

The functions of support players to maintain continuity will be developed in future write-ups: the key to reliable attacking is easy, do not allow the play to come to an end when you are tackled!!!

Learning to Coach

Coventry Rugby have some aggressive strategies in play at the moment and as part of these we are considering launching a youth side with a possible feeder side to them. What this means is that we are trying to find trainers to take care of these age groups and we require a minimum of 2 Rugby Football Union-certified coaches for each group with at the very least one in each group level 2-certified.

We will certainly also have to have some more certified refs as we will not be able to rely upon WRFU to supply all our necessities for Sunday games!

If you want to become a coach or a ref, will you let me know a soon as possible, either in person on Tuesday night or Saturday or call me on 0116 322 6785.