Q.   I have a large squad of players to pick from each week and I really struggle when I have to drop someone. What’s your advice on how I can make this easier.

I’m afraid there’s no magic bullet when it comes to dropping players as its part and parcel of a coach’s job to drop players who are not performing.

What I will say, is in my experience as a professional rugby player, the best coaches I’ve played under where the ones who seemed to handle this part of the job exceptionally well. There is no easy way to tell a player they are being dropped as everyone that’s part of a team wants to be playing in their team every week otherwise they shouldn’t be in there in the first place but the best way is to be up front and honest with the player.

Take them to one side and explain your reasons for not selecting them and ALWAYS give them something to work on that you think they need to improve in their game. I say this because although some players might not agree with you and there’s nothing worse than being dropped for a match without the coach explaining WHY.

A large part of coaching is about man management which I wrote about a few months ago on my blog “What makes a good coach a great coach” http://1rugbycoachblog.com/2008/01/page/4/ and if you can learn to talk to players and explain what they need to improve on to put them back in contention, then you’ve a good chance of that player going away hungry to improve and prove they are worth another shot.

To summarize,

•    Be honest with your players
•    Give them feedback on what they need to improve to get back in.

Q.   What would you say is the ‘best quality’ a rugby coach should have?

There are a number of qualities that a good coach should possess but if I had to pick one, I would say it’s the ability to manage people.

Throughout sport most of the elite coaches are excellent man managers. There are hundreds of exceptional technical coaches who know the game of rugby inside out but I think the factor that separates them from the elite rugby coaches is their ability to understand and manage players. They just seem to know which motivational methods players respond to and what the key factors are in bringing out the best in their squad.

Q.   “What’s the single most important lesson you’ve learned”

This is a difficult one as there’s been so many but I would have to say the most important lesson I’ve learned is that ‘the more you know, the more know you don’t know’. In other words you never stop learning and never assume your way is the only way.

Q.   “What’s it like to play at the elite level and be one of the best in your field at what you do?”

I can only speak as a professional rugby player, not as a coach as I’ve only been coaching for 2 years as opposed to a 19 year professional playing career which I can only describe as awesome.

To be paid for doing something that you love has to be one of the best experiences in your life. I was also fortunate enough to play for Great Britain and Ireland and visit several countries playing rugby league.

However, I wasn’t the most gifted of players that was blessed with natural skill and fitness. I had to work extremely hard to achieve what I did and one of the things that I learned from my playing days that I’m taking into my coaching career, is that whether you win or lose as long as you learn something from each game then you’ll actually win in the long run.

So as a player or a coach, after every game, ask yourself;

•    What did I do well
•    What can I improve on for next week
•    Take action and do it

Quite a few questions are coming in regarding kicking and as this is a very important part of coaching a rugby team, I thought I’d share one of them with you.

Obviously being an ex front row forward, kicking is not one of my specialities which is why I put the question to Griff (David Griffiths). Griff is one of the leading kicking coaches in both union and league and has coached elite players in Australia, Europe and the UK.

The question is;

“Re kicking questions - in this clip - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lPPDify1SuI - we see the ABs doing some kicking and, amongst other things looking to get the grubber kick to curl through the goal posts from side on. How exactly is this achieved?

Also, I have read that it is possible to get the ball to kick one way or the other on landing. Is this true and, if so, how is it done?”

These kicks are like party pieces and very rarely get used in a game situation under ‘pressure’ also what would it achieve in relation to team play in either Union or League (Possession, Teritary etc).

The drills enable the kicker to get the feel of the ball and to understand the principles involved with; Contact, Flight and Roll (Kick to Land). Greater success is gained when the flight of the ball is kept low, with contact early on in the flight with the floor, as in the opening seconds of the video clip.

However, in a game it would not clear the oncoming defence, it would in union put the ball behind the opposition scrum or line (making it difficult for your team defence/numbers to lock in) and/or it would feed the sweeping 9, 15, 11 and or 14 dependent on swerve. Due to the starting height of the kick, It could also land in the bread basket and offer the oppostion the chance to score. No Free goes……

In relation to how it works it is similar to a bike or car wheel when rolled. As it looses momentum it rolls on the edge to the left or right, (ala tracking on a car). In the clip you see the starting position of the ball as explained by the coach. Later in the clip you see a forward just give it a smash, with no ball placement guidance (that one lands in the stand!).

By simply switching (rotating) the starting point of the ball you promote the opportunity for the ball to go in the other direction. This is the same as when putting up the bombs, you can promote the opportunity that if not caught, then the ball can roll on, swing left or right. Whatever kick selection you choose (punt, chip, torpedo etc); external factors can and do play a role in the success of your kicks.

However, the more you practice….. the luckier you become:)

In relation to kicking and coaching juniors, get them to understand about the flight of the ball, and hence the importance to never let the high ball bounce.

Work on straight line kicks as this will lead to a more accurate punt, chip and grubber execution before moving onto the tricks. As ever my suggestion is learn the trade and not the tricks of the trade.

Griff

davidgriffiths@1RugbyCoach.com

The aim of the following article is to outline the basic aims and objectives of kick strategy.

The kick strategy should result in only positive outcomes for the team. It should end any speculation of what the team is trying to achieve when boot hits ball. When reading the information provided you should be conscious of your own team strategy and the kicking skills of the players in your team.

Kick strategy starts with the following rules that the team understands and follows in unison. The kick (and chase) should always force a better field position through finding touch (40:20, Scrum), by playing territory, or by applying pressure through a good chase providing a contest for the ball (aerial or grubber challenge 1v1, 2v1 picking on the player you want to give a bad day at the office to etc).

The aim of kicks in the opposition 20 focuses on creating the opportunity to re-gather or score. Have the ball returned to your team from the opposition goal line for another set of six (drop out) and finally to maintain defensive pressure on the opposition close to their own goal line. Sounds simple doesn’t it!

When we use our kick strategy, it is dependant on game tactics and this in turn is dependant on the situation the players find themselves in. Examples of this include the tackle count 3rd, 4th, or 5th tackle; the state of the game; is the team leading by one or are you six behind; what is the field position? Are you out wide near the touchline; and finally what is your own team’s assessment of opportunity. All of these questions need to be addressed in the additional phases of player development.

Having outlined the basic kick strategy aims and objectives the only way to ensure success is in the preparation of both individual and team skills in kick strategy.

Kick Strategy – Kicks used bombs, grubbers and chip

I stated that in order to have a successful kick strategy the players and the team have to be in unison to achieve the team kick strategy. However, it all starts with the kicker being able to put the ball into the right area of the field (length, height, width, speed of ball), then and only then can the chases do their job.

In this article I outline some of the kicks used and what I believe are the critical success factors that are needed to achieve success for the Kick strategy in game situations.

The types of kicks that are used to gain an advantage include; bombs (end over end, spiral); grubbers (end over end, sliders); chip; the torpedo and goal kicking will be discussed in a later article.

Bombs (end over end, spiral)

The height, length and speed of the bomb will determine the extent of the challenge for the ball. A cursory look at the rules will identify that bombs must be challenged because if they land in the in goal and we fail to challenge, then the opposition have been given a 20 metre up-field restart and 6 tackles to play. “Bombs” that land in the field of play, near the try line, require the same urgency of challenge.

Positioning of the “Bomb”

Field position and pre-planning will determine the placement of the “bomb” i.e. where is the kick directed (goal posts/sideline). Certain teams are having great success with the cross-field bomb i.e. kicking to the wingers on the fringes of the field near the try-line (Why successful because they practice!). Bombs should be placed so that defenders need to turn and run backwards or run sideways so to be able to gather - preferably not forward!

Grubbers

The grubber kick is a short kick along the ground which is placed such that it rolls in behind the defensive line and the chasers have a better than average chance of retrieval. If the defence try to regain the ball then knock on may be possible if pressure is placed on them.

Chips

The chip kick is usually a short kick over the heads of the opposition and behind the defensive line so that it gives the chasers a better than average chance of fielding the ball either on the full or on the bounce, at speed. If re-gathered then it requires numbers for close support (off both shoulders). Best time in my opinion is on tackle 1 to 3 or when the defensive line is up or chargers (as discussed). It is a difficult skill to master if the defensive line is uneven, as it puts pressure on our field kickers to find the gap using peripheral vision.

These are the basic kick options that are being used. Kicking is a basic play where the final outcome is a product of the quality of the kick (and kicker) and the commitment of the chase.

In short whatever the tactic, any kick is only as good as the chase and challenge!

David Griffiths - Kicking Coach
http://1RugbyCoach.com/