This Autumn I was just helping out the England senior kickers. The work with the new players (new to me) was fascinating, since last working with England back in 2005 – I have dramatically changed the way I coach players – so they can manage their own learning given that things happen during a game (no matter how hard you practice – you will have one of those days!) and its vital that you can dig yourself out of the hole without missing touch, when intended or shots at goal. The brief period of time confirmed to me that the changes I have made to my coaching are definitely a move in the right direction.

With Jonny Wilkinson out of the Squad injured the main focus was Toby Flood and Charlie Hodgson as principle kickers and the back three players in including Ben Foden, Delon Armatage and Mark Cueto. Al the players responded magnificently to a completely different way of developing kicking skills. Principally all the learning was on the move – i.e. no static kicking at all (other than restarts) and a massive emphasis on ‘repair sessions’ which meant they were kicking kicks that they wouldn’t during a game but were used as means to an end – not an end in themselves.

Constantly working on the repair has resulted in all the players making massive improvements on their non preferred foot, the back three players out of hand and the principle kickers out of hand and drop goals. I hope they will be able to continue what was really a small beginning – so they will be able to take England’s kicking game to another level.

Unfortunately I was in Australia for the last test against South Africa, because of a prior commitment with the West Coast Eagles (Australian Rules) and England’s Performance Squad (Cricket). Two fantastic opportunities for me to get better.

Dave Alred

Players who are able to kick with both feet are not born they are made and all went through a process and frustration of learning the skill with their ‘non – preferred’ foot.

Having seen so many players go though the angst of the awkwardness and ‘plastic’ feeling there are a couple of easy and perhaps not so obvious ways of accelerating this learning on the other side of your body. One of the common faults is the total focus on the foot and the extremity – the result is that the player (let’s say right footed) is for example kicking with his left foot – but with a right footed posture. In other words other than his foot the rest of his body is set to kick with the other leg i.e. right footed.

The fastest way to educate your body position is to stand in front of the mirror and get into the impact position for your stronger foot noting specifically hand positions, chest alignment, the direction of your hips the position on the navel. Then simply reverse the position checking those same positions – initially you will be amazed at some of the changes you will make once you become aware of the positions. Take time to observe as much detail as possible, and practice changing from stronger side to the weaker side.

Take time to do this – practice between weights exercises in the gym, the more you do this and the more accurate you are the better the foundation will be for your ‘other side’ .

Remember the more you can reeducate your body the easier your leg will perform.

Dave Alred

Line Outs are another set play where teams often want to kick from – particularly when they are well inside their own half. However unlike scrums the opposition team is spread across a larger area and the majority are standing up and see much more of a play unfolding.

You should not kick defensively from off the top ball, as the opposition defence will have forward momentum and can easily pressure the kicker. It is more effective to catch and hold – pause, followed by a short sharp drive places the defence on the back foot and gives the kicker more time, a vital split second.

A  good example of kicking from line out is the Blue Bulls. They have a very effective catch – and drive folioed by the half back (9) not box kicking, but using more of a ‘round the corner’ drop punt, thus getting more power, height and distance.

An effective box kick needs a good chase too, the key is that the chaser arrives at the same time as the ball is caught by the opposition. It is the kick that is key – the hang time and distance – this is the skill of the kicker. Most scrum halfs tend to ‘chip’ their box kick which limits the height and distance achieved the effective coverage is about 30 yards.

If you’re attacking from a line out, the best kicking option comes from the 13 channel. If he takes a mis-pass at pace, moving forward he will have covered 10 or 20 yds and can gain big distance kicking to the openside. Mike Tindall used this many times to great effect in the Woodward era.

Other options depends on the defence employed- for instance a grubber or chip and collect against the blitz is very effective, as is the cross field kick to the openside winger.

In summary, remember that the line out enables a lot of defence organisation, the ability to stay on ones feet to defend, and the time to blitz up in the faces of your opponents. Therefore shrewd kicking options are needed to make any gain of note. Good kicking from line outs gives space or relief rather than good attacking intent.

Dave

One of the infamous  rugby quotes came from Irish lock Moss Keane, after a particularly dour and muddy encounter in Wellington for the British Lions. When asked about the game, he replied, “Well, the first half was pretty even, and the second half was even worse!

That doesn’t apply to the Heineken Cup Final, there was a huge difference between the two halves and this week it’s interesting to examine what happened.

Northampton started with verve and gusto; abundant pace and a willingness to move the ball around, which really tested the Leinster defence. A betting man (and I’m told there are many of those in Ireland) wouldn’t have given any odds on anything other than a Northampton win, yet going into the dressing room at half time, it seemed that something changed.

I don’t believe, that Northampton collapsed under pressure, it was simply a game too far, combined with the size  of experienced quality players in their squad, coupled with a huge physical battle the week before. The Tigers’ premiership semi final encounter was a ferocious physical battle. Let’s be honest, when the two East Midlands rivals lock horns, not much is left in the dressing shed and local pride is very much at stake. It was a game of very few chances and would turn on one pivotal moment. And that’s exactly what happened, when the Tiger’s skillful front row combined to release Tuilagi Snr down the left flank in a short side attack, stepping over Chris Ashton, to score in the corner. Compare that with the range of options and gaps that presented themselves in the Leinster first half where the game was fast flowing, wide and played with a breathtaking momentum!

Leinster’ s experience of big match situations that gave them belief and confidence that they score enough points to come back. They’ve been there on many occasions before and it’s these experience that gave them the foundation of confidence . Contrast that with Northampton, who’d rarely been in the heady position of a 19 point lead in an important game and against that type of opposition.

The two tries straight after half time completely changed the dynamic of the game. This would have mentally changed a seemingly comfortable lead to a real contest – with the momentum with the Irish. With Leinster on the front foot, those seasoned internationals in the backs took advantage of the go forward achieved by the pack.  In the end, the expression of the Saints players said it all; they were devastated- simply- out of steam in a game that was one too far.

Those players will have gained a lot from that experience – but it will probably not be realized for some time.The future is bright at Franklin Gardens.

Speak soon,

Dave.

A Scrummage is one of the most obvious places where an opposition pack, can demonstrate superiority in technique, intensity and power.

Whilst scrums are becoming less and less frequent in the game, due to improved handling and more frequent application of the advantage rule, they are still an important part of the game and can provide a great attacking platform.

There are lots of individual tactics, but by and large, the overriding philosophy is to disrupt the opposition scrum and not allow smooth transition between the forwards and backs.

Unpredictable wheels, back row breaking on time and fanning out can do a great deal to disrupt the opposition opportunity. Players need to adopt a destructive mindset and still work as a cohesive unit.

One of the classic techniques is the concerted 8 man shove as the opposition scrum half puts the ball in. Sometimes this can even result in that rarest of occurrences (in the modern game), a ball against the head, which is one of the best attacking opportunities in the game; opposition backs will be deep and the tackle line well behind the gain line.

When there is  parity between the packs, these events are less frequent and much of the philosophy of scrum defence is simply to contain the opposition in the set piece, then, attack the next phases, trying to create the next breakdown behind the gain line. Patience is a virtue, and being able switch to a destructive tough mindset essential.

Take care,

Dave.

Kicking Plays from Line Outs:

One of the key issues with line out kicking plays is understanding the reason and the context.

If you’re looking to kick from your own lineput you need to consider:

1. You should not kick defensively from off the top ball, as the opposition defence will have a big forward momentum and will pressure the kick.
2. If you want to kick defensively a catch and hold, followed by a short sharp drive places the defence on the back foot and gives the kicker more time, a vital split second.
   

A really good example of good kicking from line put plays is the Blue Bulls. They have a very refined and clearly defined method- a catch and drive folioed by the half back (9) not box kicking, but using more of a ‘round the corner’ drop punt, thus getting massive power and distance with forward momentum.

Understand the box kick needs follow up too, but despite virtually every English side favouring this, the maximum advantage is around 30 yds! Even if it goes back to the 10, the 30 yds holds true as he is 15 yards behind the line out, with the opposition having direct access to the kicking line.

If you’re attacking from a line out, the best kicking option comes from the 13 channel. If he takes a mis-pass at pace, moving forward he will have covered 10 or 20 yds and can gain big distance kicking to the openside. Mike Tindall used this many times to great effect in the Woodward era.

Other options depends on the defence employed- for instance a grubber or chip and collect against the blitz is very effective, as is the cross field kick to the openside winger.

In summary, remember that the line out enables a lot of defence organisation, the ability to stay on ones feet to defend, and the time to blitz up in the faces of your opponents. Therefore shrewd kicking options are needed to make any gain of note. Good kicking from line outs gives space or relief rather than good attacking intent.

Cheers

Dave Alred.

Re-start Kicking

The Aim of the Re-start:

Let’s start with the basics here- for the kicking team, the aim of any re-start is for that team to recover the ball from the kick off cleanly, or put the opposition deep in their own red zone – forcing them eventually to play into touch and you get the advantage of the throw in the li ne out

There are a number of variation of re-starts, but we are going to look at the two basic options, and the detail behind executing them well.

1. The Long re-start:

This generally the most favoured option- as the kicking side you are looking to get the ball high and as deep as possible to the corner, and use your chasers to force the receivers to clear to touch on your terms. A reasonable gain from this type of kick off is a line out anywhere from the opponent 10m line to their own goal line.

2 aspects of this type of kick are worth considering- firstly, the hang time- there’s a good 40 m for your chasing forwards to cover. Therefore the longer the hang time generally the better. However, also understand that an overly long hang time can allow the opposition time to defend in numbers under the ball and form a pod.. So the very best sides work out exactly the optimum hang time for their rushing chasers to get to the landing point of the kick, and aim to have those chasers there as the ball lands- and able to get high into the air after overcoming the momentum of the run.. Equally if that hang time is too long, those chasers can even overrun the ball, thus losing momentum and potentially becoming out of the game – the defending side as plenty of time to compose themselves and weigh up their most effective option..

If you cannot get the ball back your objective is to allow the opposition as little time and room to make their touch find.

2. The Short re-start.

This is a good option for a team with players who are strong, fast aerial challengers (Lewis Moody, Mike Tindall  are great examples) and should be considered as a forward pass! The kicker should be aiming for the ball to land  within 5m of the opposition 10 ms line. Hangtime is crucial- you are looking not for maximum hang time, as is the popular misconception, but the OPTIMUM hang time- enough time for your chasers to get there, and as little time as possible for the opposition for form a catching ‘pod’ of two playing s lifting a catcher.

Executing this is about choosing the right players to chase and also knowing that a second wave of chasers should be behind the primary chasers a) to pick up any loose or dropped ball b) to apply pressure to the opposition if they get possession.

Defending against these kicks is about getting your key catchers to the ball as quickly as possible. Some teams try to get a couple of players gently lumbering innocently in the way of the rushing chasers. This can sometimes help but its high risk with sharp referees. The aim is to get your players under the ball early then use lifters to gain a height advantage from a static position.

Those are the basic re-start options used by most teams. However, a good side always has a number of variations of the two major options. In really wet conditions a useful alternative, is the hard hit diagonal grubber kicked hard, skidding and low into the opposition defensive line up. It can be very difficult to gather the ball and get control. A knock on is often the result in a good attacking scrum position.

Teams spend a great deal of time working on defensive systems – to try to create turnovers – an emphasis on restarts can have a real impact on possession – if you can get your own back  -it’s a turnover!

Enjoy the game

Dave.

Super 15 v Aviva Premiership.

There are many parts of the rugby calendar that I look forward to- 6 nations, Autumn Tests, Cup Finals etc. I also very much enjoy the Super 15 Season and when watching this year’s tournament I started to think about the differences between that and the Aviva Premiership, and why the rugby played seems more adventurous.

Let’s examine the evidence- S15 is free flowing, error-stewn at times and rugby akin to Barbarian stuff! Witness Quade Cooper’s outrageous cross field kick when behind his own goal line last week and you’ll see exactly what I mean. Conversely, the Aviva Premiership can be dour, grinding percentage rugby. Interestingly, even stars of the SH that come to the AP to play, revert to that type. Why are both so different in character?

Well, it would be easy to suggest that the weather and pitch conditions play a large part, but I don’t think that is the only reason. Equally, you could suggest there’s a cultural difference, but again, I wouldn’t subscribe to that either. More probable is the reason that in the S15 the league (and franchises) are ring-fenced; there is no promotion or relegation and that in itself allows players to play with a degree of impunity, fearless of losing, and able to express themselves without the potential shackles of relegation looming over their head.

Clearly, there are pro’s and con’s of both systems. The AP means that every game, especially towards the end of the season, has something hanging on it- whether that be a HEC place, relegation or an Amlin Cup spot. This means players are performing under pressure each weekend, and that pressure can manifest itself in terms of relegation and a real loss of a revenue model should a side go down. Literally, players are playing for their own jobs and their teammates jobs at times. In the S15, when 2 sides are not challenging for play-offs, there’s nothing to lose, other than the ranking within their own country and as a result, they tend to play a game with less fear.

Does this mean that S15 are practicing skillsets that perhaps AP players do not? On the other hand, do AP players play under greater pressure, making them stronger when it comes to one-off cup games? Certainly England have performed will in one offs at a number of World Cups, and NZ to date have consistently under-performed, which is interesting.

It’s a delightful paradox. I could not comment on which games breeds the better rugby or the better system, neither am I promoting one over the other- it is merely an observation.

It’s a debate that rightfully will rage on, but I believe that these are some of the fundamental differences and the reasons why we see such a dichotomy of styles and attitudes.

Keep well and enjoy the game,

Dave.

The Top Two Inches-this is a relatively recent phrase that has permeated the sporting vernacular in recent times without ever gained true definition or thorough understanding

Firstly what does it mean? What does it do? How do I improve it? How do I practice it?

I like to think of the the top two inches as the control panel of the brain, the dashboard of the vehicle. It works best when fed facts and achievements, elements with a basis in proof.

A great sportsman’s control panel uses:

• experiences to break the game down into small, individual bite size process segments
• facts and achievements underpin reference points to know that success is more than just a hope, in fact the deeper the practice the more the result becomes an expectation.

Think of it like this; Usain Bolt has a  100m world record time of 9.58s. His achievement proves he can run the same time again. If he studies the mechanics and details of that sprint, and practices it in meaningful situations, he will know exactly what to replicate to do it again. Both  of these are proven facts. Knowing that is the case, the control panel simply focuses on the detail of the process, not the end goal. The destination is unimportant, but following the process sequence in the most efficient manner is essential.

Key to this is practicing under pressure; look to replicate pressured micro-tasks. A simple example of replicated pressure in rugby skills coaching would be to form a tight triangle of 3 players with another player in the middle. Players have to offload or hold around the triangle with perfect execution whilst the player in the middle tries to slap, intercept or grab the ball. In this is example, your aim is completion. Your ultimate aim is to go for the maximum number of consecutive completions of the same task under pressure. It is these facts (achievements) which grows confidence and at the same time hones technique. It does not matter if you choose to hold on to the ball- if you cannot see your target, don’t pass it- you are aiming for clean secure completion.

The other part of the Control Panel mechanism is your emotional side. This is understanding yourself and your ‘game persona’. Rarely are sportsmen the same person on-field as they are off field. Danny Grewcock is a great example; a very hard aggressive man on the field, and a quiet, laid back polite individual off field. Danny knows he needs an on field persona to be effective as a world class front five player. Most goal kickers I encourage an amount of aggression and ‘mean it’ to enable them to kick under pressure and block out the occasion often players like the ‘assassin’ mindset.

I hope this helps you understand how your brain controls your game (the mental side of your game).

In summary these are the things to remember:

1. Remember it’s your achievements, and facts of your performance that gives you confidence and expectation
2. Break the game down into its process parts and execute those components perfectly
3. Practice the process parts, and practice under relevant game situations (pressure)
4. Understand the game persona that will help you play your game within the team.

Enjoy getting better,

Dave Alred.

 Having the background of the test matches pounding away and the Australian media calling for changes in coaching staff captain players etc, just reinforces the vital importance of basics. many of the batsman have been criticised publicly on their poor technique – which has been exposed facing the English bowlers. One of the stations had a batting (technique) lesson on air – illustrating the poor technique. The issue appears that individuals, although massively skilled, have not been spending time on continually working on their technique – boring and repetitive it might be. As in most sports eventually they get found out, which is what has been happening with the cricket. How many times have you heard people comment on teams that ‘do the simple things very well’ rather than rely on one or two individuals performing.

If you look at goal kicking – it is much better never missing inside the red zone that being able to hit one from the half – way now and again! I recently worked with an individual player who was a goal kicker who got bored with repeatedly hit shots from 30 yards out and after several kicks wanted to hit from the half way and then from the corner – tough for a great kicker – let alone an aspiring kicker! If you practice the (basic)straight forward shots from between the 15ms. lines and the 22  line (as a pie shape) – you will be become that reliable player that everyone wants in their team rather than a hit and miss spectacular! It is a question of doing the simple(straight forward) things well – basics and correct technique grooved through repetitive practice.

Dr Dave Alred