Proposal:

The proposal focuses on the process of game planning and its application to each of the adult rugby teams entered by the XYZ Rugby Club in the ABC Rugby Union provincial competitions.

The aim is to facilitate the development and implementation of a game plan for club rugby for the XYZ Rugby Club so that there is continuity in the way the game is played at all levels that optimises the performance of the talent available throughout the next 4 years.

The plan would include:

1. Game Planning for all team coaches and, by implication, all players commencing in 2014.
2.  Game Planning for the following ancillary aspects of game for the 2014 season:
   1. Strength and Conditioning.
   2. Nutrition.
   3. Mental Skills.
   4. Team Management/ Logistics.
   5. Action Planning for the 2014 season for each team.
   6. Practice and game assessments and feedback by LS during the 2014 season.
   7. All plans to include an in-season monitoring process during the season and an evaluation/ accountability stage at the end of the season.
   8. Mentoring of coaches, team managers and players so that they follow through a comprehensive process that leads to optimum performance along a development pathway.
   9. To unify the talented players and coaches in the club so that collectively they work towards a common aim following a development pathway.

 

Methodology:

 Game Planning for all club team coaches and players commencing in 2014

Assemble the senior team coaches appointed for 2014 at all levels along with other interested parties endorsed by the club to develop a plan for the future of teenage and adult rugby in the club.

While each group of team coaches may develop each of the steps for their current team it is necessary for the future development of the game in the club to develop a mode of play that is followed by all teams based on the club’s playing strengths and the needs of the contemporary game.

The plans will include:

1. 1.    A Unified Vision:
   1. To set a vision for the standard of performance of club teams in 4 years time.
   2. Use the principles of attack and defence to identify the mode of play that will result in optimum results in the way club rugby is played in the ABC Rugby Union.

 2.    Selection Criteria by position at each level.

Establish criteria for selection by position based on the standard of play in Club Rugby in the ABC Rugby Union.

Base selection on the functional roles and the key factors for each of the functional roles. These may be held in common for all teams however variations in the talent available may result in the coaches creating criteria for the players they are selecting from.

1. 3.    Selection and Succession Planning:
   1. Rank existing and potential club players according to the criteria. There needs to be common functional roles and key factors across the whole club for this exercise.
   2. Practice has found that the initial criteria should be for the club’s premier team afterwhich the criteria can be diluted for the teams at lower levels so that the criteria is relevant. A simple example may be criteria that demands the ability for #10 and #15 to kick with left and right feet. In the selection phase this may be unrealistic. There are good examples of international #15’s who have been “one footed”. However it can be a goal that the coach and the player works towards
   3. Identify any weaknesses in a succession plan with a view to recruiting to fill temporary positional weaknesses.
   4. Identify players who could be recruited to fill gaps.
   5. Use the succession plan to mentor players on their future in the club and the pathway they need to take to reach premier level.

 

1. 4.    Team Profile:

Use the principles of attack and defence to produce a team profile at each level explaining the team’s strengths and weaknesses so that the needs are met. Should the coaches be unaware of the talent they have this exercise can be done for the club as a whole or by the coaches once they know what players they have.

If you are able to use DVD’s of the teams previous performances critical incident analysis can be used to identify strengths and weaknesses. I have found that for top teams there may be more than one critical incident per episode of play as each episode tend to continue for some time however at most levels they do not last for long and identifying one critical incident for your team during each episode is all you need. If you feel you are getting too little information revert to looking for more than one. The critical incident may be a strength or a weakness. List them and then categorise them according to strengths and weaknesses and according to the principles of attack or defence.

The principles of play are as follows:

Attack:

• Gaining Possession.
• Going Forward.
• Supporting.
• Continuity – strictly defined as using rucks and mauls.
• Pressure.
• Scoring Points

Defence:

• Contesting Possession.
• Going Forward.
• Applying Pressure / Tackling.
• Preventing Territorial Gain / Tackle Quality.
• Supporting.
• Regaining Possession.
• Counter Attacking.

 

1. 5.    Outcome and Performance Aims at each level:

Use the team profile and knowledge of opposing teams to identify outcome aims and performance aims for the forthcoming season and the various parts of the season.

Remember outcome aims are outside your control while performance aims are not and for these statistical measures can be set, as critical success factors, measuring the performance of the team and that of individual players.

 

1. 6.    Game Profile:
   1. The game profile is what the team needs to achieve in attack and defence. A blueprint for attack is field position – red, orange and green zones –  and for defence the source of possession for. The team’s defence profile tends to be much the same throughout the length of the field.
   2. The Game Profile is a statement that unifies what the team, the forwards and the backs need to achieve in each section of the field in attack and, in defence, based on the source of possession in any field position.
   3. It should be based on the team profile and an assessment of the direction the game will take in the future. This particularly applies to the play of the team’s closest opponents.

 

1. 7.    Coaching/ Playing – Patterns of Play.
   1. Develop patterns of play that explain how the game profile will be achieved.
   2. The patterns are based on the team profile.
   3. For greater detail use the functional roles for each position and the key factors for each functional role. You will have done this in the selection section above. For consistency it is important to keep to this. If you do make changes make sure they are made both here and in the selection section.
   4. In order to develop the game in the club it is best for the patterns of play to be developed in common so that players do not have to be re-educated as they progress along the playing pathway. However the standards demanded at the premier level may be beyond the capability of players at other levels.  In this case the patterns can be modified for these players with the premier’s patterns of play being something that these players can work towards.
   5. The following is a worthwhile method using the principles of attack and defence to achieve the Game Profile based on the Team Profile:

i.     Brainstorm the current patterns.

ii.     Decide which patterns to retain.

iii.     Decide which patterns to modify.

iv.     Decide which patterns to delete.

v.     Decide which patterns to introduce.

1. Compare the patterns of play with the vision we developed at the beginning.

 

1. 8.    Coaching / Playing – The Game Plan
   1. These are specific plans for each game based mainly on the profile of the opposing team as well as other game specific factors.
   2. Compare the XYZ club team with the team profile of the next opposing team to produce a game plan for the next game. You will need to set up a system of gathering information about opponents throughout the season.
   3. For some teams just getting them to play to a pattern that suits them will be enough. In addition it may be difficult to gather information while on other occasions the play of some teams may vary so much you are best to focus on the team you have got. The aim would be to impose your pattern on them or play as well as possible within it.
   4. Changes should be few so that the team builds on its patterns throughout the season. The game plan is a change of emphasis emphasising some options and not others in attack and defence.
   5. It is handy to include performance goals and benchmarks/ critical success factors for each position based on functional roles and their key factors as well as  the following:

i.     Strength and Conditioning.

ii.     Nutrition.

iii.     Mental Skills.

iv.     Team management/ Logistics.

1. 9.    Achievement Strategies:

Your club is in a position to implement activities/courses/clincs to create it’s capacity to deliver the plan as follows:

1. Player Development Activities.
2. Coach Development Activities.
3. Manager Development Activities.
4. Practice Planning based on the game planning process.
5. Action Planning for the 2014 season.

i.     Practice and game planning.

ii.     Logistical Planning.

iii.     Strength and Conditioning.

iv.     Mental skills.

v.     Nutrition.

vi.     Management and logistics.

Implementation:

Once approval has been given by the club executive to undertake the programme it will be necessary to conduct the initial planning sessions prior to the commencement of the pre-season period for 2014.

The following is a draft programme that can be modified based on the club’s needs and the resources available for its implementation:

1. Forward this draft plan to the club executive.
2. Obtain the club’s approval to proceed.
3. Conduct the initial meeting of coaches and game related staff to commence the game planning process.
4. Forward the initial work to all for review and feedback.
5. Continue the game planning process to completion.

Monitoring:

Monitoring takes place during the game and can be subjective (coaches’ opinion) and objective (statistical):

Pre-Season monitor progress of all teams as follows:

1.  Playing to their patterns of play and game plans.
2. The development of game plans for specific opponents.
3. Strength and conditioning programme.
4. Mental skills programme.
5. Nutrition programme.
6. Management and logistics.
7. Technical/ tactical skills (both team and individuals using FRA and KFA).

I have found that objective analysis is best used when the coach is unsure. The initial view should be based on the coaches experience and rugby knowledge.

In season monitor all teams:

Shadow coaches and teams at practices and games to provide feedback. Base this on a playing cycle from the start of the current game to the end of the next game including team practices and meetings.

Monitor team performance and provide feedback by rotating around teams as time permits.

Accountability:

1. This takes place after each game, at the end of the various parts of the season and at the end of the season.
2. A review process takes place at the end of the season comparing what was planned initially with what took place based on the team coaches’ documentation and feedback received throughout the season.

Review the game just concluded and develop a game plan for the next game.

Compare the analysis of the team during the game with the game plan and patterns of play to make modifications to the remaining steps which are:

1. Use the Game Plan format to record the game plan and patterns of play.
2. Include in the format the information you have gathered during the game.
3. Identify strengths and weaknesses.
4. Modify selection based on this analysis including the replacement of injured players.
5. Now use this to modify the game profile and patterns of play.
6. Add the next opponent’s profile to develop the game plan.
7. If your initial analysis was accurate most changes will occur in the patterns of play and game plan.

 

Mentor Monitoring of all games to provide feedback:

Ideally undertake the following:

1. An assessment of the teams’ game plan implementation.
2. An assessment of the team’s next opponent in their last game.
3. An assessment of how the opposition are likely to prepare to win the game.
4. Assessment during and after games.
5. Assessment of practice sessions.

 

Evaluation and Accountability at the end of the season to build for the next season.

1. Review of the 2014 season – modify, delete, add.
2. Use the plan for 2014 as the blueprint for modification as we move forward to the 2015 season.

 

 

 

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