1. Successful playing is based on effective coaching. Effective coaching is based the application of a sound method of coaching and analysis. This is supported by knowledge of the game.

Developing Coaching Activities

The key skill is the ability to develop activities to meet the needs of your team.

Frequently requests are made for “packaged” activities that don’t address the specific needs of the team. While this is better than nothing the skill we are looking to develop is the coaching skill to develop precise activities for your team. The packaged skills are not to be disregarded as they help initially to provide the coach with a blueprint. The coach’s skill is to adapt the blueprint to their needs.

This involves precise and perceptive viewing of the team in play. At lower levels of play the players are more likely to defeat themselves by dropping the ball, missing a tackle or miss kicking. But, as the competence of players increases, players from both teams will be more skillful.

Increasingly along the playing pathway errors will occur because of the ability of opponents. This will test the ability of the coach greatly as the skills that need to be developed are those needed to combat the play of opponents. This involves increasing attention to detail. Ironically, at the higher standards of play little things become more important and really matter. In addition the skill will be the ability to perform against opposition. Obviously the only way this can be practiced is with opposition.

This in itself creates a problem. Players need time to recover from games but, on the other hand, need to be able to perform the skills they need against opposition. Too much will impede recovery while too little will not develop the skills.

What is to be avoided is performing skill activities for their own sake and worst of all the use of activities that require actions and decision making that bear no relation to the team’s needs. There are some notable teams that come to mind who are masters at performing activities but whose playing performance is mediocre. In these situations quantity replaces quality and, in a decision making sport, a sport that is not a closed skill, a sport that cannot afford the time for a committee meeting to decide what to do next, those who focus on more, ignoring quality, miss the point.

Finally, the activities that are used must contain a progression of skills and decision-making that are specific to the needs of the team. The progression takes the performance of the skill from unopposed to opposed.

The Aims of the Practice Session

This is where we start.

We start from where we want to get to and work back from there. This is based on the analysis of the team’s performance. We decide on the needs of the team that can be both the improvement of strengths and the reduction weaknesses. The Argentina Pumas are an example of a team that is very good at scrumming. As this is one of the sources of possession, by making their scrum even better, they not only obtain ball for themselves that gives a range of options but they have a scrum that reduces the options of the opponents in defence. When the opposition put in the ball the Pumas strong scrum can reduce their opponent’s options to attack.

In the past this has been in marked contrast to the Pacific Islands teams whose strength is in the use of the ball but whose weakness has been scrumming. Human nature is interesting. We like doing what we do well and don’t like doing what we are not so good at. If this is contrary to the rank order of the principles of attack and defence the team is in trouble.

Once we have identified these needs we place them in order of priority.

The principles of attack and defence help to do this as they are in order of priority. This means that in attack those skills that deal with gaining possession come first followed by those that enable the team to go forward and so on. In defence start with contesting possession followed by the defence going forward and applying pressure with the tackle being made.

Initially we should prioritise the team’s needs based on the principles but these may just be a checklist to make sure all is covered.

The progression of skill development within the practice session may be to start from the skills that are performed individually, then in pairs, building to the complexity of a mini-unit. The individual skills would include the tackle, picking up the loose ball, kicking and evasion. Skills that can be performed in pairs are tackling and falling in the tackle to make the ball available, passing and receiving the pass and  kicking and catching.

The mini unit skills are all those involving support both in attack and defence – post tackle, ruck, maul, counter attack etc. The unit skills are obviously scrum and line-out and backline attack and defence from these set pieces.

Finally there is the range of skills that occur in general play – in both attack and defence –  as the game moves from the set piece to general play, to ruck and maul to re-create space and then to general play once again. It is in these dynamic aspects of play that decision making is of great importance as it is linked to the ability to adjust to a continually changing situation.

Once again all these will follow the progression from unopposed to opposed. Pressure is applied in unopposed situations by reducing recovery time ie the time and space available to perform the skill.

The aims can be written so as to provide a conclusion in the following way: “The aim of the practice is to (e.g. ensure we retain possession in contact) so that (we are able to maintain possession and build momentum to penetrate and score.)”

There may be more than one aim and the order will be in order of priority.  They will follow a progression from the most basic to the most complex and from those involving one or two players to those involving the whole team and opposition.

Outcome Goals

These explain what we want to achieve.

The context for the identification of outcome goals is the analysis of the team’s last game and preparation for the next game.

At an NZRU Practicum the case study we used was the Hurricanes vs the Crusaders. At the de-brief with the team coaches the day after the game Robbie Deans was asked how much time they spend in reviewing the game. His reply was 15 minutes as any more would detract from the preparation for the next game. What this does reflect, at the professional level, is the time spent pre-season getting everything right based on an accurate and detailed team profile. This enables many of the basics to be assumed and the team can focus on a limited number of skills in preparation for the next game.

The same would not be the case for lesser teams. There will be cases in which the skill of the team is limited along with knowledge of the opposition. In these circumstances the team is best to focus on its patterns of play and be efficient at these. It will give as good a result as can be expected. If both teams are of limited ability there is little point in planning to combat an opposition whose play is inconsistent and who perform very much “on the day.”

On example of reading too much into the play of opponents occurred when the All Blacks played France in Lyon a couple of years ago. The French went two passes to the open side but had no momentum. They reversed the attack to the blindside and made a lot of ground. Looking at this the All Black coaches worked on a defence that would snuff out the move. After the next test in conversation an All Black coach mentioned this to the French. The response was that, as the move progressed to the open it was not going smoothly so out of desperation they reversed play, no plan, just do it.

The tools of the coaching trade that provide a framework for setting the outcome goals are the principles of attack and the principles of defence.

Once the principles have identified the needs the task is to decide on the specific skills that are used to achieve the principle.

The next step is to establish a sequential, prioritized checklist of key factors for the specific skill and to go through the checklist to identify the key factor in which the need lies. The manuals have these lists and they are pretty good as they have stood the test of time. With greater specialization coaches should develop their own key factors. These may be for skills or for specific functional roles the players perfrom.

Use the prescribed ones as a blueprint and modify them. Make sure that the skill has an outcome so that the performance can be assessed. Also make sure your list is prioritized and sequential to ensure first things come first.

All this is to ensure the best use of time.

By starting with the most fundamental skill we are able to build as each improvement assists in the performance of the total range of skills.

Performance Goals

These explain how the outcome goals are to be achieved. It involves the following:

1 Logistics

There must be sufficient equipment to involve all team members. Waiting your turn if recovery is needed is fine but waiting your turn because there is not enough equipment is not. It is better to have too much than not enough.

2 The Role of Each Coach

The coaches must decide on their specific roles if there is more than one. If there are two one should focus on the mechanics of the activity and the other on the players’ performance. If there is only one coach the activity should be simplified so that the activity doesn’t get in the way of skill development.

Both coaches should make frequent corrections within their area. The key is to do this without interfering with the rhythm of the activity. Repetition itself results in the player improving.

Intervene when it is time to introduce the next step of the progression. As the activity continues use short, meaningful corrections based on the close analysis of the players. Most of these can be made during the player’s recovery periods.

3 What to say

Make comments for correction and improvement. Praise only what is genuinely praise worthy. Don’t fill the air with false praise. The old phrase “Don’t speak unless you can improve on the silence” applies as does “more is not better.”

4 The Structure of the Practice

1. The aim has already been explained.
2. Overall coaching is aiming to achieve two things. The first is to provide the players with a menu of skills they can perform successfully in their games. The second is the ability to choose the best skill for the situation. This reflects the constantly changing context that occurs in a rugby game. Seldom is a skill performed repeatedly, they tend to be all mixed up.
3. The aim is to work towards a game-like situation that reflects the performance of the skills in a game by the conclusion of the practice.

5 The Use of a Progression

Follow the steps listed below. Depending on the skill level of the team the complete progression may not be achieved but it must end with the game-like situation.

1. After the skill and activity have been explained and demonstrated perform the skill unopposed, as a technique with plenty of time and space. This fits into the warm up.
2. Reduce the time and space to increase the intensity of the practice. This will involve smaller groups of players and more equipment.
3. Use opposition players. Add a progression based on the degree of contact. Initially the defender may “touch”, followed by “held” and finally the tackle used in the game.
4. It may be appropriate to increase intensity beyond that of the game. This is called overload and should only continue until the players begin to get tired and their skill deteriorates. It is important to retain the intensity.
5. Finally integrate the skills into a game situation in which decision-making becomes more important.

6 Why a progression?

1. It has been found that players only learn if they are taken to just beyond the limit of their ability at each practice. When the limit is reached coach the players through it.
2. This will lead to continual improvement not just of the skills but of the core skill which is decision making. The aim is to move more information to the unconscious/competent part of the brain – “Just Do It.”- so the conscious/ competent can be used for decision-making.
3. If the intensity has gone too far and the players skills begin to erode go back and recap or move onto something else and return to the difficulty later. The players may just need time to reflect.
4. Implied in a progression are greater demands made of skill development, fitness, decision-making and mental toughness.

Generic Competencies Checklists

You might like to use this as a checklist when you are peer assessing the coaching of each other.

A coach is a communicator and the coaching is only as good as the ability to achieve outcomes using communication skills. It is often useful if coaches assess each other. Develop a rapport with each other that allows for frank and forthright peer review and self improvement. The Japanese term “Kaisen”, meaning continual improvement, is a worthwhile cue.

The following checklists of competencies may be of use. But don’t take these as read. Develop your own.

Communication Competencies

1. Be able to give information clearly.
2. Be able to receive information and integrate it into the practice.
3. Realise that listening is not just hearing:
   • Give your undivided attention.
   • Listen to the total message before speaking.
   • Reply to the total message.
   • Be patient. Don’t attack minor flaws as it may have taken a bit of effort for the speaker/ player to talk to you.
   • Reply constructively without emotion.
   • Planning can allow you to deviate if the question takes you in another direction. It allows you to assist the speaker and come back to the plan at the point where you left off.
4. Questioning
   1. Use both closed and open questions where appropriate. This particularly applies to feedback after the game and the practice to compare the intended aim with what was achieved.
      Closed questions require brief answers like “Yes” and “No”.
   2. Open questions ask for explanations by starting the question with Why? What? How? When? What for?
   3. Use questions to:
   4. – Get to know and develop players.
      – Find out what they already know.
      – Check on understanding.
      – Involve players in their own learning.
5. BUT don’t ask questions for their own sake.
6. They must be in context and appropriate to the situation.
7. Don’t be frightened to ask the team what there response is to the question of a fellow player. You need not be the sole fountain of knowledge. Some years ago I found myself answering all and any questions. It was how you coached then and was a step up from just telling the players what to do. But the flaw was, if my answer didn’t work, it was my problem and not that of the player. I was in no position to perform.
8. Consistently practice what you preach. Be courteous, set a good example and provide positive reinforcement.
9. Correct the task not the person.
10. Be positive and constructive.
11. Follow this sequence “praise – constructive criticism – praise.”

Verbal Communication Variables

Use tone to suppress over-emotion.

Keep it simple. Use jargon that does this.

1. Use your words to modify negative body language.
2. Speak clearly. Stand where you can be heard.
3. Place emphasis where it is needed.

Non-Verbal Variables – 90% of understanding is non-verbal.

1. Clothes and appearance. These reflect the level of formality, self discipline and preparation.
2. Facial expressions. Use a nod or a smile.
3. Your posture reflects the level of formality.
4. Use clapping and the whistle to gain attention.
5. Confirm that you have been listening by following up with a comment or a question.
6. A touch re-assures.

Rugby Specific Checklist

1. Make sure you have a detailed understanding of the process and its content. To summarise from what has already been said this is as follows:
   1.  Aims
   2. Principles,
   3. Skills / Functional Roles and
   4. Key factors.
   5. Make sure the players can cope with the pace and specificity of the progression from technique to game play.
   6. Develop observation skills. Know what you are looking for. This is based on your game plan.
   7. Maintain your coaching roles so that both the activity and the performance of the players are monitored.

 

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