Creative Coaching

This Article was written by Darryl Sua Sua

The NZRU ran their first ever Creative Coaching course in October last year. This course will be held again on 22-24 August at the Institute of Rugby (applications will have closed by time of printing).

It was great to have coaches from all the different levels of the game – from school coaches to the All Blacks Technical Analyst, NPC coaches to club coaches, country coaches to town coaches, Pacific Island coaches to Pakeha to Maori coaches, XVs coaches, sevens coaches and women's coaches.

I termed this course "the coffee cup course" – a whole lot of different people sharing innovative ideas. The type of stimulating interaction that happens between rugby people over tea breaks at rugby courses was formalized and provided the structure for this course.

Each participant was asked to arrive at the course prepared to present a 20 minute presentation on something they had done in their own coaching that could be termed as innovative or different. With the amount of enthusiasm each individual was able to stimulate, it was very difficult to restrict presentations to only 20 minutes.

To accompany the presentation, they needed to provide some sort of hand-out notes. At the end of the course a booklet was produced for each of the attendees which included all the ideas that were put forward. The following is just a sample of some of the ideas that were shared by John Plumtree (new Wellington NPC Coach) on defence.

DEFENSIVE ATTITUDE
How to achieve:
• Video clips
• Install trust and belief – make our defence who we are
• Drills and games – put them into game situations
• Rehearsal – make sure they know their role
• Tackle technique – decision making
• No confusion – keep systems simple
• Captains in defence – 9 / 15 / 7 etc
• Repetition and reminders
• Have to love it!
"Fundamentals win it.

Football is 2 things – it's attacking and it's defending. I don't care about formations or new tricks on attack. If you tackle better than the team you are playing, YOU WIN!" (Vince Lombardi)

RUCK & MAUL
The game in between the set piece:
• 9 in the hole (our best communicator, organizer, sweeper)
• big guys in closer – A.B.C (guard dogs) – width, not too tight
• beware of the inside pass – push up before we drift
• no ball watching – stay in channel
• cover outside man's inside shoulder when the ball has gone past you (close the gate)
• number up (mirror them) – wingers pull people across
• The Line (speed; no individual pushes up ahead of another; cue the line; decision – drift or up & in?)
• Back 3 roles 11 / 14 decision time – up and in or stay out?
• 15 last line of defence – secure 1 on 1
• chip kicks or grubbers secure here as sweepers
Opposition will not go through the heart of our defence – ruck defence and 13 channel – they will have to go around us to beat us.

PRIDE IN DEFENCE
• 50% with the ball – 50% without it

STARTS UP FRONT
Scrum:
• Field position
• The hit – Left shoulder Right shoulder? nullify their 8 pick and set
• Role of our 9 at the base (big player here) - pressure on 8/9
• Backrow roles – who's got who?
• Backline defence and 15 last line (left channel – split centres)
• Lineout:
• Numbers (count heads) – full lineout, short lineout, defensive systems
• Contested or non-contested (decision)
• Stop the drive – sack it?
• Roles of 7 and back of the lineout D
• Off the top – their 10/12 set-up and backline strike moves
• Short lineouts – no confusion when forwards D up with backs – drift up and in?
"Defence is about togetherness, until the attacker runs down your channel"

INDIVIDUAL
• Technique low to high – attack the ball
• Collision win it – shoulder on body – spillage
• Point name drop – scan for playmakers
• Hands on – turnovers
• Number up (get there) – be ready to adjust
• Big hits slow their ruck ball down – we can reorganise – and it puts us on the front foot
• 2 man tackle technique
• cover the man's inside shoulder, outside you – scramble (get back after a line break)

KICK AND CHASE GAME
• kick is only as good as the chase
• box – 1st wave winger 8. 6. / 7.13. 2nd wave locks tight forwards
• Territory – our line 11 / 14 / 13 / 12 / 7 – the rest fill the field – don't allow them to counter – cue the line.

SCRAMBLE
• the play after the break
• cover who? (no lazy runners – get back in line)
• if you want to make it you'll make it
• shuffle – number up and get ready for the next one