Player Spotlight - A kid to watch out for.

Thomas Kidd the inside center from Yale University has been a shining light so far this season. He had a good start to the season by scoring two tries against Dartmouth and then was an instrumental figure when Yale beat Harvard.

Inside center can be a difficult position to play because you are often cramped for room as the inside defense pushes up quickly and cuts down the space. It’s a position that requires a cool head and also requires patience as a gap may only open up a couple of times during a game. It’s Kidd’s eye for the gap that impressed on-lookers against Harvard two weeks ago.

When asked what his strength is, he says “Finding space and hitting a hole”, and he’s right.

Often in a game, when the midfield is cramped for room, it’s up to the attacker to manipulate the defense by running creative angles. A good skill for a midfielder is the wedge. The wedge is performed when the defense is numbering up and is not giving any space out-wide.

The only options are to either kick or penetrate through the line of defense. The wedge is performed when a midfielder on attack, before he gets the ball, drifts across the field on an angle to encourage his opposite number to drift with him. As soon as he pulls his opposite across the attacking midfielder should quickly change his angle by straightening and running for the hole that has opened up by the defender. As the midfielder changes direction the ball carrier must pass the ball to the midfielder running through the hole. Thomas Kidd naturally does this superbly.

He is a strongly built athlete. He actually started in the tight five until Yale coach Jan Pikul quickly found his natural position. He has only been playing rugby for 9 months and for a guy that has such little experience he shows great maturity. He has good hands; good vision and is a strong defender. He does a lot of sprint work and long distance running to stay fit. He seems to be benefiting from his training regime because he is one of the quickest players in the competition.

The rugby culture has always been fun where ever you may play and when asked what his favorite thing about rugby is he had no hesitation in saying “The camaraderie amongst the team” he also adds that there has been an improvement in the Yale program because of the commitment from the players.

“I would say that the past year has seen a serious increase in commitment amongst Yale players. We have increased the number of practices per week and I think we have seen the results of that change on the field. This year’s team is also fairly experienced, which always helps”. Kidd says

This 20 year old has a bright future and if he stays interested in the game he could take advantage of many opportunities the game has to offer. I look forward to watching his development.