The rugby players I’ve worked with most have been scrum halves, but I
think I’d use a similar process for a player in any position.
We began by doing some profiling, which was something some of the
players had done and some hadn’t. We looked at the skills required to be a
great scrum half, dividing them up into technical, tactical, physical and
psychological categories. We used this to work out which areas would be most
useful for the players to work on so they could progress to the next level of
the game.
I also tried to work out some of the visual requirements for being a
scrum half. Whereas most people in this field would think of things like
peripheral vision and visual acuity (seeing clearly), I wanted to concentrate
more on how these players should use their vision in game situations. So I came
up with a list that included things like identifying and focusing on targets
when passing and kicking; scanning both sides of the field for overlaps and
mis-matches; searching for areas of space behind the defence to attack; and
analysing defenders at the ruck to aid decision making.
The players wanted most to work on their passing skills, which we
narrowed down to speed and especially accuracy. I started off by getting them
to pass a series of balls against a marker on a goal post. This was done from
both sides, initially with balls on the ground. Some competition was introduced
by timing them against each other. We then set up simulations of passing from a
ruck (they had to dig out the ball from under my foot), and from a line out (I
would toss the ball over my head for them to catch before passing).
This was all fine, but you’re not passing against a post in a match. In
order to do this I needed a receiver, but I wanted to keep to the same levels
of accuracy. So I’ve introduced a rule which begins by saying that the receiver
must maintain the same body position as he moves forward to catch the ball: no
stooping or jumping up allowed. Next, the receiver is also only allowed to move
their arms below their elbow. And finally, they can only move their hands to
catch the ball – no other arm movement is allowed. The scrum halves score a
point for each pass that is successfully caught under these conditions.
I also videoed the players’ passing. It was interesting to see that one
player kicked out his back leg as he passed the ball. He had clearly fallen
into the habit of doing this in order to keep his balance, and was
understandably reluctant to change his technique. I did feel, however, that
this was a sign that he was inherently unstable when he passed, and this
explained why he would sometimes lift his head when he let go of the ball. This
also helped to keep his centre of gravity more central, and stopped him from
falling over. Unfortunately, it also meant that the ball would fly over the
receiver’s head.
David Donner
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