Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Team Management | Tags: Danny Cipriani, grumpy rugby coach, Josh Lewsey, scoring tries, Shaun Edwards, try celebrations, Wasps
I am pondering on whether I am a grumpy old rugby coach when I tell off my players for celebrating their tries with whoops and high fives.
Of course, now I remember, I used to do it myself when I scored tries once upon a time . No one told me off then , though I did get a bit of stick and a few funny looks.
My view is that the scores against the opposition should be “celebrated” with respect. Show you are happy, but don’t wind them up too much.
On the other hand if you have been in the papers during the week then you might want to prove a point. I wonder if Shaun Edwards said anything to Danny Cipriani and Josh Lewsey after this celebration?
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Team Management | Tags: controlling the practice, getting young players to listen, rugby coaches, teachers
I am currently writing an article on the one of the most difficult jobs for a junior rugby coach: getting players to listen.
In my research I have watched coaches struggle to get their young charges to stop, shut up and take in what is being said.
Sound familiar?
Gaining the “listening attention” of any player is an acquired art, perhaps even a science. Rugby coaches are not always trained teachers. And some teachers are not able to make it happen all the time themselves.
If you are saying “listen” then you are several stages beyond the state you want to be in.
Here is a quick tip: call in the players, be silent and wait for the players to be quiet. Demand silence before you start speaking. Stop speaking (giving instructions for instance) if there is any noise.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Skills | Tags: catching the high ball, oxford university, rugby DVD, rugby kicking, rugby skills for the high ball, rugby video
Having produced one DVD and just about to launch another, I was fascinated to come across this clip.
Lots of good coaching points here. I am going to match it up to my Ospreys catching skills template to see how close it is.
From what I can tell it was produced as an instructional rugby video by Oxford University.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell | Tags: Charlotte Church, dropping players, Gavin Henson, Heineken Cup, Leicester Tigers
Gavin Henson seems never far from controversy and headlines.
This week is no different with the Wales and Lion star being dropped from the Osrepys for two games. Not just any old games, but key Heinken Cup games. The reason was that he was at odds with the coaches and it was decided that he had overstepped the mark.
If the Ospreys can do it, so can you. The team and its cohesive nature cannot be compromised. By all accounts, Henson has been a model professional on his comeback from injury. But that does not make him immune from censure.
Should Leicester be pleased with news that the Welsh star will not be facing them on Sunday? On these tough decisions, a match can turn. More on Monday!
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Team Management | Tags: Danny Cipriani, Josh Lewsey, Kelly Brook, rugby fights, Wasps
Anyone who has played senior rugby will know that sometimes, in a high pressure training session, you are going to have a spat.
The latest headline for Danny Cipriani (or “Kelly Brook’s hunk” as some papers put it) is no different an occurence as one would find on any given week in club training. You don’t have to love your team mates and sometimes tempers will fray and in a physical game, some pushing and shoving will take place.
Where do you stand as a coach when this happens? Don’t condone it of course, or even encourage it. It is the product of a high pressure environment. You need to push your players into these types of situations and see how they react.
It is how you handle it afterwards that counts. Reconciliation and communication are required. And then move on.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, ELVs, Rugby News | Tags: ELVs, lineouts, rucks, rugby league, rugby union, scrums
A little piece of history was made on Saturday. The Bridgend Ravens beat Neath at the Gnoll for the first time since 1982. A Welsh Premiership match with bags of atmosphere, and a sizeable crowd for a wet and windy Saturday afternoon.
Bridgend are perhaps the least financially secure of a league with bridges the gap between the amateur and professional game in Wales. What makes their position even more precarious is news from the Super League. The Celtic Crusaders have won a franchise into Europe’s top level rugby league competition for 2009 and, for the first time, top class rugby league will be played on the fields of Wales.
Wait. Not the first time, because the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff has seen plenty of rugby league finals and one-offs. But now it will be regular games with all the razzmatazz and raw rugby that top league brings.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Skills | Tags: rugby defence, rugby vision, thinking coach, vision skills
Looking at this picture, you can see a defensive line.
What is their focus? What can we tell from their body language?
A defensive line
Now watch this video and count how many passes the white shirted players make and write down the number of passes?
How many was it?
Now think carefully about your observation skills and what you really need to look for…
For a similar type of observation experience try this:
