Filed under: Rugby Skills, Rugby Training | Tags: Roger Federer, rugby tackling, tennis
Good body position with the tackler landing on top of the player. In a strong positon to “jackal” the ball as well.
Good footwork beforehand though.
Oh, and by the way, Roger Federer was making history at the time!
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Fitness | Tags: core stability, fitness drills, Rugby Fitness, scientific research
Here is an article on why we might spend too much time worrying about training the core muscles when in fact we do it naturally anyway.
The key findings are (lifted from the article):
“Core stability was born out of a specific problem: lower back pain,” says Diane Kheir, an osteopath who lectures on core stability. “It was never meant to apply to the general population, and for most people, there are better ways of working these muscles. Rather than have everyone lie on the floor with their legs in the air, exercise classes would be better teaching correct standing, sitting and transferring of weight from one leg to another. Teachers could ensure that participants learn moves that relate either to their normal daily tasks or their sports.”
“Core stability training isn’t tailored to most sports,” says Professor Eyal Lederman, an osteopath whose research centres on the development of neuromuscular and movement rehabilitation. In other words, it doesn’t replicate the activities involved in those sports. “The message from the research is: don’t worry about your core muscles and train in the activity you enjoy,” he says.
Core stability training does have its uses, though. “The core should work naturally,” says Kheir. “It’s what’s known as a ‘pre-anticipatory’ muscle group – it fires before other muscles fire. The only time it won’t kick in is if someone has lower back pain, or has had some kind of abdominal surgery or injury, in which case the person may need help in trying to locate and recruit it again.”
For a further view, read this article by Roy Palmer called Core Stabilty or Pure Stupidity?
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, International Rugby Journal, Rugby Skills | Tags: Cardiff Blues, Dan Biggar, Gethin Watts, Keith Holifield, Rugby coaching videos, rugby conditioning, Rugby Skills
Here is a clip from a Rugby Coaching Videos DVD on skills and conditioning.
An excellent drill.
I have a connection to the makers and players in this DVD. Gethin Watts, who is now the Academy manager at the Cardiff Blues, has written for the International Rugby Technical Journal. I tutored Keith Holifield on his Level 3 course (you won’t find a better prepared coach than Keith). The DVD was shot at the barn at Llandarcy where I help coach the Osprey Under 16s.
If you look closely enough you may spot a young Dan Biggar, who has just played for Wales on their North American tour at 10.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, rugby defence, Rugby Team Management, Rugby Training | Tags: rugby tackling, US rugby, weightlifting for rugby
Here is an interesting video from the US on tackle mechanics. It is also has a tip on weightlifting to prevent rugby injuries.
Here is an interesting insight into how Mike Cron, the All Blacks scrum coach, approaches scrummaging.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, International Rugby Journal, Rugby Coaching, Rugby News | Tags: Andy Robinson, England rugby, Frank Hadden, International Rugby Journal
Congratulations to Andy Robinson, who is the new Scottish head coach. I have known Andy for many years, and he was one of the first contributors to the International Rugby Technical Journal, formerly known as Rugby Coach Newsletter.
As a player he was extremely competitive, but also thoughtful and a people person. His teaching background meant he could understand players on many different levels.
Of course in the world of top class coaching, you cannot always win. He was successful with Bath and then as England’s forward coach, transforming the pack into world beaters for the likes of Wilkinson to kick England to glory. His two years in full charge of England were fraught with difficulties and he was sacked in 2006.
However he has bounced back to revitalise Magners League side Edinburgh. They were sad to see him go and it will interesting to watch Scotland progress. Under Frank Hadden they did make strides, but my sense is that Robinson will bring a winning edge, like he did when he first arrived with England.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Team Management | Tags: 93%, coaching and talking, communication, nonverbal
I have been editing a piece on nonverbal communication and decided to research some of the data. I found a couple of articles which show that nonverbal communication might not be as important a concept that some of the courses or communicators tell us.
The big myth about nonverbal communication
By Kim Harrison,
Consultant, Author and Principal of www.cuttingedgepr.com
You have probably heard this type of statement: “Effective personal communication is 55% body language, 38% tone of voice and only 7% content of the words you use.” This is an actual quote from a website.
These percentages are used over and over by communication consultants, body language ‘experts,’ media interview trainers, speech delivery coaches and HR instructors. How comforting it must be for them to quote such exact and scientific figures when this type of information is usually quite general or occurs in the narrow confines of an experiment.
Unfortunately, the figures are just an urban myth. For example, when you think about it, the words in personal communication logically should carry much more weight than a mere 7%. But this formula has been twisted and distorted, and has become a factoid, which is a false statement asserted as a fact.
Regrettably, the 7% 38% 55% statements continue to pop up in published works:
“Only 7 percent of face-to-face communication is actual words.”
“Studies in communication have shown that the verbal aspect – the basic content – only comprises 7% of the total message that we send or another person receives.”
“One study at UCLA indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness is determined by nonverbal cues. Another study indicated that the impact of a performance was determined 7 percent by the words used, 38 percent by voice quality, and 55 percent by the nonverbal communication.”
Do a Google search and you can find variations on the same statement in many locations.
So, what is the truth?
The two original research projects on which this information is based, actually found something decidedly different. UCLA psychologist, Dr Albert Mehrabian, and fellow researchers came up with quite narrow and limited findings, as many research projects do, in their experiments going back to 1967.
The findings only relate to inconsistent communication – where contradictory messages are being conveyed simultaneously by words and other behaviors of a speaker. We may express something verbally while our facial expressions, postures and positions, tone of voice or gestures indicate the opposite.
Further, the findings only relate to an audience that doesn’t know the speaker, apply in situations in which “the cues are limited to feeling (pleasure, arousal, dominance) and like/dislike,” according to Dr Mehrabian (he only tested 9 words in the original experiment).
As a communicator by profession I was determined to find out what the facts were, and so I went to the trouble of buying Mehrabian’s book, Silent Messages, directly from him. Sure enough, Mehrabian’s claims were much more modest than the sweeping conclusions many others have drawn from his work.
He said, “Is there a systematic and coherent approach to resolving the general meaning or impact of an inconsistent message? [my emphasis] Indeed there is. Our experimental results show: “Total liking = 7% verbal liking + 38% vocal liking + 55% facial liking” [page 76]
“This can also be: “Total feeling = 7% verbal feeling + 38% vocal feeling + 55% facial feeling” [page 77]
“These assertions…are limited to feelings (pleasure, arousal, dominance) and like-dislike.” [page 79]
But “Numerical values in this equation are only approximate.” [page 77] “Implicit cues have about 12 times the power of verbal cues.” [page 78]
“In a recorded message or phone conversation, if the vocal expression happens to contradict the words, then the former determines the total impact. This can work either way: the words may be positive and the vocal expression negative, or the vocal expression may be positive and the words negative.” [page 76]
“Obviously implicit expressions are not always more important than words,” stated Dr Mehrabian on page 79. Implicit communication deals mainly with feelings and like/dislike or attitudes.
In many conversations, implicit messages are not even present, eg “I will meet with you at 2 pm next Wednesday.” However, if you say “I’m looking forward to meeting with you again at 2 pm next Wednesday,” with a pained facial expression or if you avoid looking at the person when saying the words, your expression will convey a stronger implicit message than your explicit message (your words).
From all this, when you hear someone self importantly quoting spurious interpretations of Dr Mehrabian’s work, just laugh in their face. I’m sure your facial expression and tone of voice will be consistent with your words.
References
Albert Mehrabian. Silent Messages. Second edition. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company 1981.
About the Author
Kim Harrison is a recognized authority in the public relations field. His website, www.cuttingedgepr.com, provides a wealth of informative articles and resources on public relations techniques and management.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, Rugby Coaching, Rugby Training | Tags: here and now, motivation, player traits, rugby team talk
In response to a question on the Better Rugby Coaching forum, The Huddle, here are five top tips on “talking the talking” so the players can “walk the walk” onto the pitch for the game.
1. Speak from the heart
You must be convinced in what you are saying if you are going to convince the players. Anything you say must be said with uttter belief. This will come across in your body language, tone of voice and facial expression.
2. Speak about the here and now
Your team talk needs to focus on what happens next. It keeps the players in the present, concentrating on the tasks in hand. Don’t become focus on two weeks’ time or the end of the season, think about what needs to be achieved in the 80 minutes.
3. Focus on what you do well, not on your weaknesses
Build the players up with their strengths. Say how they can exploit these strengths in the game. It is also an idea to focus on a more mechanical aspect of the game where it is easy to see progress – say tackling. “We are going to knock them back in the tackle, not let them move without one of us on top of them.”
4. Speak to the individual when addressing the team
All the players will have dominant goals which they focus on more than other things in the game. It might be the team, winning or enjoyment. In your team talk mention all these aspects, within a logical plan. This helps each player put himself in the context of the game.
5. Be a modified self
Some of us are louder than others, some more reserved. If we go to an extreme, we lose sense of what we personally stand for. Let your team talk be just that. A talk. Not a whisper, not a shout. It doesn’t need to be long, or even that eloquent. Your personal passion will be enough. And remember it is the players who are taking the pitch not you. You don’t need to be fired up. You don’t need to talk about “you”, you need to talk about them.
Filed under: Dan Cottrell, ELVs, Rugby Coaching, rugby defence, Rugby Training | Tags: Blue Bulls, mauling, quick ball, rucks, sealing, set piece, Super 14, the Lions, Waikato Chiefs
An international delight of rugby this weekend!
I must say the game that caught my imagination was the Super 14 final between South Africa’s Blue Bulls and New Zealand’s Waikato Chiefs. I know that the rules are achanging, but once again the pace the game is played at is quite breathtaking. The Bulls blew away the Chiefs in the end 61-17.
Here are my thoughts on the key elements, and beware the Lions, because the Blue Bulls had some key test players.
1. Play with width, but come from depth
You can spread the ball across the field, but the ball carriers must interest the defenders with their pace onto the ball and some straight running, however far away the defence is. Both teams spread it wide, but only one team attacked with speed, the Bulls.
2. You must win your set piece cleanly
The Bulls were masters of disrupting the lineout. This led to the Chiefs throwing risky throws. Lineout defence is therefore crucial. The scrums were more solid for the both sides, but again a significant “charge” was made when the Chiefs needed good ball. Good first phase allows teams to develop patterns of play. Defences will have the upper hand otherwise.
3. Sealing is dead
A sealing play stops at the ball and scrum half finds it more difficult to clear the pass. At Super 14, it is more likely that the player “falls” beyond the ball. They key is: keeping the ball clean and if the ball is sealed, then the attacking side will create quick ball. Teams that coach sealing next year will not progress.
4. You must vary your point of attack from 2nd phase
Both sides passed the ball from the base of the ruck close, wide, off 9, and off 10 to keep the defences guessing. This created defensive gaps around 10 and then around 13. Teams cannot cover the whole pitch.
Simple truths we must continue to remember.
And mauling is back! The Lions and the Royal XV benefitted from the return to mauling. More on that as the week goes on.
