Martin's Rugby Coaching Forum

I have started the season with a new team. Under 19's. A small team of 17 boys who all have played rugby for at least a couple of years. I have found that they want to play (and all think they know how) but when it comes to really defending and putting your body on the line they are not there.

What is your advise? I am sure if I turn on the screws I wll loose half of my team!

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Geoff

Hello Geoff, you are in a difficult situation! Is there enough confidence in technique to make succesful tackles? My advise would be to do all the hard work - shields, tackle drills, small games 4v4 on a small grid, etc. You have to talk about rugby being physical. Create a culture or work ethic.

It is a bit like flowerbulbs needed to be hardened to survive the winter

Look for improvement in training first,once things will pick there then you will slowly evolve during the regular games too.

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Martin, Rugbyhead

Hi Martin, thanks for the advise sofar but we are now considering splitting the team up during part of the training sessions, bringing better together with the Development squad from our club. With this we hope to keep the better players intersted while having morre time with lesser players.

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Geoff

This week we decided to pull the plug on the team: we felt most of the players did not want to continue and put the hard work in. Those players who are willing we move to the development squad.
Thanks for the inspiring discussion Martin...

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Geoff