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Scott has been a rugby contributor with The Roar since 2013. After taking some time out to pursue other roles in the game, including coaching Premier Grade with University of Queensland and the Wallaroos at the recent World Cup, he’s returned to give us his insights. You can follow him on Twitter @ScottA_ to hear more from him.
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Interesting discussion on this topic again. Unfortunately too busy to respond to all.
However, all this talk about positives, opportunities for improvement, no negatives – I couldn’t disagree more. Too much theory and coaches I’ve seen try it this way are not effective!
Should the Wallabies be chasing perfection?
Can’t agree with you on this one Brett.
Yes, the financial side is important but Australian Rugby needs all the positive exposure it can get and the fact that this match is getting the exposure it is, shows the public are interested, which is positive news.
What is the point of the Barbarians game, honestly?
Thanks everyone for your ideas on what needs to be prioritized to work on.
Unfortunately, we came up with a long list!!
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Jacky – no argument from me that those areas need work.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks Digger.
Yes presenting a target is something that needs a lot of work – the whole exercise has to be viewed as catch/pass not passing or catching in isolation.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks for the comments Gents.
If you’ve read any of my stuff in the past you’ll know I don’t make flippant comments – maybe alternative to others at times but never flippant!
Having viewed the video evidence very carefully yesterday so that I could comment if asked about it, I concluded the pass was definitely forward 🙂
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Ben and Peter – I’d prefer the pass at chest level too so you can make an immediate pass if required.
If the pass arrives at face level, it takes a split second to bring it back down to make a pass and in pressure situations split seconds count.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks Hoy – your areas to work on are valid but you’d be amazed how quickly time disappears on the training field.
As a coach you plan your session or segment very carefully, you allow some extra time for things not to go to plan.Then you get into it and there never seems to be enough time to make the difference you want to.
All of a sudden the timekeeper tells you there’s five minutes left in the segment and you have to start wrapping it up.
My point is that you can either do 60% of what you want to in more areas or try to do 90% of what you want in fewer areas.
Video is definitely an important tool. The Wallabies have full time analysts and they’re good at their job – they do cut the clips and players are also tasked with cutting their own too. But you’d be surprised at how many players don’t learn well from video. There are lots of players who only learn by ‘doing’.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Good thoughts Ralph – all areas that also need work
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
No disagreement from me on importance of your options. Wallabies not good in either area.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Yes Ed and the first key to running with the ball in both hands is first to catch it out in front in both hands, then don’t pull it in to the body until about to enter contact.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks James – I think the technique in offloading is less important than the support.
Give the players freedom to offload how they like and you might see some new ways to offload. Need to practice offloading at speed to let the players discover what works for them.
If the way an individual player is offloading regularly doesn’t work, then change their technique.
Definitely ideal to do as much practice against defence so there is pressure. Although separate to fitness, this also has the benefit o adding to fitness as well.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Cooper announced as Captain of the Barbarians this morning and it isn’t a Classic players match – will be a full on Barbarians game.
Should be good to watch.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks Geoff. They should already be second nature but not enough basic skills work is being done at any level in Australian rugby.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Highlander, the technical reasons differ from player to player.
That’s one of the things that makes it difficult to rectify skills in a short amount of time with a group because you really need to work one on one with each player as they are all different.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
Thanks.
Foley to Folau was definitely forward but there’s always plenty that gets missed in a game. I was surprised the ref didn’t ask the TMO to look at the pass.
Mark Ella to take over as Wallabies coach?
There’s no structure issue with any of those examples – purely a lack of urgency or effort in my opinion.
Yes, it’s very hard not to get into too much detail. Also, some players don’t like to hear the negatives – they react better if given positive feedback which is not always easy to find.
At the end of the day if you’re making basic errors repeatedly, I believe the coach has to point them out and the player can either make the required improvements or selection changes have to be made.
Did the Wallabies realise they were playing a Test match against Argentina?
What he’s doing is what he did with the All Blacks and it worked there eventually – it’s not too different from what other coaches do bits of – there are only so many different drills you can come up with!
I think the real difference is the absolute commitment to the process. Lots of work now, which will hopefully pay off in the medium term.
It would be very easy for a head coach to drop the skills work sometimes to say, we need to work on specifics for this week’s match but the Wallabies haven’t done that.
I think the program needs to be passed on to a larger number of coaches and I imagine that’s what Rod Kafer will want to see too.
Did the Wallabies realise they were playing a Test match against Argentina?
This is the second year!
Did the Wallabies realise they were playing a Test match against Argentina?
One of the benefits of recently being a National coach is that I got to see behind the curtain as part of the information sharing program.
Not for me to share lots of that information but Mick, as he’s said publicly, is working on the real basics.
I’ve heard it said that it took seven years before the All Blacks really saw the benefits of the work done.
Did the Wallabies realise they were playing a Test match against Argentina?
Thanks for the welcome back from many of you – Zolton kept working on me until eventually the timing was right. I’ll be able to contribute some regular articles moving forward.
My ideal backrow would consist of a big wrecking ball #8, an on the ball #7 as I’ve described in this article and a wide running #6 who was the third specialist lineout jumper.
I haven’t seen the #8 we need recently (I’m not sold on Timani), Fardy was the #6 we need (but I spoke to him in Ireland recently and he won’t be back). Pocock is the #7 we need (but he’ll no doubt play #8 next year with Hooper at #7).
With Hooper and Pocock in the backrow next year, it’s a wide running #6 who is a specialist lineout jumper that we need most. Maybe that’s why Cheika is persisting with Hanigan because he feels he can develop into that role.
One step forward, a couple back for the Wallabies
Some are likely to feature, yes
Women's sport weekly wrap: Where are the women in rugby?
We’re not sure whether there will be Fox coverage of the NZ tour.
I do know that only two of the matches are being covered by SKY in NZ so it may be that you’ll have to wait until coverage of the WRWC in Ireland through Fox.
Women's sport weekly wrap: Where are the women in rugby?
Yes, he wasn’t moving urgently – lazy or lacking awareness? Could be a bit of both.
How the Wallabies went from Bledisloe blunder to flying form