Strahan McIntosh (Marist Albion RFC RDO)

To all the young coaches at St. Bede's, I’ve been asked provide some personal insights for coaching your teams before we (hopefully) kick off later this year. Like yourselves, I too started coaching school rugby young as a 19 year old returning to my college to help out.

Practically what I try to start with each year is what I know, as we all learn more and more each season. I write down all my thinking, draw up plays, lineouts, language to be used, themes, team shape, non-negotiables etc. I then think what’s important to me, and throw everything else out. For me currently it’s all about: set piece, exit plays, tackle, pass, and clean-out, and perhaps in that order. For me this process provides clarity when thinking about the pre-season or the first few trainings. So If we train gaining possession at set piece, and are able to tackle, pass, clean-out and exit, we should go okay throughout the year. I don’t mind too much about nailing attack shape, as if we can’t win the ball it’s going to be a tough day at the office.

Once I have my focus I then want to maximise our learning time at training. I love seeing players learning by doing. I try repeat key drills to save time, and try to build in testing players' skills under fatigue as they would in a game. Using games at training such as simple ruck touch or ruck-and-run games can improve player decision-making and create positive habits. I try to modify the rules each game as we go, to make it challenging. For ruck touch you could start with one-handed touch, modify to two touches. The ball-carrier hits the deck then places the ball long, and keep building from there; one defender or two have to kneel at the ruck etc. Sometimes I just even make it up on the spot. For instance: If a forward catches the ball flat-footed I turn it over, I want to enforce and create good habits, for example let’s run onto the ball. Later I can also create a time, place and opportunity for players to get it wrong, but at that moment I’m looking at fostering good habits and decision-making.

It's always helpful when you have two coaches, because you can team coach. If I’m running a skills activity or drill, I can then focus on if the players are completing the drill, my co-coach, backs/forwards coach, assistant coach etc. can then look at how the players are executing key skills. Hopefully we have discussed what we are wanting to reinforce as key principles of the skill, catch early, square hips, pass late for instance in a passing wave. They would then provide positive feedback and work ons throughout the drill, while I keep the players focused on the objective, for example: soft hands, quick transition.

For me, it starts that simple so let’s try keep it that way, keep team clarity, fun and challenging at trainings. No doubt I’ll see you around the College fields, good luck for the season ahead!

Strahan McIntosh

Marist Albion RFC RDO