I thoroughly enjoyed pulling together the second book in the Collectors’ Series because there are so many great coaches who want to share their experiences. The volume is split into three sections, focusing on skills and training, set pieces and tactics and finally, coaching and management. The last section has 2 successful Six Nations coaches talking about how they prepare their teams, England’s Stuart Lancaster and Wales’ Rob Howley. I was particularly struck by Howley’s approach to fitness and the gain line. It seems the simplest ideas get lost in the detail sometimes.
All of the pieces in this book have been written by coaches who have achieved many accolades in the game, whether in coaching World Cup final teams, premier league teams or educating the next set of internationals.
When I was compiling this book one of the things I was looking for was clarity of thought. Sessions that make the complicated straightforward, the jargon make sense, the playbook usable, defence achievable, and management deliverable.
IRC is a great opportunity to learn from students of the game. The kind of coaches who learn from each other and are always looking to improve. You can find new ideas as well as guidance to improve on your existing level of coaching. Get coaching guidance from:
Dick Muir: Director of Rugby Durban club side Crusaders
Rob Howley: Wales National Coach
Stuart Lancaster: Former head coach of the English national rugby union team
Conor O’Shea: Head coach of the Italian national team
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Manager/coach
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Club/Affiliation
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Session name
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Skills & Training
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| Conor O’Shea | Director of Rugby, London Harlequins, Aviva Premiership | The mindset of the best teams is to counter attack |
| Rob Appleyard | Wales U20 skills coach and Dragons assistant coach | Control their attack with your defence |
| Damien Hill | Assistant coach, RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels | Training with the Rebels |
| Simon Middleton | Leeds Carnegie, Aviva Premiership | Include more skills drill in training |
| Craig Leseberg | Brumbies coaching and development manager and former scrum-half | The end of the sweep pass? |
| Jamie Hamilton | Performance analyst and halfback coach at the Canterbury Crusaders, the Super 14 team | Super 14 halfback training |
| Jan Bonney | Academy manager, Saracens RFC | One session a week team prep |
| Liam Midleton | Zimbabwe 7s coach and Bristol Academy coach | Leopard crawling to keep the ball |
| Roy Saunders | Colts coach at Sunnybanks RFC, Premier League team in Australia | Jockey for better support |
| Margot Wells | Director of Wellfast, Margot Wells school of speed | You can’t tackle what you can’t catch |
| Mark Calverley | Head of PE at Westlake College, New Zealand, and an IRB Level 4 coach | Successful tackle |
| Ben Whitaker | ARU talent development coordinator | Make clever players, not just more technical and physical players |
| Ian Mac Donald | Coach at the Golden Lions, and position specific coach at the Investec International Rugby Academy | Master the breakdown |
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Set pieces & Tactics
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| Martin Haag | Forwards coach at Bath, Guinness Premiership | Dominating the scrum |
| Andrew Strawbridge | Assistant coach, Auckland, and coaching advisor to NZ U20s (Baby Blacks) | Baby Blacks defence |
| Bernard Jackman | Former Ireland hooker and now defence consultant at Grenoble RFC | Defence from around the world |
| Tony Hanks | Head coach, Sale Sharks | Unlock the tightest and most well-organised defences with attacking shape |
| Gavin Hickie | Former hooker for Leinster and Leicester, now coaching in the US | What makes a good lineout session? |
| Barrie-Jon Mather | Former London Irish assistant coach and now head of player development for the Rugby Football League | Win more ball with a split kick off |
| Neal Hatley | Forwards coach, London Irish, Aviva Premiership | Boosting your lineout lifters |
| Glenn Delaney | Director of Rugby, Nottingham RFC | Breaking their defensive system |
| Lee Mears | Current England international hooker | Cows don’t drink tea anymore: The role of the hooker at the lineout |
| Jim Love | Former New Zealand Maori coach, and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Sports Academy | The last resort for continuity |
| Matt Rowley | GreenandGoldRugby.com | Kicking to break up and beat teams |
| Keith Richardson | Former editor of the RFU Technical Journal, author and Level 4 coaching mentor | Perfecting your scrum session |
| Stuart Lancaster | England Saxon coach and head of elite player development | Developing chefs and not cooks |
| Rob Howley | Wales assistant coach | Thinking about your next play, not your next breath |
| Dale McIntosh | Wales U18s assistant coach, Cardiff Blues academy coach, Pontypridd Coach | Coaching the Chief’s way |
| Richard Graham | Head coach, Western Force, Perth, Australia | Preparing for the Super 15 championship 2012 |
| Mark Mapletoft | England U20s coach | Train how you play |
| Tony Hanks | Director of Rugby, London Wasps, Aviva Premiership | Coaching old hands |
| Kevin George | Academy manager Scarlets and head coach of Welsh Premiership champions, Llanelli | Semi-professional rugby challenges |
| Bill Beswick | Leading applied sports psychologist | How to help your team perform under pressure |
| Dave Hadfield | Mindplus, a leading New Zealand based mental skills trainer and hi-perf consultant to the Wellington Hurricanes | Decision-making – a key part of World Cup Victory |
| Mike Allen | Age group coaching co-ordinator, Hong Kong Rugby Union | A six-point plan to break out of a losing streak |
| Alan Martinovic | Director of rugby academy, Hartpury College | “Heads up rugby” – myths and methods |
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