Create better game intelligent rugby players

Game Intelligence (GI) is where a player makes good decisions on a pitch. The higher the GI factor, the more times that player will take the best option. You need to help your players realise what the best options are and when they have taken them.

GI attributes

A Game Intelligent player executes the right decision consistently. They make that decision because they know why it works. A player may make a great pass which leads to a try, but if they don’t know why they did it, they are not showing Game Intelligence. They are less likely to do it again when a similar situation occurs.

Through questioning, observation and feedback, we need to help players comprehend the outcomes of their actions.

We are now working on two levels.

1. Giving the player the techniques required for the game.
2. Helping them decide when and where to use that technique.

This is often referred to as the difference between technical and skills training.

GI with and without the ball

Think of your players making major and minor decisions.

A major decision directly involves the ball carrier, and a minor decision everyone else. Each requires a level of understanding of the consequences of the action they are taking. 

Ultimately the ball carrier will make the most important decisions, but their actions are crucially swayed by the actions of his team-mates and the opposition.

Until recently, many coaches mainly coached the major decisions, the role of the ball carrier in passing, taking contact or kicking. Now we see coaching sessions concentrating on areas such defensive roles, rucking and running lines of the support players.

Your sessions need to reflect on the balance between the ball and non-ball activities, especially in terms of making the right decisions in the “minor” parts of the game.

Minor decision areas

The best “drills” have more than one outcome. In other words, the players involved can take more than one path. Some are better than others, but certainly there is not one right one and all the other wrong. It is not just a case of querying the ball carrier, but also any other player involved in the drill.

Here are some example of "drills" to use to help improve game intelligence.

Slow v quick ball plays game training

Developing line speed around ruck for square blitz defence