Midhurst Traing builds on Etihad Cup
15 Nov 09 Midhurst U9s 0 v 0 Petersfield U9s
Midhurst Training
Hello Everyone,
A short write up of our training session yesterday.
Our hosts could only field 5 players but one in particular stands out. 'little Nick' wearing a No 10 Jerey played a blinder yesterday and with the right support and training he will make a very good player, lot's of energy for a properly build young man, lots of aggression and he runs in a straight line, a Brian Moore in the making although he is gonna have to give up aspirations for No 10!. Well done Nick, and we hope you ankle feels a little better.
So for our Petersfield team, we now know how to maul eh.? Some great drives and consistent pushing from everyone. Everyone probably means too many now.!! We now need to work on how our players learn the positions we pick them to play in (and we now need to start placing our rapidly developing stars into what we think is right for them).
More consistent tackling now with good defensive play from all 3 teams. Call me old fashioned but I think the wet mud has something to do with better play!. Kaja Jacobs especially seems to like being dragged around in it and Tim Troth likes dragging people around in it.! So we will make sure plentiful supplies of mud are available to ensure Mums and Dads know how busy we have all been when they get home.
We are now starting to see the ball out at the wing which is very encouraging. This means we might be passing the ball a little more and with a greater degree of confidence. We saw some great tries during the games and it shows that when we pass it's easier to score.Well done everyone.
So after all that good news a few things to work on and think about:
- we now need to start thinking about our roles in our positions - what is the job of a forward, what is the job of a back......
- what position do we need to be in during different parts of the game...
- do we need to be in the maul, or do we wait for a pass....
- do we just watch when its all going wrong or do we dive in and save the ball from being stolen...
We are having a little trouble with what offside means during some parts of the game. It's difficult to understand becasue it applies to so many different elements of the game. Get Mum and Dad to talk you through this with a big bag of coloured M & M's just before bedtime!!.....
Offisde is a complicated part of Rugby. Different phases of the game have their own set of offside laws.
OFFSIDE IN OPEN PLAY
If a player is in front of a team-mate in possession of the ball, or in front of a team-mate who has last played the ball, they will be offisde if they:
- actively try to play the ball
- do not retreat within 10M of an opponent who is waiting for the ball, or
- move towards the opponents or the place where the ball lands without first coming back onside.
The referee will award a penalty at the place where the offence took place
OFFISDE AT A SCRUM
For scrum-halves, the offside line is the line of the ball fed into the scrum. That means they can't go beyond that line until the ball has been put into the scrum by the opposing number nine. For all the other players, the offside line is an imaginary line drawn through the back foot of the last player in the scrum. No player apart from the forwards and scrum-halves are allowed within this area. The opposing scrum-half has to wait until the ball is out of the scrum before making a tackle for the ball. If they don't, the referee will award a penalty.
OFFSIDE AT A RUCK OR MAUL
Most offside decisions happen at rucks and mauls.Like the scrum, an imaginary line is drawn through the hindmost foot of the last player in the ruck or maul. Players must either join the ruck or maul or retreat behind the offside line. A player is offside if they: · Join from their opponent's side · Join play from in front of the last man · Do not join either the ruck or maul, but fail to get behind the offside line · Leave the ruck or maul, but do not get behind the offside line.
Start thinking bout your positions and what offisde means for next Sunday, See you then...and a great effort last weekend, we are starting to play proper rugby!!!
The Old Coaches (no horse).
