Coaching Support Trip to Pingvin RFC, Trelleborg, Sweden

15 to 17 August 2018

by Dave Cockburn

Penguin Coaching Academy Coach and qualified UKCC and World Rugby Educator Dave Cockburn went back out to Trelleborg to work in tandem with Mark Stacey and Tomasi Tamanivalu in preparing the Pingvin Rugby Club for their next two big games in a double header against Stockholm Exiles on the 29^th of September and the 6^th of October. This is the climax of their season, as success will crown them Swedish National Champions. The way the team approached practice was really encouraging as they showed a lot energy and commitment.

We coached the session through different types of touch games, which had the emphasis on attack and from that comes defence. As each game progressed the coaches gave the players ownership of the game and they started to put constraints on what the attack could do and what the defence could do.

We are looking forward to the outcome of the final games.

Pingvin RFC also held an International Youth Tournament where Mark Casey and I had the opportunity to coach an Under 16 Team called RC Heroes from Haljarp.  Again this young team were very receptive and we got the opportunity to watch them play and put some of what we had coached into practice.

Coaching Session Plan 

Scrum Notes:

·        Individual Scrum Posture

·        1 v 1 Crabbing Activity  (Use pushing technique as well)

·        Ball Balance 2 balls

·        Ball Balance 2 balls go forward by self then with two behind. Wing Forward Second row

·        1 v 1

·        1 v 2

·        Prone stabilisation with a ball pass backwards and forwards

·        Duck walk

Loose head bind high

Tight Head bind low

Left side second row bind through props legs pretend he is trying to grab his left ear to get tight.

Right side second row bind through props legs pretend he is trying to grab his right ear to get tight

In other words not on shorts

Other things could be looked at but it depends on what the players want.

Some of the practices above I will introduce to backs as well as they are core drills which benefit tackling

And rucking/clearing and be used in the games.

Session will start with a warm up. This could be your warm up or stuff that I could do eg:

Keep the ball:  2 x 2 minute sessions

·        Two teams

·        Keep the ball

·        Anyway passing

·        Touch is a turnover

·        No scoring

Coaching through games:

Game 1:

All of these games are numbers related however if there are big numbers we can have two games and we can team coach. 

Team 1 defends the 22. The attack team attack at pace into the 22. If they get touched the ball has to be passed out of the 22 to start the attack again and the defense have to go up to the 22 line to defend. Problem is to get behind the defense.

Game 2:

90-degree touch:

·        When touched player touched puts the ball down and goes over ball and back before passing

·        If a score happens the team that scored turn clockwise and play in that direction

·        Defense have to react

·        Mistake like ball forward or goes to ground it is a turnover

Game 3:

On and off touch

If we have 24 players for example we split into 3 teams of 8.

·        Two teams play each other

·        If one teams scores the other team are off and the new team are on

·        The scoring team score turn round and play in the opposite direction

·        The new team on have to organize quickly

Game 4:

Scrum touch:

·        The toucher and the touched player go on their knees

·        Coach shouts crouch, which is them on their knees, Bind and Set. On the set they come up to stand

·        Ball put in by the side who touched

·        Gets people thinking about the back foot etc

Game 5:

Bullet Touch:

This game works round the breakdown area and what the roles of the players are in the breakdown.

·        Attacking player is touched (A)

·        Goes to deck and presents the ball

·        First support player is the bullet (B) and gets the toucher out of the way

·        The next player in is the clearer (C) who can park over the ball or clear another defender or if it is quick ball pass the ball. The decision maker (D) is an option for slow ball

We can discuss when we coach the break down with the players.

Each game is 3mins long.  3 games played. Minute rest in between games.

We will not do all the games.

All open for discussion.