This months 
Brian Ashton's Blogg - Following Brian and SCD around the world in 2009
Brian's Blogg!
IRANZ IN THE USA 31.07.2009
Off to Glendale , Colorado at the week –end to facilitate the High Level Performance Coaches course for Iranz.
This is the second time this year ( previously in NewZealand ) that I have been fortunate enough to be asked to contribute with Iranz.
Murray Mexted is the boss and has developed a great product over the years both for players and coaches from all over the world.
I shall be working alongside such All Black legends of the game as Sean Fitzpatrick and Grant Fox , so the experience will once more be exciting and invaluable for me.
More on the outcomes when I return.
Click for more info on the International Rugby Academy
Rugby Academy @ St. Edward's School, Oxford. 31.07.2009
Spent an interesting and eventually very enjoyable 2 days earlier this week running a 2 day Rugby Academy at St. Edward’s School , Oxford on behalf of the Independent Schools Coach Education. I had the valuable assistance of Evan Stewart ex – captain of Loughborough Students.
Dodging the showers on the first morning we had decided to base the 2 days around and fun / learning experience and , therefore , spent the majority of the day working through games based scenarios highlighting various aspects of play. This was obviously a different approach for the players ( 11 – 13 year olds ) but one that they eventually grasped with relish.
The second day saw some split backs and forwards work before again to reverting to playing in teams to promote all the benefits of Game Understanding that this can bring. Interestingly the players were desperate to do some full on contact work and an interesting conversation ensued as to the wisdom of them at such an early age looking at Rugby as a game that is based around contact instead of avoidance of contact !!!
The 2 days were very informative for me as to how the game is perceived and introduced to young players.
St. Edward’s was, as ever, a welcoming and excellent venue for such an occasion.
WINNINGTON PARK COLTS CHALLENGE 13.07.2009
On the afternoon of Saturday 11th July , as part of my business / rugby day I took a session that was a part of a Colts Challenge which the club organizes each Summer.
As the players had previously had coaching from the Sale Sharks Academy staff and players on various techniques and unit skills of the game I decided to centre my session around creating some order from chaos in phase play and then moving on to playing in Attack and Defence from turn – over ball.
It was clear that this games based approach was different for the players and they took some time to come to terms with the dynamism and decision – making required. However towards the end of the session there were clear signs that the messages were being taken on board. Interestingly the communication levels between the players became more vocal and intelligently game related as the afternoon progressed , so that good information was being passed between the players as the practices were in progress.
The players also became far more comfortable with the questioning approach I adopted ( as opposed to the telling ! ) and this helped to produce a higher level of understanding of the principles of play we were focusing on.
At the end a player approached me and commented that the practices were like the game itself ! I have always thought that this was the underpinning factor of Coaching?
An Evening at Christ's Hospital School 25.06.2009
Spent an interesting afternoon and evening at Christ’s Hospital School in Sussex on Friday 19th June.
I had been invited by Sean Davey (Premiership Referee and member of staff ) to run a coaching session with the squad of players from the school who are off on tour to Australia this Summer.
The players worked hard and with intelligence throughout the session which was based largely on Principles of play and decision making through games. Seventy five minutes of this also provided a good cardiovascular work out !!!
In the evening a dinner was held in the remarkable school dining room to raise money for the trip. It was well attended by approximately 370 people of all ages and both sexes. The dining room is remarkable in that it can seat the whole school (800 pupils + ) at one sitting and has the largest unsupported roof of any building in Europe !
As the acoustics were tricky in such a grand room I addressed the diners from the pulpit featured in the centre of one of the long side walls. A brand new and exciting experience.
The whole experience was very enjoyable; firstly I met an ex pupil of my vintage from Lancaster Royal Grammar not seen since 1962! He was the holder of the Long plunge school record and captain of the swimming team that year; secondly I was fortunate enough to be seated at the same table as Bob and Janet Rogers. Bob was president of England rugby in my first year as Head Coach. Thirdly, there was an excellent social get together at the end of the evening that ensured a good finish to the day.
Christ’s Hospital is a unique school, not least in the uniform that both boy and girl pupils wear.
In the days when I had a real job as a schoolmaster at King’s School, Bruton we met Christ’s at the Rosslyn park sevens schools tournament. A friendship developed and eventually Rugby fixtures between the two school first teams were arranged. The Christ’s boys made quite an impact on their first visit to the sleepy Somerset town of Bruton wearing their unique uniforms. The whole town, it appeared, turned out to see them on the streets thinking that this was part of the set of a Charles Dickens film !
An Evening in Italian Rugby 08.06.2009
When I spent time in Italy recently I was invited to watch the National under 19 final of the Italian Rugby Federation. These were , one assumes , the two best sides of that age group in the country.
From a coaching perspective it was fascinating to see the two sides operate when the ball became “ ALIVE “ outside the set pieces – how decisions were made and how they manoeuvred themselves around the field.
In fact , they did not actually manoeuvre themselves at all but were very clearly being operated by two very passionate and vocal coaches patrolling the touch line for the whole of the game.
It was a classic example of Autocratic coaching in action. Decisions either made in certain situations or areas of the pitch before the game commenced and carried through irrespective of the match in progress. Additionally the coaches shouted instructions at the players at almost every break in play so that the responsibility and decision making on the field was taken solely out of the players’ hands.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall in the two changing rooms at the end of the game to see who took the credit for winning and the blame for losing !!!
Brian
My Italian Job 04.06.2009
On Saturday 30th May I presented to the Level 3 / 4 coaches from the whole of Italy on the topic of transition rugby – how to play when you win or lose the ball in phase play. The presentation was done completely in Italian which, fortunately , has still not deserted me !
Also present were all the National Coaches of the Italian teams, including Nick Mallett , the Head Coach of the senior team.
I attempted to make the presentation as interactive as possible, giving the Italian coaches the opportunity to air their views , but with mixed success. As with most coaches at events such as this there is a reluctance to speak in public. However this allowed me to talk also about the relationship between the coaches and players that allows both to realise their full potential. This certainly provided a more animated discussion amongst the coaches as to which methodology was the best.
I then took a 60 minute session with 20 under 18 regional players from Lazio on understanding the principles behind creating order from chaos on the field initially, then moving to the principles of transition rugby.
Despite the heat at mid-day and the fact that I was coaching in Italian the players surprised me with their enthusiasm and ability.
A question and answer session followed with the coaches which highlighted once again the different approaches used throughout Italy.
On the Saturday evening I watched the play – off final between Benetton Treviso and Arix Viadana. A close encounter won in the last 10 minutes by Benetton.
My final official engagement was on the Monday evening when I was invited by the Italian Rugby Federation to the “Event”, which involved saying farewell and good luck to the Italian Squad just before their departure to Australia and New Zealand on a pretty tough Summer tour ! It was great to catch up with the Coaches and the players that I have got to know over the years through England. The Event took place in the middle of the pitch at Stadio Flaminio where the 6 nations home fixtures are played. A fantastic evening ending with a glorious firework display that lit up the sky of Rome!
Brian
Brian is providing regular updates with his own unique thoughts and views, so keep visiting the page to find out whats new in the wider world of sport.
