Stuff the scrum coach. Let's get a bloody kicking and catching coach

[TOCC]

All this focus is put on the scrum, however only once was the ball turned over from the scrum... How many times was the ball turned over from bad kicking/catching.

We are in a country with a sport who specializes in the aerial acrobatics of catching balls midflight... So why are the Wallabies so bad at it?

Will Genia is arguably the best defuser of the high ball in the Wallabies, yet he is the shortest bloke on the field.

I believe we need to sign a catching coach from the AFL to work on the Wallabies catching the ball in an aggressive and front foot manner.

Tactical Kicking, well we could go on all day, but once again we have the NRL who have some of the best tactical kickers in either code, surely their is a means to acquire some of that knowledge through coaches.

 

[TOCC]

Title was supposed to read "and" not "an"

 

[cyclopath]

And so it does.

 

[Beefcake]

I think kicking and receiving are elementary skills that can quickly be rectified, what they need is a heart surgeon... to get some ticker when their chips are down...

 

[TOCC]

A elementary skill which lost us territory, penalties and possession on numerous occasions...

 

[cyclopath]

Interesting that they mentioned last night the AB kicking coach is an Aussie, from Manly I think. Couldn't get a gig anywhere here.
But it is yet another skill which has withered in Oz rugby.

 

[Beefcake]

the aforementioned was lost because of a lack of attacking continuity built through the piggies and unravelling throughout the backline...

 

[Richo]

I couldn't agree more, TOCC. Absolute no brainer.

 

[TOCC]

the aforementioned was lost because of a lack of attacking continuity built through the piggies and unravelling throughout the backline.

In some cases maybe...

However I'd say 70% of the kicks and catches by Australia last night were poorly executed resulting in a loss of territory/possession.

A good kick or catch can be used as an attacking weapon, even when the team is on the backfoot. That's what the AB's did last night and that's what Australia failed to do.

 

[waratahjesus]

I've been at the Tahs for this to. The wallabies have been training at Victoria barracks which is in walking distance of swans HQ. why they don't share some sessions and such with them I will never know.

 

[Badger]

Apparently, they already seek advice from AFL coaches. For whatever reason, it isn't sinking at the moment.

RUCK & MAUL
Greg Growden from 17 August 2012 www.smh.com.au

Up there Cazaly … former Swans coach Paul Roos at Wallabies training. Photo: Anthony Johnson
The Wallabies have sought advice from several AFL big guns to improve their often-flawed aerial work. Former Swans coach Paul Roos has been seen at several recent Wallabies' training sessions helping the players improve their skills under the high ball and at restarts. It's not before time, as their poor kicking and catching skills has been a main problem area for the Wallabies for some years, prompting the SOS call to the AFL experts. Roos was brought in again yesterday, working with the players near the end of their training session at Leichhardt Oval. For some time the Wallabies and AFL clubs, in particular the Swans, have enjoyed a healthy relationship. Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has also developed a strong link with the Adelaide Crows assistant coach Dean Bailey. Bailey was in the Wallabies coaches' box when they defeated Wales in Melbourne this year.

​

Yeah, I know it's Growden writing, but Roos is pictured at training.

 

[TOCC]

Maybe rather then bringing in the head coach which is more or less for liaison, they should bring in coaches who specialize purely in this area..

Melbourne Storm did it years ago and developed one of the best cross field kicking/catching skillsets in the NRL, it's only been the past couple of years that other teams have caught up.

 

[Bowside]

Easily one of the weakest areas of our game.

We need to turn this into a strength if we are to be number 1.

 

[It is what it is]

And bring back the torpedo.
Some of our drop punts are so weak you'd kick a Bessa block further.

 

[TSR]

Can't we get both.

Seriously though, it is amazing how far the attacking skills of rugby league players have come - not just kicking, but also catching, passing, running lines etc, while union skills at the top level seem to have gone backwards.

 

[Hugh Jarse]

At least one Shute Shield club has a Cross Country Volley Ball grounded Kicking Coach.

Not only do we have to leverage off CCVB skills coaches, but the players need to have the discipline to actually practice those skills to such a level that they are intuitive. I think the figure is 10 000 repetitions.

As much as we dislike the divide by 3 scorelines of the Soap Dodgers when Jonny Wilkonson was playing for them, I have read somewhere that in his prime Wilko practiced his place kicking for 60 minutes before and after every training session. Boring as batdroppings, but it is those countless hours of practice that are rewarded on game day.

 

[Linebacker_41]

Interesting that they mentioned last night the AB kicking coach is an Aussie, from Manly I think. Couldn't get a gig anywhere here.
But it is yet another skill which has withered in Oz rugby.

The ABs kicking coach is Mick Byrne an ex-AFL player from Hawthorne. However he does more than just kicking and catching for the backs.

He also does the forwards kick off receiving particularly with the overhead catch as well as the line-out catching techniques.

He has just been named as the (Auckland) Blues assistant coach with John Kirwan where he will apparently do even more work with the forwards. He has been around the rugby system for quite some time now and picked up on a lot of the technicalities of our game.

It will be interesting to see how he goes at the Blues.

As for the Wallabies, I absolutely agree that we need more specialist coaches who are present for each session and not doing it remotely from South Africa.

 

[ACT Crusader]

Interesting that they mentioned last night the AB kicking coach is an Aussie, from Manly I think. Couldn't get a gig anywhere here.
But it is yet another skill which has withered in Oz rugby.

Mick Byrne. Has an AFL background. Next year he will be plying his trade with John Kirwan at the Blues.

 

[ACR]

Interesting that they mentioned last night the AB kicking coach is an Aussie, from Manly I think. Couldn't get a gig anywhere here.
But it is yet another skill which has withered in Oz rugby.

Should have tried to take back Mick Byrne. I'm sure the ARU could coff up more money than the Auckland Union. If need be you could probably pay your players less and invest it elsewhere.

^^^lol, as above. Would have been worth it.

 

[RoffsChoice]

I know White was seeking out AFL coaches during the June test series, for assistance or just tips, I don't know.

This is really important, we all saw AAC (Adam Ashley-Cooper)'s kicks on the wing. He was isolated and would have lost the ball if tackled, so it was the right tactical choice, but he wasn't good enough to preform those kicks.