Mikes coaching tour of England & Italy
November 2011.
Emirates airline now run a flight out of Sydney, leaving at 6 am Sunday morning and arriving at Birmingham airport, England, the same day at 6.45pm.
Emirates are a very comfortable airline to fly with. This flight was less than half full, so I had a row of 4 seats to myself in economy. Although the flight is in daytime, it’s still good to be able to stretch out and nap for a while between films. The transfer in Dubai took only 45 minutes so I was in the air again very quickly.
The hidden value of being involved in rugby over the years is that you can stay with friends wherever you go.
An old playing mate of mine, Bob Fowkes, had offered to put me up for the duration of my stay. Bob had the “pleasure” of staying with me when he came to Sydney last Christmas and witnessed every ball bowled in the Sydney Ashes test, a lasting memory for a cricket mad pom!
Birmingham was only a 50 minute drive from Bobs place; you don’t want a long drive after a long flight! Bob lives in the beautiful village of Wysall, between Nottingham and Leicester. The climate changes have ensured that the leaves are still on the trees in November and I always appreciate the colours.
I find jet lag easier to cope with going from East to West, so I was ready to take my first coaching session at Kenilworth on Tuesday night. Richard Gibson had taken over the coaching reigns and as with many clubs, finances had been stretched through paying players and this was now no longer possible. Some players had left but a new enthusiasm was running through the club and we had a good turnout of both players and coaches.
I always ask the club coaches which areas they want me to focus on. Richard felt support play and attack from set pieces would be of benefit.
Any attack must ask questions of the defence, so straight running, support lines and ball retention skills were part of the session. We finished with a very vigorous continuous play practice against defenders holding shields.
The final briefing took place at the local pub. I hope the pub becomes once again a focal point of rugby life.
The following day, Wednesday, November 2nd and I’m on my way to Bromley in Kent to take a session with the HSBC bank rugby club. Negotiating South London near rush hour required an early start. At best it was a 3 hour drive.
Steven Dunn the HSBC coach had discussed coaching topics with me and we settled on tackle contest options and support play. At 6 foot seven, Steve was an imposing Scotsman. He should have been in New Zealand. The number of players training was excellent and the facilities perfect. Bank profits had been spent wisely.
The after session chat over pie and chips afforded me the opportunity to ask about Europe’s financial problems? Which ones was the response, there are so many!!
The drive back to base camp was quite relaxed. The heavy traffic had moved on.
Since I only arrived on Sunday, I was still getting used to the change in temperature.
Thursday and Friday were local days. My middle son Jim lives in Nottingham so it was good to catch up with him. The mates I played rugby with back in the late 70s also required a visit.
Saturday 5th of November and I’m back on the road early morning to Rochford Hundreds Rugby club, just outside Southend in Essex.
This time it’s with over 60 juniors aged between 6 and 12, ably supported by numerous coaches and enthusiastic parents. These sessions are hugely challenging, but are the heart and soul of rugby.
The session started at 10 am. The players worked in age groups and I demonstrated with one group, then they all went away with their respective coaches. We worked for 2 hours and could have gone on for longer such was the enthusiasm and stamina!
In the clubhouse we queued for burger and chips and I showed a power point presentation entitled, “Open the door to self improvement” for all the coaches.
Driving home from such occasions is really heart warming. Genuine people providing great sport for 1000s of kids all around the country.
Sunday November 6th and a chance to go out for Sunday lunch With Bob and his mum,Lucy, a very sprightly 85 year old.
I love traditional English Sunday roasts. How good is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding?
I also found time to prepare for Monday nights session at Leamington Rugby Club with Warwickshire County under 18s. Tony Timms a very prominent rugby man in the area had organised the session. The players worked hard, but as often happen with this age group, don’t push themselves hard enough. They could quite easily move to the next level if they were prepared to do so.
The post session discussion over a beer with the coaches was good humoured. All want to know about the gossip from within the hierarchy of English rugby, especially after the poor performances in the RWC.
Tuesday November 8th and it’s another 4 hour drive to Dover. This is a repeat visit from one I made a year ago, so it will be good to meet up with old mates. Staying overnight makes the journey easier. The White Cliffs of Dover are a majestic sight.
We are looking at various aspects of defence and attacking the hinge and drift defences. Once again we have over 30 players and 10 coaches, despite a wet and cold night. The English Channel is a foreboding site in winter! Why did the Armada risk it?
When conditions are harsh and it rains all night you have to work hard to keep the players going. It’s action not talk. The players were a credit to the club.
After a hot shower, the steward had provided a warming chicken curry with rice…outstanding. I love taking sessions at Dover.
After an early morning breakfast, I’m on the road back to Nottingham. Rush hour traffic around the notorious M25 is heavy so it’s a slow journey.
In the afternoon I’m meeting my old fly half partner from my junior rugby days, Jeff Mapp. He works in semi retirement for the RFU so it’s an opportunity for me to get up to speed with what’s happening at the RFU, if anybody knows?
Lunch, in the pub again was tasty, and the conversation interesting. In the evening Jeff had asked me to have a chat with a young coach he is mentoring. It’s interesting to get a young persons perspective on coaching and playing.
The last 48 hours had been tiring with lots of driving so it was good to get back to my bed.
Thursday November 10th
A morning visit to Leicester Tigers. The Head coach Richard Cockerill had kindly allowed me to attend the team run prior to the Heineken Cup game in Italy against Arioni.
The RWC had taken lots of Tigers players, and the club were languishing near the foot of the Premiership. Now the RWC was over it was time to regroup and start a move back up the table. An emphatic win away at Sale suggested the team were in the mood to do just that!
It is always satisfying as a coach to work with young talented players and now 5 years on see them playing at the highest level. I had 6 years as a coach at Tigers and it was a very challenging and dynamic period in my life. To chat with the players over lunch brought back some fond memories. Croft, Youngs, Cole, all well established Internationals and good blokes as well.
To the general public there is a glamour attached to high profile coaching. In reality it is pressure and hard work. You need mental strength just to stay in the job, let alone be successful.
I snatched a couple of hours R & R in the afternoon before setting off to Luton to take a session at Stockwood Park RFC.
I had spoken to stand in Coach Tony Harmon 2 days previously to discuss the session content. Fortunately the weather was kind and the players all on time and keen to start. In fact they did their own warm up. This is an important time for a visiting coach as you can look at the movement skills of each player. Occasionally you make subtle changes to the programme.
The session was based on support play, tackle contest options and realignment. As it was Thursday night we had to leave some time at the end for a team run.
The players were fantastic, very committed and the talk with Tony had proved beneficial. I really enjoyed this session. The professional game would be well advised to keep in contact with junior clubs, as there are some very good players at this level.
Post session we chatted in the club house over a pint of Guinness. I have another session with these players before my return to OZ early in December and I’m really looking forward to it.
Friday 11th was a good day for me to catch up on some admin and do some planning for the following week.
My old Junior club, Moderns in Nottingham were having a vice presidents day on the Saturday so it was a chance to catch up with some really old mates and sink a few beers. Great to switch off totally and have a good laugh!!
The taxi got me home in one piece, just!!
Sunday, November 13th and a slow start. I’m not a great drinker so the previous night had taken its toll.
In the afternoon, Nottingham was playing Pontypridd in a British and Irish cup game. A competition mainly used to assess developing players. Ponty were big BUT not very mobile and despite leading 17 nil at the break you always suspected Nottingham could win the game if they moved the ball wide and isolated some of the Ponty big men. This they duly did and won the game with the last kick, a beautifully struck drop goal. 20 to 17.
Monday morning I had an appointment with one of BDRW,s manual sponsors SAQ based out at Melton Mowbray. SAQ are the specialists in movement programmes for all sports. We are jointly in the process of launching a two day programme, which will be the fusion of rugby skills and movement patterns.
In the evening I headed back down the M1 to Northampton to watch their development team play against Newcastle. Northampton gained a major asset when they recruited Leicester’s chief scout Dusty Hare. His talents have seen the playing standards improve throughout the club. Northampton duly won by 30 points.
Tuesday 15th and I’m off to Buxton in Derbyshire for an evening session with their 1st grade squad. Buxton lies in the Derbyshire peak district. It was cold, windy and dark. The enthusiasm of the players was testament to the hard work done by head coach Karl De Groot. Continuous play was the order of the night and in cold windy conditions much appreciated by the players. The post session roast chicken and 3 veg’ was also a pleasant surprise, certainly made the drive home much more comfortable.
Wednesday morning I’m catching up with Neil Back, a previous coaching colleague from my Leicester days. Neil is now head coach at Rugby lions a club in the lower divisions but with massive financial backing and ambition. Neil asked me to take a skills session on the following Monday and I was pleased to accept.
In the evening I’m at West Bridgford Rugby Club in Nottingham for a session with over 60, 9s to 14 year olds and a dozen hugely enthusiastic coaches. Action and involvement is the key on nights like these. I did a foot work and agility warm up with all. It’s a great way to get large numbers of young players breathing heavily. I then demonstrate the next practice with a group, and the coaches then go away with their groups and repeat the practice. It’s also important with youngsters to put in place small sided games and keep the evening competitive.
Good at the end of the session to de brief with the coaches over a beer.
The following day, I’m back at West Bridgford for a session with the senior players. Ball retention and continuity the theme of the night. Despite it being 2 days from a game against a team near the top of the competition we went flat out for 80 minutes. The players loved it…and lost to an interception try on the Saturday! Mike Powell, the coach now has a squad with some genuine self belief.
Thursday November 17th is a domestic day and a chance to check on how my son Jim is travelling. He has a top catering role at Nottingham Arena so is very busy. I also need to ensure the flat I own and my tenant Shirley is happy. A lazy night in front of the TV was also needed.
Friday 18th. Nottingham Rugby club beat Plymouth 34 points to 10 and the big Heineken cup game is Northampton v Scarlets. There is a revival in rugby interest and performance in Wales and the World cup performance suggests further improvement. The provinces are on fire! The Scarlets started fast and stayed fast and Northampton never caught up. This result was unexpected and several of Northampton’s England players were sadly off form. The Scarlets scored a well deserved win.
Saturday November 19th and I’m a guest of Leicester Tigers President Mike Harrison at the Tigers v Ulster game. It’s almost win at all cost for Leicester. The RWC and player injuries have affected Leicesters performance so there was an apprehension going into the game. Ulster, like the Welsh provinces are in good form so a tight game was expected. A solitary try by Matt Smith split the teams and sent the majority of the 21000 crowd home happy. The hospitality was first class and I really enjoyed catching up with players and club officials.
Sunday November 20th.
The Midlands under 16 regional trials are taking place near Coventry and this will give me a chance to look at the depth of talent across the region. As always with this age group there was a broad range of talent. However I was pleased with some of the ball retention skills and the desire to produce quick ball. These trials also give you the opportunity to discuss coaching issues with coaches involved with the teams.
Monday 21st.
An interesting night as I’m doing a skills session for Neil Back at Rugby Lions. 35 players, some with premiership experience. My focus in these sessions is to keep the players concentrating as the skills become more difficult to perform. I feel ‘concentration” is a major problem in the game at the moment as we improve our ball retention skills. I also like the players to work fast, so I’m short on talk and high on action.
There was a slight fall off in performance as the intensity increased but overall I was pleased with the outcome.
Tuesday November 22nd
Dusty Hare the former Tigers chief scout, now at Northampton, had arranged a day for me watching Northampton’s 1st team squad and academy train. I believe Northampton to be at the forefront of player development and team performance in England. Certainly the sessions supported my view. The current turmoil at the RFU with regard to the England coaching position may put pressure on Northampton, as I’m sure their coaches will be in the frame for National positions.
Northampton has also put together a very talented group of under 20s players, many of whom will blossom into first team players, I’m sure.
I reckon watching coaching sessions in all sports around the world is the best way to develop as a coach.
After the sessions I set off down the M1 motorway for a second visit to Stockwood Park RFC. The club had been decimated by injuries but fortunately the enthusiasm hadn’t waned. For many junior clubs the arrival of payments to players has caused several players to move on in to more lucrative venues. However this seldom produces the return the player expected. Far better to stay loyal to your club and enjoy the game for its core values. The session was spirited and the players worked hard for 80 minutes.
At the end of a long day I had a 90 minute drive home.
Wednesday Nov 23 rd
I have a coach education evening planned at Leamington Rugby Club. Tony Smith and Tony Timms, both key rugby “progressives” in the Warwickshire County have planned the evening. I like these sessions. 30 minutes inside with the coaches, 60 minutes outside with some U 15 players and then Q & A inside with the coaches. The theme of work was “Continuity in Attack”. At this age range most players have been exposed to heaps of passing practices and not enough ball retention work. The initial handling work was impressive but I had to work hard to get the ball retention skills in place for the continuity to be effective. I Have a theory that if things aren’t going well, then, speed the whole thing up! It nearly always gets you the result you are looking for.
Afterwards the coaches and I discussed the session and its outcomes. There was lots of input from the coaches and I greatly respect their contribution to developing young players. Of all the work I do this is by far the most satisfying. You meet some fantastic characters along the way with great passion for the game. We drank Guinness and talked long after the session had ended!
Thursday November 24,th and a day with my middle son James. Of my 3 boys, James has stayed in England and works as an executive chef at Nottingham arena. He has booked us an evening out at the Arena with English comedian Bill Bailey. I’ve lost touch with English comedians over the last 5 years. It took me the first half of his performance to understand his style. The second half was funnier and he reminded me of Billy Connelly. It was great to spend a night with Jim, who I don’t see enough off.
Friday 25th. In 1989 I coached the England student’s rugby league National side in the World Cup. My assistant coach was Ray Duckworth. I hadn’t seen Ray for 20 years so I looked him up. I found him in the seaside resort of Cleethorpes just south of Grimsby on the East coast. Ray, Mandy his wife, and I had a great time reminiscing over those student coaching days.
I now really appreciate the Australian weather as the wind was blowing off the North Sea and it was bloody freezing!
Saturday November 26th.
I start to pack ready for the following day’s flight to Italy. I want to see some local junior rugby today and then watch Northampton against Saracens on the TV. When on song Northampton is hugely impressive and they convincingly beat Saracens with some 1st half attacking brilliance, mainly based on fast recycle at the tackle contest. The game is effectively over by half time. Saracens restore some pride in the second half and narrowly win the half. Northampton fail to get a 4 try bonus point, which will disappoint them. Next week they play my old club Leicester Tigers. Already sold out, this will be an epic encounter. I will be back in Sydney anxiously awaiting the result.
Sunday November 27th.
My Italian rugby friend Andrea Portioli has arranged some coaching assignments in Moderna, Colorno and Verona. The flight to Milan only takes 1 hour 45 minutes. On arrival Andrea has arranged for two tickets to the game at the San Siro between AC Milan and Chievo. I’m keen to go. The San Siro is one of the world’s great stadiums. It’s the coliseum of Milan and the crowd have great passion. Milan wins 4 to nil. All the goals scored in the first half. It is a 90 minute drive from the San Siro to Andrea’s home in Mantova and a good night’s rest.
Monday November 28th
My first coaching assignment is in Modena a 6o minute drive from Mantova. Modena is famous for above all things Balsamic vinegar. The facilities and pitches are superb. I’m scheduled to do a 90 minute classroom session followed by a 90 minute practical on the field. Over 30 coaches attend and I have an interpreter who is English. All the coaches have received power point presentations of my lecture in Italian. I think the key to working overseas is to be relaxed and have some fun. Try to use Italian phrases and language. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes it adds to the humour and keeps everyone relaxed.
On the field I’m working with some very enthusiastic 19 year olds and they work really hard. In all my sessions there is great intensity.
Afterwards we return to the classroom for Q & A and then the traditional Italian meal. This lasts a further 60 minutes at least and is always a minimum of 3 courses. The cannelloni with ricotta was to die for!!
Tuesday November 29th
Another session close to Parma at a place called Colorno. Once again the facilities are outstanding and the classroom is set up perfectly. This time the topic is “Successful attack”. Colorno are linked to Aironi who play in the Heineken Cup.
I have to hastily reorganise my session as the fog descends and the visibility drops to 40 meters. Still all the coaches huddle together and we get through the session with the clubs 1st team squad. The players are in good condition and work very quickly. It is important on nights like this to keep everyone moving. The watching coaches suffer in the cold. Once again the post session meal is outstanding. Some flavoursome vegetables and cheese with pasta to follow. The drive home is hazardous. Italian drivers seem to ignore the fog.
Wednesday November 30th.
Of all my Italian visits over the last 10 years the city of Verona is probably my favourite place. The Coliseum in the centre plays host to many Operas and theatrical nights. I love drinking coffee in the Piazza Bra close to the coliseum and watch the world go by.
An old friend of mine Loris Renica, is Director of rugby for the juniors at GUS Verona and he has organised the session. I have 30 minutes indoor with the coaches and 90 minutes outside, then a 4 course meal followed by another hour indoor with the coaches. Once again the meal is a feast. We had pizza and olives for entrée, tagliatelle, beef and potatoes, cake and espresso. Quite extraordinary! I worked the U 20s very hard and challenged their concentration. Concentration is a major issue with young players when you develop play and continuity. The coaches in Italy are so enthusiastic and passionate; it is a pleasure to work with and for them.
Thursday December 1st.
I’ve always been interested in owning a small place in Italy, so I have a few hours on Thursday to explore some places on the eastern side of Lake Garda which is only 30 mins away from my next coaching session with the senior players of GUS Verona. The small village/town I like is Caprino, but the prices are high because it is close to the lake and the mountains. Caprino is also popular with Swiss, Austrian and German tourists. I find a place I like with an acre of olive trees? The house is separated into 3 flats at present, all rented out. Price, Euro 450,000. Food for thought?
My evening session is an extra on my programme. The president of Verona has asked me to do a session on defence with the 1st team. Before the session I watched a DVD of their previous week’s game against Brescia which they lost!
We had 25 players available and covered individual tackle technique as well as unit and team defence for 90 minutes. We trained at Verona’s new ground, which they will use next season. At present there are 2 immaculate pitches and soon there will be 3. I haven’t seen pitches as good in England or Australia. When the new club house is built, it will be fabulous.
During the day I had a special lunch with the president at an 11th century church converted into a restaurant. Check out www.lasecretia.com . We had a specially prepared seafood and spaghetti. The flavours were sensational. For entrée we had buffalo mozzarella from Naples and finally pear and ricotta tart with a white wine from the Garda lake region. How can you coach after that??
After the coaching session we had some nibbles and wine but not thankfully a large meal!
Friday December 2nd.
My penultimate day. I book my train ticket to Milan for Saturday. A 2 hour ride that costs only 10 Euros. (Please note British rail).
I have one more session to do this evening with a new club, Vallegio, which is close by. The coach wants me to help with his juniors. This is the final session of my 5 week tour. It has only rained once! However on the final day the heavens open.
Vallegio are a newly formed club and are developing both senior and junior teams. Their coach wants me to look at the work they are doing and make comments. They have under 6s through to a senior squad. It’s really pleasing to see a club grow in this way.
My session with the seniors is based on ball into contact and continuous play. I must say the squad are super keen and it is a young squad. Over the last 10 years I have seen the basic skills in Italy improve and for a young squad Vallegio are particularly good. The game scenario work which started as 10 v 7 became very fierce and as I added more attackers and defenders so the passion and intensity kicked in! I love these sessions because you find out exactly who knows what and where you need to go next with your coaching or teaching.
Unbeknown to me, afterwards there was a party for all, and the pork risotto was outstanding. Just the right texture. We cleared a few bottles of valpollicello and had a good nights sleep.
Saturday I board the train for Milan at 9 am and the Emirates flight to Sydney at 2.30pm.
Reflection .
This coaching tour has been hugely satisfying. It’s great to meet up with coaches at clubs I’ve worked at before and also visit and work at new clubs. The passion at Junior club level is still alive. However be it in England or Italy there is great frustration with the RFU or the Italian federation, both of whom seem to see the National side as the most important part of the game.
Junior clubs have just got to get on and enjoy playing the game and ensure that financially they are secure. Occasionally they will provide talented players who will move on to bigger and better things. These clubs can do nothing to influence the ego’s that pervade the corridors of power.
Highlight of the tour, the Rochford Hundreds juniors chasing the Under 6s to the try line after giving them a 50 meter start!!
See you next year and thanks to all.
Mike Penistone.
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2012