Many coaches get frustrated with their "teenage" players when their performance plateaus off and games they used to win easily are now losses.

John Maxwell, The Randwick coach, told his players, “We want to play adventurous rugby, but it’s got to be responsible rugby”.

So often you see the attacking ball carrier attempt to beat his man on the outside, only to be taken to ground by an upper body tackle.

The main reason for this is that the ball carrier firstly transfers the ball to the side away from the defender, (rightly so) and then almost immediately extends a hand to fend/hand off, or push away the defender.

Recent International matches have highlighted the importance of hard running in support and hard running in defence.

The “favour’ given to attacking teams at the tackle contest has resulted in more continuous play and hence a greater demand on attackers and defenders both mentally and physically.

"Our international camps are a great opportunity for players from different countries to share playing experiences; and develop a universal understanding of playing the game with players who bring skills from other parts of the world."

YOUR club can be part of our programme. Host a camp or a Coach Education evening and improve the playing performance of your teams.