School rugby defended
Wynsley Wrigley
GISBORNE Boys’ High first 15 coach Tom Cairns says secondary school rugby coaches do try to develop the all-round skills of their players and play an expansive game.
Cairns was reacting to comments by All Blacks coach Graham Henry lamenting the lack of skills in first-15 football because of an over-reliance on physicality.
“I have watched a fair bit of schoolboy rugby,” said Henry, who started his 30-year coaching career at Kelston Boys’ High School in Auckland.
“It is the place where I grew up, so to speak, and I have been disappointed in the skill level of the game and the way the ball is always trying to stay in the hand. It is so bash-bash.”
Cairns said he had spoken to Jim Dicken, coach of the Kings College first 15.
“He will be coaching club rugby next year and said he had found first-15 rugby in Auckland depressing.
“He said they looked forward to playing Gisborne Boys’ High School and other Super 8 schools (Hamilton, Hastings, Napier, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Rotorua and Tauranga) each year because we play rugby against them, not battering rams.”
Cairns said he did not want to sound “self-righteous”.
“I think this may well be an isolated comment Mr Henry has made, possibly taken out of context, but I think most first-15 coaches around the country work hard at developing the skill level of their players.
“As coaches we are always looking to upskill ourselves so that we can pass on latest developments, methods and useful knowledge to our players.
“We start in January each year (three sessions a week) with fitness and skill work in anticipation of developing to the point where we are ready to play skilful, fast rugby at the commencement of the season.”
Henry might have been directing his comments at the Auckland secondary school championship, which is dominated by Pacific Island players who physically develop at an earlier age than Pakeha players.
“Take the Kelston Boys-versus-Auckland Grammar game, for want of a better fixture,” Henry said.
“I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t see a more skilful match. There was a huge amount of passion, huge amount of physicality but not a huge amount of skill where players were making good decisions and putting the ball into space — whether they put it through the hands or kick it into open space and recover it.”
Henry said such an approach did not develop players for the professional game.
“It doesn’t prepare them as well for professional rugby. They are big, strong and tough but somewhat lacking in vision, decision-making and some of the skills required for the game.”
Cairns said GBHS tried to play expansive rugby as they often did not have the size of some opponents.
“We try to play an expansive game and in the tradition of GBHS teams, one which involves linking between forwards and backs, and continuity in our support play.
“We also include unit and individual skill development in team training runs throughout the season.
“Obviously with schoolboys, as with any team, the intention does not always come to fruition — the ball is lost, knocked on or killed in a ruck.”
Cairns said he was being tongue-in-cheek . . . “but I cannot remember a GBHS first-15 game involving 36 scrums, and certainly not 29 scrums with the put-in to the opposition (see All Blacks v Italy), even with resets taken into account”.