News & Opinions
Word from Rats: Look beyond the scoreline at Soldier Field
As we approach another great weekend of Autumn International matches the dust has well and truly settled at Chicago’s...
Contributor
Brendon Ratcliffe
The Rugby Site's Waterboy
About Brendon Ratcliffe
Brendon Ratcliffe is The Rugby Site’s waterboy (aka CEO and founder). His professional career began in 1992 as Rugby Development Officer for Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union. Progressing to a 7 year term as Director of Player Development for New Zealand Rugby Union. Brendon then moved to England where he spent two and a half years as forwards coach for the Northampton Saints before being moving back to New Zealand to take on the head coach role for National Provincial Cup team Hawkes Bay.
Brendon Ratcliffe's latest articles
Leadership & Management
The influence of match analysis in the modern game
Match analysis has a huge influence in the modern game. Brendon Ratcliffe explains the history of match analysis, sha...
Breakdown
Forwards have to think on their feet
Forwards are conditioned from a young age to make sure that they get to the breakdown, but sometimes it is the worst ...
Breakdown
The Rolling Maul II
When the perfect rolling maul is on the move it is almost impossible to stop. It is like discovering the secret of pe...
Set Piece
Bringing a top lineout drive back down to earth
Martin Johnson’s great Leicester lineout was a mighty hard thing to stop, but American Football provided a few clues
Set Piece
The Rolling Maul Part I
Brendon Ratcliffe loves the rolling maul. If forwards are piano shifters, then the rolling maul is the Steinway of ru...
Set Piece
When Lineouts Go Bad
A young Sean Fitzpatrick once copped a mouthful of abuse after missing Andy Haden at lineout practise. He soon found ...
Set Piece
Band of Brothers
Brendon Ratcliffe wants to know if your forwards are hard enough to survive the ordeal that he put his Northampton pa...
Set Piece
The Mana of The Scrummage
Brendon Ratcliffe, the Rugby Site’s professor of the dark arts, stumbles out into the sunlight in order to talk about...
