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Leadership & Management articles

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What is the best solution to an eight-man bench?

How to get best use out of an eight-man bench? Nick Bishop looks at how teams are balancing their bench to suit their team strengths.

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How to organize the roles of your forwards on attack

Nick Bishop examines the value to a team of coaching with ‘clarity of purpose’ highlighting the All Blacks 2nd half of 2022 campaign with new coaches Joe Schmidt and Jase Ryan clarifying effect.

The theory of marginal gains in player development

The theory of marginal gains has been around for the best part of two decades. However, Nick Bishop highlights, citing All Black Samisoni Taukei’aho’s recent Ellis Park test performance as an example, marginal gains can have a momentum-gathering effect during a game.

What can ‘tactical periodization’ mean in a game of Rugby?

‘Tactical Periodization’ is becoming a popular phrase in the sporting vocabulary. What is it? How is being effectively used in Rugby? Analyst Nick Bishop explains ‘TP’ and how it is being adopted into Rugby.

Ennis Rugby Club producing Red Diamonds

How did 3 of 6 academy players come from Ennis Rugby club, in Co Clare, Ireland, not exactly a traditional powerhouse of Munster rugby appear in a European Champions Cup match and win? Luck of the Irish or the result of a successful development programme?

How the All Blacks made the ‘twins’ click at Eden Park

What is this ‘it’, the magic ingredient on a professional rugby field? Analyst Nick Bishop takes a look at ‘whether the new 7s ’twins’ are the All Blacks ‘it’ after last weekends Bledisloe cup match in Auckland.

How Warren Gatland won the preparation war in Cardiff

Warren Gatland’s knowledge of the game in the UK and Ireland is anything but one-sided. He has coached in Ireland, Wales and with Wasps in England and more importantly, he has coached on three consecutive British & Irish Lions tours. Analyst Nick Bishop details how that ‘inside knowledge’ gave him and Wales a priceless advantage against England in Cardiff.

Is there a right time to walk away?

In the cut-throat world of elite sport, unfortunately coaches do not always get to choose when they step away from a role with their future more often than not defined by their employers. In his latest article Graham Jenkins examines the decision of the leading coaches who have met the success criteria of their bosses yet still opt to move on all the more interesting and perhaps revealing.

Tigers run out of patience after just one game?

Writer Graham Jenkins reflects on the biggest story to emerge from the opening round of the newly-sponsored Gallagher Premiership in England – Matt O’Connor’s sacking as Leicester Tigers’ Head Coach. Is it a one off or a growing trend.

To be, or not to be...Top 14 champions

Writer Graham Jenkins gets an insight into the new ‘culture’ behind Castres surprise Top 14 championship win with Castres coach Joe El Abd.

Comfortable in chaos – train like a champion team

As the dust settles on another epic northern hemisphere season, writer Graham Jenkins looks at Stuart Lancaster’s influence at Irish province Leinster as they set the bar in Europe last term with a brilliant blend of power, pace and skill that carried them to not only the Champions Cup title but also the PRO14 crown.

The benefit of coaching out of your comfort zone

Ronan O’Gara is set to swap French Top 14 side Racing 92 for the Crusaders in New Zealand next month in a bold bid to improve as a coach and broaden his understanding of the game. Writer Graham Jenkins looks at O’Gara’s motivation for heading down under to the Crusaders.

Sarries focused on the journey - not the destination

Crowned Kings of Europe once again last month with a hard-fought 28-17 victory over French rivals Clermont Auvergne, Sarries then saw their hopes of a ‘double double’ dashed by Exeter Chiefs in an epic Premiership semi-final defeat just a week later. Leading writer Graham Jenkins looks at what’s behind Saracens ongoing success.

Talent Is Not Enough - Aviva Premiership Review

You don’t have to be a genius to predict future performance by using previous performance. However, Gainline Analytics review the Premiership performances based on their recruitment based methodology rather than the typical performance based. See how the nuances of their predictions and the season played out.

Game-planning for natural weaknesses

Sir Graham Henry suggests that a plan can start with the identification of what he calls ‘natural weaknesses’ in the opponent.

Leading analyst Nick Bishop, looks at one of the foremost among those weaknesses is the transition area between the last forward and the first back in the defensive line.

Why the Celts are rising again in the European Champions Cup

It appeared to be all over for the Celtic Nations when the Heineken Cup morphed into the European Champions Cup in October 2014. However that does not appear the case in 2016. Leading analyst Nick Bishop looks at the Celt revival led by Glasgow Warriors.

Why England are reaching a winning consensus

Dwight D. Eisenhower once defined leadership as “the art of getting someone to do something you want done because he wants to do it”. Leading analyst Nick Bishop illustrates how Eddie Jones seems to have cultivated this art with his English charges, and the players who are clearly thriving on the responsibility.

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, shares his first experiences with analysis software in the early 2000s, and shares his tips for getting video analysis started for your own team.

Giselle Mather, the first female Premiership Rugby Coach?

Breaking rugby’s glass ceiling: Graham Jenkins profiles the woman who might just be the Premiership’s first female coach

Coming Soon: Eddie Jones - Creating Team Culture

Japan national coach, Eddie Jones, delivers this latest course on creating team culture and environment.

Wilko will relish coaching challenge

Jonny Wilkinson has announced his retirement and move into a coaching role with Toulon, Graham Jenkins shares his thoughts on how he will get on.

Second chances

Graham Jenkins asks should more coaches in professional sport be given second chances as they develop and grow with experience.

Coming soon: Graham Henry - Game plan and selection

In this course, Sir Graham takes you through developing a game plan based on your weaknesses and strengths, and analysing the opposition’s weaknesses. He also covers the importance of wise selection.

Coming soon - Graham Henry 'Constant Improvement'

Graham Henry tackles the question, how do you constantly improve?

Quade Cooper responds to some love

Ewen McKenzie says that Quade Cooper is an enigma who should be cherished

The Importance of Motivation

What drives the best players to become better players? How do you motivate individuals in a team sport? And who is responsible for making sure a player ‘turns-up’ mentally? Murray Kinsella discusses…

A Captain’s Role is ever Changing

Motivation, leading from the front or tactical acuity – what do you want from your captain?

Gregor Townsend wins RoboDirect Pro12 Coach of the Year

Gregor Townsend named RaboDirect Pro12 ‘Coach of the Year’

The Winning Habit

Wayne Smith looks at the ideas that took the Chiefs to a Super 15 title and ponders the difficulties of lifting the players in the second season

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