Peter Johnson - Rugby Union Threequarter Play

by Stuart Lancaster

Understanding positional roles, the job that each player has to do on the field, is an important requirement for any coach. My experience of coaching in the Premiership, of being the RFUs Head of Elite Player Development and Head Coach of the England team has given me enough insight to say that Peter Johnsons book is a valuable resource for any coach or player.

I have known Peter for several years, when he was a Regional England Academy Manager from 2001 and since 2006 helping to organize the apprenticeship programme in the Premiership clubs.

This book looks at each position in the threequarter line and deals with the attributes and skills which are required for a player to fulfil that positional role. Peter then considers how a player can develop those skills to become more competent and effective.

As a player, you may already have great coaches helping you; however, you should be taking more responsibility for your own progress. You know how much time you want to devote to improving and how dedicated you are. As a coach, you want to help the players analyse their individual performances , suggest ways of improving their weaknesses, and then supervising that fault correction programme. This book can help the players become self-autonomous and coaches become more knowledgeable and helpful to their players.

Whether as a player or coach, I can highly recommend this book. Good luck with your future in rugby.

Every sport has a number of basic skills, with players being selected for a team because they demonstrate these abilities better than others. In rugby union, players are judged on their ability in the basic or core skills of handling, tackling, ball retention, kicking and evasion. In addition, they need to achieve a level of fitness that will allow them to complete their positional tasks throughout the game; they will need to be able to make correct tactical decisions with ball in hand; and they will need to be motivated by a sense of pride in their own performance.

At the highest level of the game, while the core skills requirements are such that any threequarter should be able to play in any position in the back line, there are still certain unique skills demanded of each position. This book examines the specific roles and responsibilities of each of the positions in the threequarters. It is quite likely these days that any back could play at Fly Half, but selectors will still be looking at which of those backs will make the best Fly Half and what will make him better able to fulfil that role than any of his fellow squad members. Success in match play is about getting the right player in the right position.

This book looks at what is required of the player in each position, and the essential specific skills that are distinctive to each position, with a heavy emphasis on the technical and tactical demands and how these can be developed. It aims to help coaches, players and anyone interested in developing an understanding of the role of the threequarters . For coaches and players, there are suggestions on how to develop the requisite positional skills on the training field, with skill practices for specific technical and tactical aspects, showing progressions into the game.

Strength and conditioning programmes are not discussed here but the physical skills for each position can be developed through game-related exercises and some examples are provided. The mental skills discussed are common to all positions but, due to the differing roles and responsibilities of each position, the emphasis changes. For example, decision-making is important for every position , but the Fly Half is required to take more decisions under pressure of time and space, and with a huge amount of cues to filter, than any other player on the pitch.

Each chapter on the role and responsibilities of each positional is divided into five elements: a checklist of positional skills and attributes; the specialist role; development of specialist technical and tactical skills; development of specialist physical skills; development of specialist mental skills. These are followed by two chapters on the mini units of the threequarter line the midfield and back three explaining how these operate together in attack and defence.

The final chapter gives advice on getting the whole threequarter line working together. Rather than describing the set piece moves, it presents ideas on how back lines can be developed in an enjoyable way, with more game-related practice.

Ambition, attitude, achievement.

Ambition: Aspire to climb as high as you can dream. Anon

Attitude: If it is to be, it is up to me. Anon

Achievement: Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Anon

Checklist of Positional Skills and Attributes

Technical

• Has a range of passes.
• Clears the ball quickly and accurately off either hand, from the ground and from the chest.
• Accurate kicker off either foot to relieve pressure and create attack options.
• Tackles aggressively to stop forward movement of player or ball.

Tactical

• Understands the lineout calls, back-row moves and back-line plays and when to use them.
• Has vision and ability to use blind-side.
• Makes the right tactical decisions pass, kick or run.
• Communicates and organizes defensive screens with loose forwards and others, for example, Fly Half and Blind-side Wing