Coach's comment

Refereeing both games meant I didn't get a chance to speak to players as much as possible. However I was very pleased with the following:

1. The excellent and positive support from the parents. This will pay dividends over the season.
2. Help with running the U7s was invaluable allowing the coaches (Lyndon, Adrian and me) to organise and sub more effectively.
3. The good spirit of our players, some of whom had never ventured onto a rugby pitch in anger.

That brings me to our key aims for the season.
1. Play for all.
2. Endeavour over winning.

I am naturally very competitive (just ask my brothers). I enjoy winning and I am always sad when I lose.

However, it is more important that the players play, and not the best 7.

In our planning for the season we aim to cover the three core skills required for TAG: footwork, handling and tag tackling. The progression is now to develop some team skills to complement these areas.

The team skills will build around the core skills. With better team skills comes greater involvement and therefore we move towards "Play for all" and "Endeavour".

Lofty ideals and perhaps seemingly far too advanced for U8s and U7s. I believe that we should create the environment for these ideals now, because the culture of the individual selfish player is hard to break in the future.

Bonymaen 0 Mumbles 12

Great start to the season with a 12 nil victory against Bonymaen.

The following boys made their Mumbles debuts:
Tom, Tom, Aled, Jake, Max, and Matthew

The players from last year were:
Rhys, Ben, Tom

Key areas:
Passing before contact
Lots of tagging

Areas to work on:
Spreading out in attack from the free pass

Bonymaen had some good players, though not their full side. The referee was excellent. The weather was Bonymaen wind and drizzle. Post match meal was beans and chips.

Hopefully a team picture will be published very soon.

Touch rugby on Wednesday at 5pm at Underhill for any of those interested.

Training on 16th September

Thanks to all those who turned up - we ended up with 28 boys and girls for the games at the end, plus about four who dropped out during the sessions.

The key areas we were concentrating on this week were:
1. Tagging as a line - working as a pair
2. Side stepping
3. Passing before being tagged

In the games, the players were encouraged to take account of the peculiar laws of tag and rugby: offside, staying on your feet and scoring tries.

More on the team and game for Bonymaen soon.

Dan