2012-07-17 - Te Awamutu Online

TE AWAMUTU COURIER, TUESDAY, JULY 17, 2012 13
Junior rugby players impress Foster
BY COLIN THORSEN
It’s not every day that Te
Awamutu rugby players get to
rub shoulders with All Blacks
and Waikato ITM Cup coaches.
All Blacks assistant coach Ian
Foster and Waikato coach Chris
Gibbes ran coaching clinics at Te
Awamutu College, organised by
Te Awamutu
Rugby coordinator
Deon Muir
during the
school
holidays.
Foster was
most
impressed
with the skill
set of the
players who
participated.
The former
Ian Foster
Te Awamutu Sports, Waikato
and Chiefs player/coach told the
College coaches and players that
the last time he had visited, the
school was struggling to field
one team, now there are six up
and running.
‘‘You’ve got some excellent
coaches here all wanting to help
you, make the most of it by
listening to what they’ve got to
say,’’ he told the players.
Foster worked with the backs,
focussing on encouraging them
to become good at the skills that
make moves work — enabling
them to catch and pass under all
sorts of situations.
He covered the likes of
creation and exploitation of
space, vision, handling and
decision making, passing skills,
as well as core skills in team
play, including runner calls.
Gibbes took the forwards,
assisted by Waikato rugby
development officer Alf Daniels.
The pair worked primarily on
TC170712CA01
FORMER All Black Scott McLeod oversees a drill with grade 11-13
players.
lineout and scrum technique.
Gibbes says he was ‘very
impressed’ with the way the
players picked up on everything
so quickly. ‘‘There attitude was
outstanding.’’
Gibbes has been overseas for
the past six months working
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After arriving back in the
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TC170712CT03
WAIKATO ITM Cup coach Chris Gibbes casts an eye over a scrum
being packed down during the coaching clinic at Te Awamutu College.
end of the NPC. He will then
return to coach Georgia for
home tests against Fiji and
Japan, returning home in
November.
‘‘It’s great to be back, I love
the Waikato rugby environment,’’
says Gibbes.
‘‘I’ve got awesome staff who
have been working on the
ground with the (Waikato) guys
in my absence.
‘‘We’re in good shape for the
NPC.’’
‘‘Thanks to modern technology,
I’ve been in regular contact
with them planning our campaign
while overseas.’’
As well as getting tips from
Foster, Gibbes, Muir and co, the
College players also worked with
the likes of Te Awamutu Sports’
www.wilksbrooke.co.nz
132 Kihikihi Road, Te Awamutu
Phone 871 3079
Waikato squad members Chris
Middleton and Nathan George.
Muir organised three half-day
rugby coaching clinics, in all,
during the school holidays —
two for College students and one
for Te Awamutu Intermediate
pupils.
The first of the two clinics for
College students had worked on
getting fundamentals right,
including tackling and passing.
The second clinic was more
position specific.
The intermediate clinic for
players in grades 11-13 included
the same coaching group, who
were joined by former Waikato/
Chiefs player-coach and All
Black Scott McLeod, Roller Mills
coach Wayne Bootten and Waikato
RDO Andrew Spraggon.
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