Coaches Corner - Preview of Henley & Grasshoppers
It seems like an age ago since I was last writing ahead of the Marlow game.
This week we face Grasshoppers at our fortress and it promises to be an interesting contest. They are establishing themselves as a force this year. They have three wins from four and in their last game lost by just 3 points to early league leaders London Irish Wild Geese who we have up next on our fixture card. I’m excited by the opportunity for our lads to show they deserve to be mixing it with the big teams in this league.
Selection for this game has been really tough. We have a number of positions where there is excellent competition for places and the selection group are having to have some really robust conversations about who gets the nod. It is incredible to have such a number of boys who are serious about their rugby and who are working hard to get better. The challenge is to balance performing well at level 6 with developing the whole squad and providing opportunities to play, whilst trying to manage players' disappointment and keeping them motivated to play. It is a real challenge and I accept that I and the other coaches will make mistakes around this at times but at the same time I hope that we are approaching this challenge from an empathetic and considerate perspective.
Last match away at Hemel we showed real promise and I was delighted with the team’s game management in coming away from their ground with a bonus point win. We were far from perfect but in the final 10 minutes we barely let them out of their half and I felt that showed a real development in the side from the previous few games. Hemel came at us with a lot of physicality both in their pack and in their centres and we dealt with them well and as always with this Beaconsfield side when presented with a bit of space we were not lacking in skill, speed and a bit of flair to score some excellent tries.
This week we have been working on a few key areas around our attack that will help us in our build up play in the middle section of the park and we are also working on a little more clarity in certain areas of our defensive system so that we can become really difficult to beat. I’m excited to see the hard work our squad has been putting in bear fruit on Saturday.
The 2nd XV have yet another strong fixture away at Henley 2’s. Their league has some exceptionally strong teams in it considering Henley, Amersham, Maidenhead all have 1st teams in leagues above ours and then there are 1st XV’s such as Tadley in there too. They currently sit 6th in their league with a +/- score of 0 which is incredible considering the quality of opposition they have played. With all the teams below them still to be played I am supremely confident they are going to have a fantastic season. We continue to have over 30 lads at training, week in week out and full squads for our fixtures which is a testament to the work everyone behind the scenes is doing.
I’d like to share with you a couple of personal stories relating to the club. Last week I turned 40 and my wife along with club captain Luke Davis had planned a surprise gathering for me at the club when we returned from Hemel. Lot’s of my friends and family were there along with a number of senior players. Ange (who is possibly the most important person at the club) had made cakes and the players had organised gifts etc. The reason I tell you this is that this is not normal for a rugby club. I have played and coached at many local clubs and I have never seen or experienced that level of personal care that people make at Beaconsfield. This is not unique to me as I have seen this done for several people this season and I’ve only been at the club for three months. Thank you to those involved in the celebrations and my message is to make sure we treasure and appreciate what we have here. It is far from normal.
My second story is that my son played in his first rugby tournament on Sunday for the mighty Beaconsfield U7’s at Amersham and Chiltern and it was a fantastic occasion. The weather was kind and the kids had such a fun time running around with their mates and scoring tries. The coaching team in the U7’s along with Tina, the team manager did an amazing job and I am sure this is replicated across every mini and junior age group every Sunday morning. Keep doing all the amazing things you do and I can’t wait to see the club heaving with minis players this Sunday at the home festival.
Finally, last week we did have some issues with our on field and touchline behaviour during the 2nd XV game. I know excellent communications have gone out from the club on this matter but i’d just like to highlight the importance of this. From a rugby point of view i’ve rarely had a referee be the reason we’ve lost a game. There were always two, three or more opportunities where we have missed chances to score through our own decisions / ability that would have decided the outcome of a match. I’m a firm believer that players need to be clear in their thinking on the pitch and a calm touchline can support the players to do that. I really want Beaconsfield to be a place that opposition, referees and supporters love to come to so let’s all take the lead in creating an atmosphere which is supportive and inclusive to all who attend.
That’s it from me. I hope you all enjoy the end to the week and I hope to see plenty of you on the touchline and in the bar on Saturday.
Russ.