Thursday, May 17, 2012

Team Karma Critical?

Post-Cipriani Rebels the Beale thing

Stathi Paxinos

May 16, 2012

Danny Cipriani. Photo: Getty Images

INAUGURAL Melbourne Rebels coach Rod Macqueen has witnessed the remarkable and almost instantaneous transformation the team has had since Danny Cipriani departed.

Yesterday, when asked if the recruitment of the one-time England five-eighth had been a mistake, Macqueen replied: ''That's a difficult one to answer.'' When asked if he regretted it, he said: ''I wouldn't go that far''.

''Sometimes these things work out, sometimes they don't,'' Macqueen said. ''I think at the end of the day, Danny brought some good things to the club and as we all know there were issues.''

The Rebels last month released Cipriani from the remainder of his contract after the 24-year-old had announced he was leaving at the end of the season to play for the Sale Sharks and attempt to reclaim an England berth. Cipriani's place at five-eighth was taken by Wallabies star Kurtley Beale, who moved from full-back.

With Beale in the playmaker's role - a preview of which was seen when he replaced Cipriani midway through the round nine game against New South Wales - the Rebels have looked a different team, performing beyond expectations to push the Bulls in an honourable 41-35 loss before snaring the upset of the year by beating the seven-time champion Crusaders 28-19 last Saturday.

The Rebels are 12th on the table on 24 points, three points behind traditional Australian powerhouse NSW, and play the struggling Western Force this Sunday.

Cipriani's recruitment to the new franchise last season was announced with fanfare as the Rebels' first signing, despite his reputation as a wild boy. But the Englishman was punished several times for off-field incidents in his 1½ seasons as a Rebel and his form was inconsistent.

Macqueen, who has been succeeded as coach by Damien Hill but remains on the club's board, conceded Cipriani's image never fit with the culture the Rebels were trying to foster.

''It is fair to say that was always an issue, we were constantly fighting,'' Macqueen said. ''I think Danny tried, but I think it's also fair to say we had issues there.

''When you have problems like that you've got to work through them and that's what we tried to do and we got some good things out of Danny when he was here and hopefully he got some good things from us, not only on the field but off the field.''

Macqueen said he could see only good things for the team with Beale guiding it - his influence already being seen in the improved performances and increased confidence of half-back Nick Phipps - and the likes of James O'Connor to return from injury.

''There's no doubt that this team is doing some really good things this year and you can see it with the enthusiasm that's coming from the players,'' Macqueen said. ''I think the attitude of the players and the team at the moment is really good. It's one of really having a go and showing off what they're capable of doing.

''We've seen a lot of tries and we've seen some really good rugby being played and I think when you've got a positive attitude like that anything can happen, so we've got to be hoping that will bring more results for us.

''Every good team needs to have good ball players in it and Kurtley's certainly bringing that to us and obviously the same thing with O'Connor, when he's on the field, and the players are really working well around them. The pleasing thing is how well the team is playing as a whole and how well they're working their shapes.''

Jake White

Little things make mighty Brumbies

Chris Dutton

May 17, 2012

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They have defied everyone's Super Rugby expectations and coach Jake White wants the ACT Brumbies to become competition pioneers by setting the standard for ''the little things that make you win''.

The Brumbies will take the next step in their quest to break an eight-year finals drought when they play the Wellington Hurricanes in New Zealand tomorrow night.

And the Brumbies hope breaking with travel tradition helps maintain their lead at the top of the Australian conference as they edge closer to a finals berth.

The Brumbies flew to Sydney yesterday and will fly to Wellington this morning.

It might seem like a minute detail, but the Brumbies have built their campaign around making sure every element of their preparation is perfect.

In the past the Brumbies have flown from Canberra to Sydney and on to New Zealand in the same day.

But manager Tony Thorpe changed the travel to avoid Canberra's early-morning fog and help the players' recovery.

The squad will return to Canberra later than usual on Saturday after a recovery session in Wellington in the morning.

Captain Ben Mowen said: ''It now seems crazy we wouldn't do it.''

The Brumbies also formulated a plan to help them recover from their long flight from South Africa.

The players were exposed to sunlight in the afternoon to speed up their recovery from jetlag after the two-game tour.

It's all part of White's plan to make the Brumbies a leader in the competition.

And wary of the high workload on his young players, White ordered the team to leave Canberra last week during their bye to make sure they were refreshed for the clash with the Hurricanes.

''It's quite exciting for us, I think the boys are waiting to play, you get a week off and then all of a sudden everyone's excited about playing again,'' White said. ''It's the little things that make you win. Having a guy like Tony Thorpe who has been with the Crusaders, it's all about added value.

''The players have bought in, they know every decision we make is made to make sure we get a better result.''

The Brumbies are well advanced in their transition phase with the new generation establishing themselves as a finals contender.

Instead of shying away from past statistics, White is using the Brumbies' poor record in Wellington to inspire his team.

The Brumbies have already defied the odds to become the club's most successful team in a decade to tour South Africa.

But they haven't beaten the Hurricanes in Wellington since 2003.

Like the Brumbies, the Hurricanes had a massive player turnover at the end of last season. While the Brumbies lost Matt Giteau, Rocky Elsom and Adam Ashley-Cooper, Hurricanes stars Ma'a Nonu, Piri Weepu, Aaron Cruden and Andrew Hore all departed and coach Mark Hammett took a punt on a new brigade.

Both the Brumbies and the Hurricanes finished near the bottom of the ladder last season after they battled through tough campaigns.

But their decision to invest in new talent is beginning to pay dividends.

''They probably are similar to us in what we're trying to create with our culture and environments,'' Hammett said.

''I have my philosophies on what a team should be and I felt for us to move forward and ultimately be consistent and challenge for titles that we needed a fresh start.

''So we went about trying to achieve that. That's caused some teething issues, it has some ups and downs but on the whole I'm pleased with where we've been able to get to.

''We're a team that when we drop below 90 per cent we're well off the game, that's why every game is so big for us.''

The Brumbies have made just two changes to the team which comfortably beat the NSW Waratahs two weeks ago with Zack Holmes and Ian Prior being elevated to the starting XV.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Ratio of Penalties Between Attack & Defense

Referees must get penalty ratio right in defence and attack to promote attractive rugby and reward adventure

May 10, 2012

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Pass master … Will Genia. Photo: Getty Images

When you become the first team to hold the Crusaders tryless in Christchurch since 2000, it is difficult to understand why the statistic did not come with a memorable win.

It is disappointing to produce such an effort in defence and not come away with the spoils, but rugby is a wonderful game of chess. The pressure of winning and losing comes down to how you handle a few critical moments.

Before each game, you have a coin toss. The result here is not as important as in a cricket Test match but it still evokes debate, especially if there is a significant wind. Do you play into the wind during the first half or do you take the advantage while you have the chance?

In France, you always choose to play into the wind. The theory is that there is always a "sorting out" period of about 20 minutes, so you would have more rhythm in the second half to come home with a wet sail when everyone is tired. However, this relies on not getting too far behind during the first 40 minutes.

The other decision you make at the toss is whether to kick or receive.

Against the Crusaders, we chose to kick as there are some strategic opportunities you can create through this option. If you are good enough, the kick-off can be a great strategic weapon, as you can give the opposition the ball in a way that causes maximum stress and confusion.

If executed well enough, you can regain possession in their territory through either error or a hasty kick into touch. Less than a minute into the game and you have possession in good territory.

At the weekend, we got a great "fast start", scoring the only try of the match from a well-executed strategy that allowed James Hanson to score in the corner.

The irony of the game against the Crusaders was the team playing into the wind played tactically smarter than the team that had the perceived advantage. When playing into the wind, you tend to carry the ball more and play to the edges of the field to control possession. Particularly against the Crusaders, it is important not to kick aimlessly, which would then be returned with interest to create a field position where penalties can be turned into points.

We played the first half tactically well but were hampered by an inability to remain in the attacking quarter long enough for pressure to turn into points. There were lots of reasons for this but a missed kick for touch and the odd pushed pass allowed pressure to dissipate. Accuracy is paramount in low-scoring, tight games.

There have been countless times in my career, as a player and coach, when you are sitting in the dressing room at half-time discussing the prospect of playing into the wind in the second half. There is always a feeling and look of relief.

Sometimes this ends in frustration, like us in the first stanza. The Crusaders found ways to remain in our half and etch out a win.

The telling statistics in games are not all about possession. The Chiefs lead the competition, but are ranked second last in the percentage of possession they compile. It is more about where you get the ball. The Crusaders were able to manufacture nine minutes more of possession in our half. Therein lies the winning of the game.

We have analysed it and there were probably only three key moments where, if we had our time again, we may have selected a different attacking option. This shows how small the margins are. When you add in a couple of errors, you find the Crusaders were able to carve out a victory on the back of goal-kicking.

In all of the above, there is the obvious input of the officials and there is always great debate about their decisions and their consistency.

There is an appropriate forum to debate that but there is a philosophy I have maintained for some years, which I believe is imperative for the game to function properly. It is the first thing I look at when I analyse the referee statistics.

I am talking about the ratio of penalties against the attacking team against that of the defensive side. For a team to have confidence to play rugby in their own half, they must feel comfortable that, if they are good enough to maintain possession, they can do so without unfair risk.

For me, the ratio of penalties needs to be around 70 per cent against the defence, as this means the referee is concentrating on negating spoiling tactics. If this is done, you see plenty of excitement and ball movement and fans walk away happy.

The closer the margin gets to 50 per cent, the more field position you get from kicking, as teams will - logically - not want to play in front of their goal posts. There has been a litany of games this season where teams have paid the price for playing too much football in their own half. It pains me to say that, but it is more a risk mitigation strategy than a coaching philosophy. It also means tight games are generally decided on goal-kicking.

Wondering what the ratio was against the Crusaders? Almost 50-50.

Fitness Rorts?

The great fitness rort

May 9, 2012 - 5:20PM

Comments 105

Has the fitness industry has lost its way?

Has the fitness industry lost its way? Photo: James Alcock

I'm starting to suspect that the booming fitness industry is growing fat on a diet of protein shakes and a load of hot air.

Nowhere was this better demonstrated than at the recent Australian Fitness & Health Expo at Darling Harbour in Sydney.

Think dozens of stands filled with salespeople with fully shaved and tanned bodies selling the biggest tubs of protein and creatine to every singlet-wearing Australian with sleeve tattoos and a "fully-sick" One Direction haircut.

My key takeaway from the show was how much the industry has lost its way now so much of it is about selling more and more stuff to help you look like someone from the cover of 'Muscle & Steroids monthly'.

But you know what? As the industry peddles an increasing amount of junk (research group IBIS estimates Australians spent $3.7 billion on fitness and weight loss services this year), I think all the masses really want are two simple things - to slim down and tone up.

The nuts and bolts of it is that women prefer a lean, toned man, and men prefer a slim, toned woman. And it doesn't take protein, pills, and machines to do it. It takes healthy eating and efficient exercises.

So, if I had a stand at the expo, I'd buck the trend and just tell you about six exercises that you should be incorporating into your program that will keep you lean and toned from head to toe. And here they are:

Bodyweight Squats Male or female, if you're not doing some sort of squats in your exercise program, then you are not exercising. From your glutes and quads to your hamstrings and calves, squats test them all. All day we sit down and stand up, which makes squats one of the most functional movements one can do at the gym.

Burpees An exercise that includes a squat, leg thrust, push up, jump forward then a vertical jump is one of the most comprehensive moves you can perform. It's rare to see people performing burpees in the gym – but when you do, understand that that individual is pushing him/herself to the limit.

Pull-Ups One of the best upper body exercises doesn't require any expensive equipment. Pull-ups work your lats, biceps, shoulders, and more. The guy at the gym with the biggest guns isn't the one to be admired - it's the one that can do the most pull-ups.

Skipping Rope A $10 jump rope could be the best, yet least expensive fitness investment anybody can make. Skipping rope is challenging, and it also burns a s%%tload of calories. Try 100 reps, try 200, and then try 300 and you will see that it is as high intensity as running sprints. And if those are easy? Do double skips, and get ready to blow your body away.

Push Ups Skip the bench press and chest isolation, and start doing more push ups. Incline, decline, plyometric, tricep, Swiss Ball – they are all amazing variations of the good ole push up. You work not only your chest but also your shoulders, triceps, core and quads. Push ups still work.

Curl – Shoulder Press Efficient exercises include compound movements, and a curl into a shoulder press is just that. It's pretty self-explanatory, as you perform a standing curl in the first movement, then raise the weights over your head with a shoulder press. Finish the exercise with the eccentric phases in bringing the weights down.

One by one, try to incorporate these exercises into your program, and if you fancy a great workout, do them all with a simple circuit: 15 squats, burpees, pull-ups, 200 jump ropes, finished by 15 push-ups and curl-shoulder presses performed in a row. Try one, two, three or even four rounds with a one minute rest between and you've done a full-body circuit that would challenge any person at the Expo.

I doubt my hypothetical stand at the expo would have been busy though, because people are too busy paying big bucks for an imaginary (but well marketed) magic pill. So how about trying some hard work instead?

Greatness Obstacles

Jessica Hagy, Contributor

Using visuals to tell stories, jokes, and truths.

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2/28/2012 @ 11:15AM |143,852 views

The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)

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The Six Enemies of Greatness (and Happiness)These six factors can erode the grandest of plans and the noblest of intentions. They can turn visionaries into paper-pushers and wide-eyed dreamers into shivering, weeping balls of regret. Beware!

1) Availability

We often settle for what’s available, and what’s available isn’t always great. “Because it was there,” is an okay reason to climb a mountain, but not a very good reason to take a job or a free sample at the supermarket.

2) Ignorance

If we don’t know how to make something great, we simply won’t. If we don’t know that greatness is possible, we won’t bother attempting it. All too often, we literally do not know any better than good enough.

3) Committees

Nothing destroys a good idea faster than a mandatory consensus. The lowest common denominator is never a high standard.

4) Comfort

Why pursue greatness when you’ve already got 324 channels and a recliner? Pass the dip and forget about your grand designs.

5) Momentum

If you’ve been doing what you’re doing for years and it’s not-so-great, you are in a rut. Many people refer to these ruts as careers.

6) Passivity

There’s a difference between being agreeable and agreeing to everything. Trust the little internal voice that tells you, “this is a bad idea.”

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