8 Failing Teams - You weren't suppossed to do that
8 Olympian Super Coaches
1 week to make a difference - Now we wake up
Out! Out!
The Z Team
Hey, why don’t we start that one again?
Fallbrook are a struggling fourteens and under rugby team
Hey, hands ready. Communication
?coached by school PE teacher, Steve Hernandez
A lot of you now are just using one hand, the power hand
and that’s why the ball is going all over the place?
The Braves have just completed their 15 aside
season where they won just one game out of nine
We did?how can I put this graciously?
We weren’t as good as I thought we were gonna be?
They are about to embark on their first season of Summer Sevens?
?and expectations are not high
Three boys have never ever played rugby before,
only two players had played sevens before?
Hey, it’s not over yet!
in six days’ time they due to compete in their first sevens tournament
That first tournament is gonna be a huge eye opener.
Day 1
They won’t be going it alone. Jetting in to help them is rugby
superstar and Scotland’s former sevens captain, Colin Gregor.
Going a bit into the unknown, a week is not a lot of time but hopefully
having played at a high level I can have
a really positive impact on them.
The Braves know a Super-coach is on their way?but they don’t know who.
Applause
Morning, I'm absolutely delighted to be here at Fallbrook,
work with you guys. I realise it's your first seven's
tournament at the weekend so we’ll have a real fun week,
we’ll work hard, we’ll enjoy ourselves. So let's get going.
(Applause and cheering)
I've never had, like, an international coach or player
from anywhere before so it's really cool.
Colin wants to make the most of every minute he has with the boys?
I think it's important just to see what their basic catching/passing
skills are like, how they realign off one another
communication is obviously a big thing: are they asking for the ball?
That's the motion and the spin will come just from that right hand
Have your arms in that motion and just throw your arms to your partner
With the static drills in order, Colin wants to see some movement
Let's get noisy?
Ready, ready, ready...balls out?
Good ball, and again, nice, Carlos?
You've gone quiet again, as soon as the ball went down
everyone went quiet. So let’s stay in the game, stay animated?
Colin steps in to show how it’s done
Keep following through, keep two hands on the ball when passing.
Going through basics of catch and pass, once we've got
on the move that's perhaps where we struggle a little bit more
with the actual, just, process of passing.
The whole point of sevens is to get the ball to space, there’s less
people on the pitch, there’s more space so the basics of catch
and pass are hugely important so you can free up the quick guys but
also get the ball to space, make yards and score tries that way.
As the space opens up, mistakes creep in
Too many balls are hitting the deck cos were expecting these big passes.
Let's just get a bit tighter so the accuracy of the passes goes up.
Let's go think about where the space is, let's talk to
each other now. Good hands, and again.
Unlucky, just keep a bit of depth on the outside.
That's fine there's space there, good recognition.
As an attack they get very very flat so put a lot of
pressure on their skills to get the ball out
Defender, go! There we go, good work moving into space.
The Braves show heart but clearly have a lot to learn?
- Couple of areas we can improve? - Don’t drop the ball??
Accuracy of basics, catch and pass. Communication is a big one I think.
Happy with it?? Yeah?
It was really good, most of the stuff we did was pretty new to me.
I think he's a really great coach, I think he can
then hopefully rub off some of his experience on us.
Let’s grab the cones as well
There is a fair amount of work to be done with them,
the basic skills they can be OK with their catching and passing but
they lose focus quite quickly, they make some fairly basic errors
Can’t fault their enthusiasm, their desire to learn
and get better so hopefully a promising week ahead.
Day 3
Super coach Colin wants to make the Braves braver in their tackling
Today we've got a slightly smaller group, we'll look at the,
tackling, get them involved in a little bit more contact.
What do we know about tackling, what are the key
things that we look for when making a tackle?
What we looking to, grab with arms?
So we’re wanting shoulder, and we’ve heard cheek to cheek I
think so that’s what we’re looking, face cheek to bum cheek.
So it’s live now, you're looking to score
a try here, you're looking to stop him.
This is now a game situation...go. Yep good work
So we are progressing day on day
What we need to think about is when we're tired or when we're caught up
focusing on something else, that we’re still
able to talk to one another. Good work.
I like to think I'm having an impact or I certainly hope so anyway,
it's just trying to give them a bit of a pointer in what I've done,
how I've been fairly successful and let them learn from that.
Two days before the Braves first ever Sevens tournament
their Supercoach wants to inspire them.
Colin is taking the boys to the US Olympic Training Centre, where the
US Rugby hopefuls are preparing for their first ever Olympic Games.
Great that the US 7s team are based here so gonna have a
look around, a real chance to be inspired by what they see
Colin has arranged for the Braves to meet two members of the
Team USA Olympic rugby squad, Shalom Suniula and Kelly Griffin?
We just got back from France on Monday night?
Obviously winning’s fun, to be at that end of the stick but
it just takes one little mistake ? it’s about taking those chances.
If you have belief in your own ability you know whoever
you’re playing against, there’s a chance you can beat them,
if you get things right on the day anything can happen
Seeing these players here it just inspires me
so much and I might wanna be like them someday.
For them, rugby’s just all about having fun. Really, I
mean even for me a lot of rugby is just about having fun
Plenty of communication, let’s get jogging, let’s go.
The tour guides are excused and Colin gets
down to training on the hallowed turf.
Don’t want anyone standing still.
five pushups?Nelson, five pushups?
Let’s go then leg drive, wrap him up then. Yeah good leg drive.
- present ball, present ball. -Today Colin is focusing on defence
If he runs into that you just say I’ve got ball
ball, I’ve got ball, I've got ball and you make the tackle.
- I’ve got first? - We can really focus on improving
the physical side of rugby,
I really want to give them a couple of pointers to make sure that
they’re really confident whenever they’re faced with making a tackle
But with progress in one area, bad habits reappear.
Wait wait wait wait wait?everyone went silent!
That’s the last thing we want to happen, we want
all of you talking rather than none of you
so let’s just make sure now that we’re nice and noisy.
Let’s start looking to pass to space.
We’re just playing up the guts, where’s the space?
Complete the tackle, up we get Devin. Good presentation.
Let’s think about the aim of the attack is get the ball to space.
The Braves start to come together as they find their voices.
Good running
Right lads good work, we’ll call it there.
Communication got better as boys were getting into space as
the game freed up a little bit, guys were getting more vocal.
We’re very good in the little drills getting shoulder contacts,
then when we get into a game we get a little bit guilty of trying to grab.
Braves on three. One, two, three! Braves!
To be honest to start with things weren’t all that great,
the boys went a wee bit quiet again and it was a wee bit headless chicken
stuff. We worked on it, got them talking a little bit more
and the quality then improved and by the end
we were almost looking like a 7s team!
Today is Scottish rugby legend Colin Gregor’s final coaching session
with the Braves before their first ever seven aside tournament
Just want to build confidence, we’ll look again at our defensive shape
but for one player training might be over before it has even begun?
I didn’t even know I was bleeding until?
Hopefully nothing too bad then?
Alright put that back up on there?
- You got a headache at all? -No
If you have a headache then we have to deal with that
Just let me know if it’s too tight?
Croix’s team mates have just one thing on their minds.
Are you gonna play tomorrow?
I dunno?
Checked that he didn’t have a headache didn’t feel in anyway unwell
so we’ll just monitor him a bit more closely than we would normally
He’s obviously an important player,
Criox recently moved in to live with his Dad, a U.S marine
please go in... come on!
before that he had not seen much of his father
We are still figuring each other out cos he just moved here in October and
even though we are almost literally the same person
I think our relationship will get tighter over time because
I have been gone for so long
It was like every other year, I would see him for like three weeks
or a month It's a lot harder now, to kind of.. interact. It's difficult.
Ohhhh! (LAUGHS)
With Dad now stationed nearby they can make up for lost time.
Out of nowhere he started playing rugby. I was.. ok, I guess
he knows what he's doing and he was really good at it too.
For Seven's my posistion is wing, so what I am
responsible for is as soon as that ball gets
snapped out, its got to get to me and I have
to take it as far as possible to the try zone.
Right lads, in we come.
In an effort to re-focus, Colin is firm with the boys
Obviously important that we have a real high quality
session, if the quality’s poor we’re gonna keep going and going
so it’s up to you guys to make sure you’re switched on,
good quality session
Good and go, go, go?
Croix is determined to prove he is fit to play in tomorrow’s tournament
Let’s get real urgency we’ll just do it for 30
second blasts or so. Here we go, great work.
However, after battling through the opening drills,
he is unable to continue.
Is he ok?
He’s feeling a little light headed?
That’s fine yeah.
I’ve been waiting all week to play the game, but my head hurts.
Good work, into space. Excellent work, yep
get support with him. Good running Elias.
Colin brings final practice to a close?
Right lets come in?
Yes Wallace?
He hands out new jerseys for the tournament
that’s a proper Scottish name?good man
Bellamy
and makes Croix captain even though he might not be fit to play
Just over the week we’ve been looking a bit about leadership
and how you work as a team, the dynamics and basically we’ll
go for a leadership team I think we’ll have Croix as captain?
CLAPPING
We want Devin, you to be vice-captain as well.
CLAPPING
Braves on 3. 1,2,3?BRAVES!
Feels really good to have a rugby jersey,
just makes me feel part of the team.
I feel like we’re gonna win now
It’s a big day in rugby. It marks the start of the Sevens Summer
Season and the Fallbrook Braves U14s first ever tournament.
Losing has become kind of normal to me almost?I’ve
had a lot of losing?so it’d be nice to start winning
Before Colin can send out his team he needs an update from his captain
how’s your head?
Ah its good, it was just like a little cut.
So is it alright? You’re just making a meal of it?
Space, communication?teamwork, passing. Let’s just talk to
each other, gee each other up. Have a real fun time yeah
There are six teams competing. Each team will play three matches.
The Braves must win TWO out of three
to finish in the top half of the table
I’m a little nervous, I’ve never been captain before, I think
I’m ready, I’m ready to lead my team one way or another.
WHISTLE BLOWS
The Braves start their first ever sevens tournament in style
Go on Croix
and with tries from captain Croix?
And prop Mikhail?
Beat their local rivals, the San Clemente Gators —2 ? 7.
Great work lads? -CHEERING AS THEY COME OFF THE PITCH
Next up are the South Irvine Rhinos
Lets get our defence then
Despite a strong defence from the Braves?
the physically superior opposition, prove too much for them
and they lose the match —4 ? nil!
Now with light fading everything rests on their final match
Go Braves!
They face their tough challenge of the day in the Coastal Dragons
Come on drive those legs.. Go Croix!
(Cheering)
The Braves take the lead less than a minute into the game
Excellent start yeah?just good scrum and then Croix
just showing how dangerous a runner he is, bursting straight through.
Just what we needed really.
and fly-half Devin regains his form to make the conversion.
Putting them seven points up
He helped his team mate score a try and then he made his conversion
kick and that was awesome.
They soon have more to cheer
SCREAMS OF CELEBRATION
?as Nelson extends the lead to fourteen points
Good work.
Refusing to give up, the Dragons overturn possession at a scrum?
?and crash through to get on the board.
At half-time Fallbrooks lead is reduced to seven points.
With victory by no means a done deal Colin rallies his troops
Let’s start screaming for it so that we get the ball to the width
Last 7 minutes of the day, of the weekend so let’s really enjoy it.
CROWD CHEERS GO BRAVES
The Dragons continue to pile on the pressure
- Nice tackle - Cracking tackle Nelson
We need to dig deep now, play with that confidence
that they’ve displayed in the first game
But Fallbrook remain calm and start to work the space with their passes?
Into the safe hands of their captain who does the rest
On we go?(CHEERING)
(CHEERING) Oh my God..
Devin adds the conversion, putting more points on the board
to give them an unassailable lead
The Braves seal the all-important second win of the day and finish
in the top half of the tab—e ? a triumph for
the team who last season won only one match
Cracking effort, really good. Great way to end the week,
You guys are great, I freaking love every single one of you
Alright man, I’m just freaking happy right now?
Rugby is just?rugby. It’s a lot of fun, a lot
of contact and it doesn’t stop that’s for sure.
It’s been an awesome week, really fun. Coach Gregor being
here and everything, it was just an awesome experience.
- Are you a proud dad today? - Absolutely, I'm gonna start crying.
Really good, certainly a lot better than I thought it would be
when I first arrived on Monday. So to win two out of three games,
They showed tremendous character and just
their belief in one another to stick to what they
could do and they scored the tries and got the win because of that.
Coach Colin on three?1,2,3 Coach Colin!