Sardis Training a Success
Sardis Road
By Andrew Collins
August 10 2005
The Cardiff Blues first training outing around the region has been a massive success, leaving the feeder clubs dying to use all their new skills and knowlage to further push Cardiff Blues' dominance in amoungs the European elite.
On Tuesday evening, Dai Young and his new-look coaches took the Blues squad to Sardis Road, home of long-term rivals Pontyprydd RFC, to give our local coahes a helping hand.
The sessions aim was to educate coaches of the clubs within the region, and further the regionalisation taking part at the Arms Park. Head coach Dai Young was leading pressesions while forwards coach Richard Webster demonstrated his coaching ability of the back 5, with Dai showing the tight 3. Also there was new-boy Rob Howley, who will be coaching backs and defence for the Blues next season, he showed off what he has learned since passing his English RFU level 1,2 & 3 coaching courses while with London Wasps. The suprise package however is the part-time inclusion of fan favourite Dan Baugh, who will be learning off the trio while playing out his final year with the Blues. (Below - Dan Baugh, Rob Howley, Dai Young, Richard Webster and Tristan Bevan)
In the hour of the session, the players moved from small groups working on close quarter skills, into larger groups and eventually to a full on match scenario. With each new drill Dai would provide details of the drills, their aims and how each drill would be stepped up with each session as the season drew near.
After the coaching sessions, the Blues invited their regional collegues back to the clubhouse for a Q & A session. (Right - Richard Webster and the Blues forwards)
A few questions can be read below:
Q1. What is the structure of coaching at Blues this season
Dai Young - This season I will hold position of Head Coach, RW will be forwards coach (specialising in back five play), Robert Howley will be backs and defence coach, Dan Baugh will be supporting all three of us along with Trystan Bevan conditioning coach.
Neil Jenkins will continue as Outside Half & kicking coach with support provided by people such as Justin Burnell, Dale Macintosh at the acadamies.
Q2. What are The Blues targets for this season.
Dai Young - Top 4 in the CL by Xmas and to stay there till season end...Top 4 finish guaranteeing automatic HC for following season.
Q3. Will The Blues venture outside CAP this season.
Robert Norster - Due to logistics, contracts, etc we will not be playing games outside CAP this season, but we will be holding more of these sessions at Sardis and other regional clubs to spread the Blues message.
After the event, Mike Williams head Coach at Abercynon RFC reflected saying,
“It's excellent that the Blues are holding these coaching clinics and it is sure to benefit us as coaches and the players. We already have a lot of contact with the coaches and the Blues region is definitely working. We were all delighted that one of our former players Rhys Thomas went on to play for the Blues and won his first cap, he's the first player from Abercynon RFC to do so and we're all chuffed for him".
Dai Young added,
Hopefully the expertise we as a coaching team have will benefit the coaches and the regional teams. That can only be good news for rugby within the whole region. There is a real pathway in the region we now believe will enable any youngster to make it. It is going to take a couple of years but we have a lot of good people working from top to bottom.
The 'Coaching Clinic' has been a big hit with the region, it's an idea others have yet to pick up on, and will help make the Blues a more attractive, proffesional club to join.
Other good news for Blues fans is that Jamie Robinson was taking part in the training and work-out's at Sardis Road, and is hoping to be fit for the season opener in Galway. The squad were all present with the exception of news signing Marc Sterchebina who is still nursing a shoulder injury that will rule him out of the first month of games. (Left - Scrum Half Mike Phillips)