‘Talking Tactically’

with Lachlan Tighe..... 

(a new weekly edition, commenced 12/9/2001, of thoughts, observations and commentaries on developments for bowls coaching and competition)

‘… Thank you Jonny Wilkinson’

(edition 77  - 2003 of thoughts & observations on lawn bowls)

Last week the theme was ‘Culture – Accountability’, well this week it was to be ‘Culture – Adaptability’ but it takes a back seat for a week or so as we have an instant role model for all coaches and players in all sports from that monumental Rugby Union world cup Saturday night where one man after 99.33% of the game complete relies on what he has committed himself to doing physically and mentally in planning and training, applying his skill (kicking ) in the heat of battle.

Jonny , thank you thank you thank you – you have reinforced what all our elite people (players and coaches) have to do to be the best, commitment beyond the next (best) level. And a reminder to us in bowls, Rugby as with bowls is one of the 5 core Commonwealth Games sports, so lets learn.

But don’t listen to me, these experts were quoted in the papers on and since Saturday to reinforce the value of both team and individual commitment -

Wallabies coach, Eddie Jones on Wilkinson

‘…much should be taken from the hours of dedication that allowed him to remain poised under enormous pressure…..his skills come with obvious talent but honed by hours of dedication at training…..it shows if you want to be the best at your sport or at one skill then you’ve got to commit…there will be kids out there using him as a role model buying boots and practicing their field goals, foregoing Xmas dinner so as to practice’

England’s coach, Clive Woodward on Wilkinson

‘…all he kept saying to me (at full time break) was I have to practice my goal kicks, and that’s what he did, he wandered off and started kicking a goal before the extra time started’

Richard Williams England Guardian newspaper article Saturday am before the game quoting Wilkinson himself as to his unusual pre kick focus

‘…the hands are like a barrier for me to cut out the distractions from the spectators…I looked at focusing from the inside, slowing down the breathing, centreing my focus, channel my power from my core which is at my navel down my left leg to get that explosive power’

David Alred, Englands technical adviser in that same pre game article

‘…Wilkinson stays on after team practice and finishes his own practice sessions with a series of six kicks, if one of them misses, he starts again….a series of images are created for him to practice kicking so he imagines it is a 7 iron, or aiming at a jeering mouth behind the goal or a lady in the stand with a coke on her lap that he is going to knock over….other elements of the approach is to focus on the precise point of the ball he is going to strike, the importance of the foot follow through like a golfer (pity he did not quote bowler)’

Damian Farrow & Justin Kemp, sports scientists in the Age on Saturday before the game

‘…it seems that pre performance routine though important is not the key factor in determining a kickers success, rather it may be what one thinks about or visualizes that’s more important, maybe Jonny is onto something?’

Dam and Justin how prophetic were you words pre game, boys

So what are bowlers to learn from the Rugby especially that target skill of kicking that equated to delivery of a bowl.  

As a coach of bowlers I would apply these

• More quality training and forego amount of playing (games) so that there is no extra time given over in any week just a realignment of training and playing time
• A commitment to learn about and apply at training their mental skill development
• A reappraisal of what my role is as coach to be as committed as the best bowlers
• And for both of us an agreement that near enough is not good enough
• Increased attention on pre preparation and game analysis

I am bold enough to pose the thought that maybe all of us whom compete at premier league level as players and coaches need to review our (training) approach as that is the competition setting where our very best (elite bowlers) also appear regularly and we do them a disservice if our current standards are lowering their level of intensity. Does the pennant assist these elite bowlers or intrude into their time for quality (Wilkinson like) training. ?

And well done Wallabies, what a magnificent effort, superb performance, superb theatre.

They were warriors to the end. Why? Well from my seat in the ‘theatre’ simply because EVERYONE in that team put in, no one person underperformed, all were  true ‘TEAM’ members. A proud Aussie, thank you Wallabies.

Lachlan Tighe

‘… Lions: Brisbane’s king of the (sporting) jungle’