Some team’s lineouts go off like clockwork, with star forwards fitting into the right space at the right time, withe the calls perfectly understood. You see Ireland doing this brilliantly,…
Fitness
Welcome to Hell: Pre-season stories from the 2014-15 season
Tyres are flipped, weights are hoisted, pools are emptied and mountains are conquered. Before a ball is kicked in competition, pro players endure some of the most punishing fitness drills…
Rugby World fitness: maul like an England forward
There are a few sights that you only get in rugby – the lineout, the scrum and the maul. Now the maul can be held up as the refuge of…
Speed kills: the three keys to developing blistering rugby speed
If you remember one thing about this article make it this: speed is the most important physical quality you need to succeed in rugby. Strength may get all the accolades…
The arduous rehab getting Ben Foden ready for the World Cup
If Ben Foden is fit in time for the Rugby World Cup, and selected, it won’t so much be a miracle as the blessed result of some tortuous rehabilitation for…
Rugby World fitness: scrummage like Dan Cole
DAN COLE is regarded as one of the best scrummagers of his generation, with the Leicester Tigers and England tighthead prop considered a must-have starter for his national side. He’s…
Rugby World fitness: get over the ball like Richie McCaw
Any openside flanker would want to emulate New Zealand great Richie McCaw at the breakdown, with the Kiwi able to get to a tackled opponent and have all the physiological…
Improve your core strength
A STRONG core is essential for both backs and forwards in rugby, so make sure you dedicate enough time to it in the gym. There are all sorts of exercises…
Rugby World fitness: throw passes as far as Conor Murray
BANG. The pass is gone. It’s gone a long way, too. Because the top scrum-halves in world rugby can get that ball moving at pace when the pressure is on,…