You're the coach of a minnow about to play a big 3 team

[miguel de cervantes]

What are your tactics?

What do you say to the team about to run out?

 

[Sgt. Kabukiman]

What do you say to the team about to run out?

"Hey, Gary! Can you get Thurston's signature for me while you're out there?"

 

[paulmac]

Slow the game down as much as possible,kicking ball dead in touch,walk to scrums and bring the biff get them off their game.

 

[Perth Red]

No fear, no shame, no surrender!

And give them a smack if they get cocky!!

 

[JasonE]

Lesser teams make too many mistakes and get punished almost every time, so i'd get them to keep it simple, get some go forward and limit the errors.

 

[Wilson1]

Play the reserves and focus on beating the other minnows.

 

[miguel de cervantes]

From watching the last three games, the minnows try and play safe, mostly one out stuff close to the ruck, and the majors' defense just eat them up because it is so predictable. With the attack out of the way, the majors have too much ball and slowly but surely grind the minnows to dust.

Eventually, the penny drops, (usually when the game is over), and they start to throw it around a bit, which actually works sometimes. But alas it is too late, the players are tired from having defended 75% of the time and any mistakes are gobbled up.

You cannot beat the Kangaroos and Kiwis playing NRL style, wrestle football. Controlled unpredictability and flair is the way to go but no one seems to have the balls to try it or the coaches to instil it. Furthermore, the conditions have not been very condusive.

 

[RHCP]

I think controlled unpredictability is a good way to describe what I'd want them to do. It doesn't necessarily have to be a pushed pass on every tackle, but try some wrap-arounds, inside balls, long kick off the scrum (Uate has scored like this for the Knights iirc), let them have a muck around at training and create some plays, stuff like that, because the defences are just too well-drilled to be troubled by standard fare.

 

[DC_fan]

Don't worry about the result. Just go out and enjoy the occasion and have some fun.

That's if you can have fun whilst being beaten by 40 or 50 points.

 

[docbrown]

Eventually, the penny drops, (usually when the game is over), and they start to throw it around a bit, which actually works sometimes. But alas it is too late, the players are tired from having defended 75% of the time and any mistakes are gobbled up.

You cannot beat the Kangaroos and Kiwis playing NRL style, wrestle football. Controlled unpredictability and flair is the way to go but no one seems to have the balls to try it or the coaches to instil it. Furthermore, the conditions have not been very condusive.

I agree you won't beat them playing NRL defensive tactics.

Simple breakdown -
Two deep kickers
Two speedster wingers
Two fast defenders

When the Kiwis & Roos defence is dominating - say 2nd or 3rd set where we've been stuck on 3rd or 4th tackle behind our 20-30 metre line - I'd want my kickers to kick early and deep - get the entire Roos & Kiwis to have to go back 40-50 metres.

a) if they keep gang tackling/wrestling in our half they'll soon get tired by having to turn on their heels so often and that leads to mistakes
b) our forward will tackle their returner down in their 20 or 30 which keeps the game in the middle of the field
c) our defender put pressure on their defender and forces an error
d) our winger recovers and chance for a try

Once the pressure is out of our half change tactics to throw the ball around the middle of the field - say 40 to their 30 - get those tired big man working hard laterally to create gaps. As RHCP said that's the time for wrap arounds, inside balls, scrum plays etc. I'd even kick off the first if I knew the rest of the side was prepared for it.

 

[WellsNZ]

Go out there and play to win, don't play to not lose as badly. No pissing around taking 2 pointers, you aren't going to win on penalties against these teams.

If you're already convinced we've lost just stay in the changing room.

I don't care what the final score is, I just want to see you throw everything you can at them.

 

[umina panther]

Try hard but the ref is going to f**k us either way. So maybe throw a few

 

[newman]

The thing is you can't play carefree ad lib football with no go forward, so you need to build a platform. Go back to the last 4 nations where Wales got the jump on the Aussies by kicking early and riding their luck on the back of briers. They still lost but that's the game plan to play with. The problem for the minnows is that the big 3 make so many metres in behind the ruck and it's almost impossible to counter.

 

[joshie]

Scour the world to find myself a brilliant hooker, five eighth and halfback. From there find the rest of the boys and take a look at the talent. Then I would use this controlled unpredictability and base it around 5 players in the side and try and scare the big sides. Throw a few punches, kick the ball dead in goal, drub the ball over the sideline at times and play wide of the ruck. Like in touch, send someone up but then pass the ball wider with a speedy player hitting it every now and again, confuse them.

But what else can you do?

 

[Nugget10]

Smack them in defence. Test their ribs out, put in a bit of niggle. They may win the game but they'll know they had to earn it

 

[babyg]

Was just thinking about this this morning. Id invest in developing a couple of 6'8 wingers or centres. Was thinking the only way through the top teams is through the air. The minnows packs arent too bad and theyve all been able to get themselves in attcking positions.

 

[Marshall_magic]

It doesn't matter whether you win or lose, just cover the line.

 

[newman]

In my junior coaching you inevitably come up against teams that are far superior than yours. We played a team this year that had only conceded 3 tries in 2 years. My message is always the same:

- the team who runs harder and tackles harder usually wins. This can be forgotten when intimidated by the opposition.
- the team who makes the least errors usually wins.
- the team who has the best first tackle attempt conversion almost always wins.
- the space is in the usual places: behind the ruck, on the edges on the switch.

It's a simple game. Don't overthink it. Don't be overawed and f:&k reputation.

 

[Pig Champion]

In my junior coaching you inevitably come up against teams that are far superior than yours. We played a team this year that had only conceded 3 tries in 2 years. My message is always the same:

- the team who runs harder and tackles harder usually wins. This can be forgotten when intimidated by the opposition.
- the team who makes the least errors usually wins.
- the team who has the best first tackle attempt conversion almost always wins.
- the space is in the usual places: behind the ruck, on the edges on the switch.

It's a simple game. Don't overthink it. Don't be overawed and f:&k reputation.

Hey Newman, maybe the French need to look at a few videos of the mighty Yarrawarra u/12a's. Or even the mighty Cronulla Caringbah u/13b's.

 

[newman]

Hey Newman, maybe the French need to look at a few videos of the mighty Yarrawarra u/12a's. Or even the mighty Cronulla Caringbah u/13b's.

Haha! Some real talent there. Yarrawarrah stand a real chance of winning the Ryan Girdler cup next year. You coming back to the black cats?