Did it stop Henshaw getting a contract, there's a reason why lots of kickers at underage level give it up as they progress to senior level.
Obviously it didn't stop Henshaw getting a contract. You’re missing my point. Goal kicking is a skill. A quality goal kicker brings value to a squad. And the more valuable you are to a squad, the more money you get when it’s negotiation time. You asked why a professional rugby player might try to improve at a skill. There you have one. Why would a player improve their passing, or tackling, or footwork?
When Madigan/Carbery/Byrne were coming through at Leinster, Nacewa would kick for goal. It took pressure off them as young 10s and allowed them to focus on the nuts and bolts of out half play. It was one reason why he was such a valuable player in the squad. Likewise Ramos with Toulouse/France.
I'll leave it but tbh, I think you're missing the point
The difference is that handling skills can be improved passively through general training, whereas goalkicking is an individual skill that must be individually trained. There is only so much training time, the question is whether the benefit from spending large amounts of that time practising goalkicking outweighs the opportunity cost of the other skills that are neglected in the process.
This point is true. But the reason as to why a player may try to improve at it remains the same
Anybody can be trained to go into their normal routine for every kick.
It's pretty simple really. You can think about whatever you want in advance of your target but once it's time to kick you take a breath and go into your routine.
A similar thing would be the first round of a cup competition. You tell your guys that the first round is exactly like the final. If you lose you are out. The same applies to every match including the final. It's all about training the mind.
Alright Derren Brown, I understood the theory, nobody needed to have it explained.
The point (which I'm sure you accept) is in reality, fatigue and pressure do matter. They matter in spite of training or breath working or visualisation.
I'm not sure why I'm posting this. You. Already know this
Nothing improves passively really, but as regards kicking training - for the most part the options are to train that or piss off and grab a coffee. I don't think professional rugby players have any real shortage of free time to be honest.
Very interesting. Could you tell please tell me where you got these stats.
link work?
https://www.datawrapper.de/_/jbFGJ/
Source: URC + All Rugby
A simple way to measure players kicking is to only look at conversions. This takes out the probability of what different teams do when they have a penalty option.
Perfect, thanks!
Yeah that's an improvement. It would be biased against teams who are good at lineout maul tries as they tend to be scored near the touchline which makes the conversion more difficult. But so are tries scored by backs on the wing.
I wonder why there isn't a measure which divides the pitch into zones with difficulty weighting. Weighting based on average percentage success for all kickers in each zone.
E.g. opposition half divided into 10 zones. The middle of the pitch near the 22 is a near 100% kick as almost all kicks are scored. Another zone near the touchline at the 22 has higher weighting as maybe only 70% are scored. Another zone near the touchline near the 10m line has an even higher weighting as maybe only 50% are scored.
The percentages are made up to illustrate the point. But with the amount of statistics out there, I'm surprised nobody has tried an approach like this.
The teams that use the most foreign-born players in World Rugby?
They don't matter to a player like Ramos
So why doesn't he have 100% kick conversion rate?
And that makes him extraordinary.
I presume you are referring to Samoa & Tonga? Or maybe just Tonga.
Population I dont know -Fermanagh & a bit of Tyrone? Come on now! We all know allot of Tongans (& S.Pacific Islanders) have to emigrate, the lure of $NZ$ scholarships rugby etc. And Yeah I'd imagine they weren't delighted when NZ poached our friend Fekitoa.
Sure he even played for Tonga v Ireland at the RWC when NZ were finished with him.
Good few S.Pacific Isl born players will be now be able to potentially switch to represent their homelands at the next RWC.
Which is something Im all in favour of for 'Tier 2' countries.
NZ players: Shannon Frizell (Tonga), Fakatava (Tonga), Narawa (Fiji).
I think its also fair that NZ born players like Piutau and potentially Ngani Laumape can play for Tonga.
They need all the help they can get.
Would be delighted to see Richie Mo’unga play for the country of his parents birth (Tonga/Samoa) at the next RWC.
Thankfully no Pacific Island nations in Ireland's group!
You actually specified some NZ born players in your post so maybe you do get it. Samoa and Tonga have a lot of players in their squads who aren't born on the islands. I think the majority of players in the Samoan squad at the past few RWCs were kiwi born. I have no issue with those players choosing to represent the country of their ancestry the same way I have no with players of Irish heritage representing Ireland.
I wouldn't even countenance that shite with an acknowledgement. As you said, the NRL is the reason AR are in the toilet. And the REAL reason for that was AR's short term greed by going for the big Sky contract, while NRL remained Free To Air.
Depends on how bad you want it, mate. I think everybody has heard the stories of Jonny Wilkinson's dad having to drag him in from kicking practice on Christmas day for Christmas dinner.
You make time; you don't become Great by doing the bare minimum. The beauty of kicking is it can be practiced anytime, day or night. All you need is a ball and a tee, and you can find a pitch quiteeasily.
You can't really have it both ways. Either you allow people to play for their parents'/grandparents' countries and Tonga get to fill a world cup roster with Tongan descendants or you don't and Ireland don't get to field Bealham and Hansen.
Why do you only mention Bealham and Hansen. How about JGP and Lowe? And haven't we one or two who were born abroad but moved here when they were young?
Anyway I really don't care about this stuff. If you want to move to another country and play for them you should be allowed to.
Bealham and Hansen have Irish ancestry.
Lowe and JGP were project players.
Well of Irish ancestry didn't count then there'd be nobody without ancestry.
Hansen and Bealham had irish ancestry.
Lowe and JGP did not
Its apples and oranges. Two completely different situations.
Personally I couldn't give a flying stick of Heinomite if a chap is from England, Fiji or Ayers bloody Rock once he is from the right stock.
The day we let people from "deprived" areas and council estates in to our beloved sport is the day it dies!
So long as I breath in the fine air of South County Dublin I shall do my utmost to make sure the grassy shrines of Lansdowne Road, The RDS and Donnybrook are populated only by the gentlemen of the likes of Michael's, The Rock and to a lesser extent Clongowes.
The Johners and Mickos of this world are free to play that bog ball they refer to as "D'GAA" in their ageing relic that is "Croker"
Bealham was hardly a poach. He was developed by Irish rugby.
initially was in the Ulster sub academy and played for Belfast Harlequins As a loosehead, before being cut from Ulster and Connacht taking a punt on him, developing him into a British lions tighthead prop.
Where did I say Bealham was a poach?
where did I say you said it.
I’m talking about out the public (SANZAR supporters) in general.
