Blowouts

Having been on both ends of blowouts I don't like them. Blowouts in meaningless games are even more useless. At Air Force we were only on the receiving end of blowouts and since they came at the hands of Wyoming, Cal, BYU and superleague sides (Denver and Aspen), we knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that there was a lot of work to do when we got our asses handed to us. Every practice from blowout losses to the rematch the next year was a chance to atone for our mistakes. Not matter how good we felt in practice, no matter how hard we did fitness, or practiced out pattern, or honed our skills we feared what our opponents were doing to get better, while we were still trying to catch up. 70-0 is a long way to catch up against a league opponent. We never intentionally played a team we could blow out. It simply wasn't productive.

Just ask the 2007 All Blacks the benefits of thrashing opponents in pool play, only to meet a determine side in the playoffs. Frankly the All Blacks got soft, the got out rucked, they were out jumped in lineouts, and out defended.

Tearing apart a team is only useful it they are a stepping stone to a playoff berth.

I worry that Monday you will wake up with a unjustified sense of accomplishment, having thrashed a bunch of hapless hillbillies. Erase it. Remember you lost by 5 tries to OU, you list a nail biter to UD. These are the games that should motivate you through another hard week of practice.

You have collectively busted your asses to get fit. You need to get fitter to dominate your opponent.

You have worked hard to play a dynamic pattern, make quicker decisions, and play tougher defense. You can still execute faster and harder, see and exploit opportunities faster, and shut down on defense more aggresively. You have two weeks to go until playoffs to see if you've come far enough as players and as a team to beat a quality opponent.

I have talked extensively to the coaches this week. They praised your work effort this week, and your commitment. I could tell they were proud of how far you've come, in such a short time. You are all obviously having a blast, and want to do better, and you strive to be a playoff team. You are on track to being a playoff team, but need to play over your ability to go to the midwest.

Here's an honest assessment of your readiness:
-You are fitter, but not fit enough to win a close game playing this pattern.
-You haven't driven a lineout maul in for a try, and you need to be automatic.
-I'm still not hearing how dominate your kick offs and kick off returns are.
-You lack depth at several key positions.
-I haven't heard about you having 'sharp' backrow moves.
-Rucking has not dominated good opponents.

Keep striving to be better at all the above and you will start blowing out better teams--you only have two weeks of practice to get it done.


The only blowouts I like are playoff blowouts. Keep working hard and you will achieve them.

Blowout ability wins championships. See below.


http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/championships/show.pl?competitionId=73

http://web.usarugby.org/cgi-bin/viadesto/championships/show.pl?competitionId=143