Overachieving - 2006 Rock Coaching Report

2006 RCSL Champions – ‘The Rock’

Overview

Senior Men

• RCSL Champions
• 10 Players selected to Canada East for the inaugural NA4 tournament
• 2 Internationals
• 2 Players in RWC qualifying game plus 2 non-playing reserves
• 2 Fully carded athletes

U21

• 19 players selected to CSCA Atlantic Barbarians
• 3 players selected to long list
• 2 Internationals

U19

• 3 Internationals
• 1 Player in FIRA U19 RWC

U18

• 4th at Easterns
• 4th at Nationals
• 1 International

U16

• 1st at Easterns
• 4th at Nationals
• 5 players selected to long list
• 3 Internationals

U15

• Undefeated tour to Ontario

Senior Men – Coaches; Pat Parfrey, Frank Deacy, Simon Blanks

The Senior Men’s program must be the ultimate model for High Performance in the country. The players were put through a 12 week conditioning program with Bob Thompson prior to the season beginning. This was combined with plyometric training at Campia Gymnastics with Simon Blanks, speed training with Dr. Jennifer Stender, individual skills work with Frank Deacy, video analysis with Pat Parfrey, statistical analysis with Simon Blanks and team practices with the full coaching staff.

The results listed in the overview speak for themselves!

NA4 Players:

• Peter Densmore
• Frank Walsh
• Koenraad Buseman
• Mike Webb
• Kevin Parfrey
• Andrew Fagan
• Mike Simpson
• Brian McKenzie
• Robert Wilson
• Ciaran Hear

Internationals (inc. RWC Qualifier):

• Rod Snow
• Mike Webb

Carded Athletes:

• Mike Webb
• Ciaran Hearn

U21 – Coach; Simon Blanks

The U21’s went through a difficult year. Due to the fact that Nationals for this age group were cancelled, interest in practicing was very low. Due to poor attendance no team was entered into the Eastern Canadian Championships. In an effort to create some kind of competition for the players in Eastern Canada, from which invites to the National U21 camps would be determined, an Atlantic Barbarians team was created to play a 2 game series against Ontario. !6 players from Newfoundland made the Atlantic team, 4 were selected to the long list and 2 played for the full U21 National team.

Atlantic Barbarians Players:

• Keith Hammond
• Matthew Smallwood
• Phil Crocker
• Richard Fagan
• Mike Holloway
• Stefan Barter
• Owen Parfrey
• Travis Coles
• Cyril Bugden
• Adam Paul
• Ryan Stratton
• Ryan Osmund
• James Fillier
• Liam Fardy
• Paul Tucker
• Ciaran Hearn
• Jason Picco
• Justin Pittman
• Gerrard Mercer

Long Listed Players:

• Owen Parfrey
• Ciaran Hearn
• Keith Hammond

Internationals:

• Owen Parfrey
• Ciaran Hearn

U19

There is no U19 team, however 3 players from the previous year’s U18 and all members of the U21 Atlantic Barbarian team as well as the Senior Rock team, represented the National team, with Adam Paul going on to play for the Canadian U19 IRB RWC team.

Internationals:

• Adam Paul
• Michael Holloway
• Jason Picco

U19 IRB RWC International:

• Adam Paul

U18 – Coaches; Pat Parfrey, Gary Blanks

This group were the biggest disappointment of the year. Untold potential was never released and although they fared well at Nationals, they played very poorly at Easterns. A poor attitude to practice, demonstrated by habitually poor attendance was directly responsible for their disappointing performances. This group, especially with a juggernaut pack of forwards, truly had the potential to have won Easterns and placed in the medals at Nationals. The good news is that many of this group showed well for their clubs in the fall and have expressed genuine interest in next year’s U21’s.

International:

• Grant Moffat

U16 – Coach; Basil Crosbie

The U16’s had a tremendously successful season. Approximately 50% of the team were actually U15’s, but this had no impact on the team’s ability to dominate the Eastern Canadian Championships. It was definitely a factor at Nationals though, when after big injuries to several key 16 year olds the U15 replacements proved not quite experienced enough to win a medal. However this group displayed some of the best attacking rugby from a junior Newfoundland team for quite some time, with an electric backline and a true potential world class performer in Jonathan Davis.

Long Listed Players:

• Jonathan Davis
• Zac Coughlin
• TJ Flynn
• Nick Rowe
• Robert Spearing

Internationals:

• Jonathan Davis
• Zac Coughlin
• Robert Spearing

U15 (Canada Games 2009) – Coaches; Pat Parfrey, Simon Blanks, Basil Crosbie, Frank Deacy, Garry Blanks

The U15 team travelled to Ontario where they played 4 games. They demonstrated a solid set piece, superiority at the breakdown (but not explosiveness) and a truly penetrating attack to rival that demonstrated by the U16 team. At least 6 of this team have been earmarked for National honours in the near future. They have been entered en masse into a long term athlete development program, with the primary intent of winning a medal at the Canada Games.