Physicality Lesson for U23s

Via Goff (subscription required) U23’s Update:

Auckland, NZ, August 2, 2007 – The USA U23 team finished up their New Zealand tour against Manuwera at Cox’s Bay in Auckland Saturday and the players are eager to show improvement from their game against the Manawatu provincial side.

Captain Jillion Potter and vice captain Kelly Griffin acknowledge that a greater dedication to the physical side of the game is part of that improvement as they rebound from their 34-2 loss.

“One of our challenges was retaining possession,” said Potter. “We’ve been working very hard on counter-rucking this past week and are excited to see our progression in our final match.”

“Manawatu’s overall physical intensity and ball handling skills were higher than Burnside’s,” said Griffin, referring to the U23s’ 27-10 victory over the women’s club team in their opening tour match.

And while a strong forward platform certainly helps, Manawatu also showcased skills that the U23s aspire to have.

“We’ve been really focusing on hard, sharp running lines, depth and effective communication,” said Griffin. “We want to play as a team and execute everything we’ve been working on the past two weeks including counter-rucking, attacking space and being dangerous.”

More of the article here.

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