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A* AQA A-Level PE NEA Exemplar - Rugby Union

Subject: Physical education

Age range: 16+

Resource type: Assessment and revision

Last updated

22 February 2024

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• Performance Analysis Assessment (Analysis and Evaluation)
• Mark Rewarded = 44/45
• AA2: Lack of success in performing a front shoulder tackle AA3: Individual Positioning in the Defensive Line

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PE coursework Chosen Sport Rugby -working on my weaknesses as a fullback

PE coursework

Chosen Sport Rugby

Defensive Weakness 1: Frontal Tackles

Tackles made front on, when a player is running at me, is a defensive weakness of mine because when performing the tackle I am either unsuccessful or make the tackle using the incorrect technique.

My technique is incorrect as I do not drive the opposing player backwards during the tackle, allowing them to make it over the game line, meaning they make ground and they can set the ball backwards for their team making it difficult for my team to get turnover ball. The reason I do not drive the opposing player backwards is due to me not hitting into the tackle with an ‘explosive’ spring off the balls of my feet from low to high (crouched to straightened legs). By not doing this I make it much easier for the opposing player to use their momentum to carry themselves forward and make some ground in the tackle. Another reason for my frontal tackles being either unsuccessful or performed with the incorrect technique is that when a player is running at me, about to take contact, they sometimes try to use some form of deception in an attempt to beat me in the tackle. Players with a high skill level are able to use very convincing forms of deception, either through a side-step or through a sudden change of pace and direction. If the deception is convincing enough I often fall for it which gives the attacking player an advantage over me meaning that I either miss the tackle or don’t make the tackle with the correct technique because I have been left off balance from the outcome of their trickery.

        Jamie Noon’s tackle (shown below), is a perfect example of how a frontal tackle should be performed with the correct technique.

As the opposing player come in to make contact Noon prepares to make the tackle and watches the ball carrier carefully to ensure that he isn’t fooled by a side-step or a sudden change of pace. He then gets into the tackling position; keeping his back straight and his head to the side of the ball carriers body. When executing the tackle he shrugs his shoulders on contact and simultaneously drives his shoulders upwards into the lower ribs, at the same time he wraps his arms around the ball carrier’s thighs and hold tight. From this position it is possible for Noon to either drive the player backwards or turn him sideways in the tackle, depending on which will gain his team the greatest advantage.

The theoretical reasoning for my weakness in performing frontal tackles is the theory of single-channel hypothesis. This suggests that there is a delay caused by an increased process time this is suggested to be the result of a ‘hold-up’ within the response programming stage, this is also known as the ‘bottleneck effect’. Within this stage it is suggested that the brain can only process the initiation of one action or response when presented with two closely following stimuli. This creates a psychological refractory period (PRP) - the delay between being able to respond to the second of two closely spaced stimuli. The next stage is the response selection stage and in this stage, when faced with two closely followed stimuli, my ability to select the correct stimuli is hindered, as I am unable to select the correct response in ample time for the tackle I need to make. The final stage of the single channel hypothesis is the start of the response movement or action which is again affected when faced with two closely followed stimuli because it takes longer for the correct movement/action to be carried out. This affects my ability to perform a frontal tackle because when an opposing player uses an effective side-step, creating a primary stimulus, it takes me too long to readjust my body position for the secondary stimulus of where they are actually going to go. This theory is relative to the concept of attention which Gould and Weinberg (2003) described as “focusing on relative cues in the environment, maintain that attention focus over time, having awareness of the situation, and shifting attention focus when necessary.” Attention is undoubtedly limited and thus must be directed to what is relative for specific situations. In my case I need to focus my attention on the relative cues and not be fooled by deceptive methods used by the opposition in the form of dummy passes, dummy kicks and sidesteps. Instead I must focus my attention on picking out the correct stimuli.

To correct this fault in my ability to perform frontal tackles I must work on my selective attention so that I can successfully pick out the correct cues put before me by my opponents when they are running at me in a game situation. Anticipation is affected by many aspects some which I can do nothing about such as, age, gender, the predictability of a stimuli and the intensity of the stimuli. However, age and gender work in my favour as I am prime age for reaction time and males are perceived to have slightly shorter reaction times than women. Saying this there other factors which I do have control over and can do something about to improve my anticipation, these include previous experience/practise, arousal and fatigue. It is obvious that increased practise will improve my decision making as I will have been in similar situations before and will be able to pick out the correct response for certain stimuli, thus making my reaction time faster. Fatigue is an issue as when I become more tired my level of concentration will deteriorate, as a result I may not detect relevant cues and my reaction time will decrease. Therefore, for the position of fullback, it is important that I work on my in game fitness by increasing my cardiovascular endurance and my muscular endurance; I can do this through circuit training, fartlek training, weight training, continuous training and short and long interval training. Equally, under or over arousal will undoubtedly increase my reaction time, under more so than over, so it is vital that I try to get myself into the optimum level of arousal and reach my zone of optimal functioning. However reaching the zone of optimal functioning can be difficult to do, especially compared to increasing the amount of practise I partake in and the amount of fitness work I do on improving my cardiovascular endurance and muscular endurance to reduce fatigue, thus it is essential that I work on both these aspects to improve my ability to make frontal tackles as I can have the most control over improving them.

Attacking Weakness 1: left-handed spin pass

An attacking weakness of mine during a game situation in rugby is performing a left-handed spin pass. This is a weakness of mine because when performing a left-handed spin pass it often does not hit my intended target or is performed with the incorrect technique.

Spin is put on the ball when it is passed to make it spiral through the air more aerodynamically, applying spin means passes can be made over longer distances. When I carry out a spin pass with my left hand it often does not spin in an aerodynamic fashion, with both noses of the ball lateral to one another (see diagram).

 Therefore, my pass often does not travel far enough to reach my intended target and instead loops into the air. The reasoning behind my spin passes not travelling in the correct way is due to my hand positioning as I do not keep my right hand far enough forward on the ball and often have it resting above or below the centre line of the ball instead of on the centre line of the ball which is where it should be. Another problem with my technique is that I do not always look, focus and then aim where I want the ball to go. Instead I glance at my target and focus more on the opposing player coming in to tackle me. This is a problem with my technique as it often means that my pass is not entirely accurate because I have not picked an exact target area to aim for thus making my pass unsuccessful.

Jonny Wilkinson is a perfect example of someone who performs the left-handed spin pass with the correct technique. When preparing to pass he keeps his right hand towards the front of the ball and rests it on the ball’s centre line of gravity, this hand is used as a guide to increase the accuracy of the pass. He keeps his left hand towards the back of the ball resting below the centre of gravity. He carries the ball at chest height, looks first at his opponent and then looks at his receiver as he prepares to pass. Once he was looked at where he is going to pass Wilkinson carefully chooses the correct speed, direction, height, distance and speed he will need to apply to the ball to make a successful pass. When executing the pass he rolls his left hand from the bottom of the ball and rotates it to the top of the ball through the action of supination.  This action creates an eccentric force which causes the ball to spin and increases the distance of the pass. At the same time as doing this Wilkinson swings his arms towards the receiver. During the follow though stage of the pass he watches the ball leave his hands and points his fingers at the target area, which will be the chest of the receiving player.

This is a preview of the whole essay

My inability to perform a left-handed pass is due to a lack of self-confidence to carry out a successful spin pass with my non-passing hand. All performers are more likely to produce better performances if they have belief in their own abilities to complete the task, ‘the most consistent difference between elite and less successful athletes is that elite athletes possess greater self-confidence.’ Gould et al. Bandura (1977) proposed that the self-confidence levels of an individual is dependent on the situation they are in and can vary from moment to moment. This relates to my inability to carry out a consistent successful left-handed pass because I lack the confidence in my own ability required to be able to perform a successful left-handed pass. This therefore reduces the likelihood of a successful outcome.  

To correct this I must develop self-efficiency or self-confidence in my own ability to perform a left-handed spin pass. Self-efficiency is another conceptual theory brought forward by Bandura (1977) which suggests that the confidence levels of an individual will vary depending on the situation and alter from moment to moment. It also suggests that unsuccessful attempts will lead to a loss of confidence and thus cause a rapid decline in performance. This can cause learned helplessness where the performer believes that failure is inevitable because of negative past experiences.  Although I have not developed learned helplessness it does appear that I have low self-efficiency when it comes to performing a left-handed spin pass, the numerous unsuccessful attempts have led to a drop in confidence in my own ability. To redevelop a higher level of self-efficiency for left-handed spin passing I must first develop positive expectations, to do this I must focus only on times when my left-handed spin passes have been successful and use thought blocking to block out any past unsuccessful attempts. I can also observe demonstrations of the correct technique and set challenging but achievable goals when both practising my left-handed pass and for using it in a game situation, for example successfully make 75% of left-handed spin passes in a game.

Attacking weakness 2: Grubber kicks

Another attacking weakness of mine, in a game situation, is performing a successful grubber kick. This is a weakness because I often make the wrong decision with my chosen time to use a grubber kick or it does not go to my intended target area, often I over kick the ball and it goes beyond my intended target area.

When performing a grubber kick I firstly do not focus on an exact target area to aim my kick at, nor do I steady myself before I kick the ball. Both these faults in the preparation stage of a grubber kick are likely to be the reasons for the inaccuracy of my kick. During the execution stage of a grubber kick I often do not release the ball completely upright and instead drop the ball on a slight angle, either to the left or the right. This is most likely to be a contributing factor to the inaccuracy of my kicks, as this poor release will cause me to either slice or hook the ball (depending upon whether the lean is to the left or the right). The reasoning behind me over kicking the ball will be during the follow-through stage where I bring my kicking leg too high, therefore generating too much power and force in the kick which will cause the ball to travel too far beyond the intended target area.

When Toby Flood (shown above) carries out a grubber kick he demonstrates a perfect model of how it should be carried out. When preparing to kick the ball the selects an achievable target, he proceeds by keeping his eyes on the ball with his head over the ball, he then leans forward over the ball. All this ensures that the ball remains on the ground and that the contact made on the ball is good. Flood also ensures to steady himself when preparing to kick, holding the ball on each side across the side seams and makes certain that the ball is held perfectly upright. During the execution phase Flood releases the ball so that it falls upright, he then makes contact just before the ball lands, with his knee kept slightly ahead of the ball, he makes contact with the upper half of the ball. During the follow-through stage of the grubber kick Flood punches the ball along the ground with a leg that remains low and straight.

The theoretical reasoning for my inability to consistently perform a grubber kick with the correct technique is because I become both psychologically and physiologically under aroused when performing a grubber kick. Arousal should be thought of as multidimensional state, Gould and Krane (1992) defined arousal as ‘A general physiological and psychological activation of the organism (person) that varies on a continuum from day, sleep to intense excitement.’

Arousal may be cognitive, involving thought process, but it can also be somatic, causing a change in the body’s response such as increased heart rate or sweating. The level of arousal is controlled by the reticular activating system (RAS), the RAS is a cluster of brain cells located in the central part of the brain stem, which maintains levels of arousal and interprets the level of stimulation entering the body and initiates an appropriate response. A performer should try to reach their optimum level of arousal, for the task at hand, so that their concentration and decision making are not impaired. However, when I perform a grubber kick I do not achieve my optimum level of arousal and instead my level of arousal is too low. This means that my level of performance will also be low. This is backed by two theories; Drive theory (Hull 1943) and the inverted-U theory (Yerkes and Dodson1908)

        Drive theory (Hull 1943) suggests a linear relationship between arousal and performance.

  This shows that as the level of arousal increases so too does the quality of performance. Therefore, my low levels of arousal will undoubtedly be the reason for my low level of performance, when carrying out a grubber kick.

The Inverted-U theory (Yerkes and Dodson1908) also helps to support my reasoning to believe that it is under arousal that causes me to underperform when carrying out a grubber kick. The Inverted-U theory suggests that a performer who is under-aroused may show a lack of concentration and attention which would explain why I fail to focus open a target area when performing a grubber kick in a game situation.

My under arousal is most likely caused by a lack of pressure to perform a successful grubber kick as I only ever use them as a form of a attack in the final third of the pitch, near the oppositions final third of the pitch where there is no pressure or threat implicated by an opposition attack. Furthermore, I only ever use a grubber kick when we are winning a game, as I do not see them as safe form of attack as they have a relatively low success rate and often give the opposition possession, thus creating little to no pressure to succeed and consequently creating under arousal.

To correct this I must increase my arousal levels when performing a grubber kick. To do this I must use the grubber kick in moments of greater importance to ensure that my arousal levels are higher, for instance in the oppositions final third when my team is not winning by a large margin. Furthermore, I can realise the importance of performing a grubber kick and focus on my own achievement by setting performance goals rather than outcome goals. My under arousal often causes me to use the wrong technique when performing a grubber kick, so another way I could keep my arousal levels at the optimum level would be to use cue-utilisation theory to focus on the correct technique for a grubber kick and visualise myself performing one successfully. This will hopefully narrow my attention onto the grubber kick and should result in me no longer falling victim to attention wastage, where my attention is misdirected to irrelevant cues, which often occurs when I am about to perform a grubber kick due to my under arousal.

Defensive Weakness 2: Punt kick

My secondary defensive weakness is the punt kick. The punt kick is usually employed as a form of defence when you are deep in your own half of the pitch and is an effective means of releasing pressure and taking the advantage away from the opposition. The punt kick is a defensive weakness of mine because I often rush my kick and do not kick the ball as far as I potentially can, my is also often off target and does not land where I intended it to.

The reason for my weakness is threefold, all caused by me rushing my kick due to the pressure put on me by the opposition team. My first error is that during the preparation stage I do not hold the ball at a 45-degree angle and instead hold the ball in more of a vertical position- a technique that is more suited for a bomb kick/ up and under. This fault in my technique causes the ball to hang in the air and travel too far vertically and not far enough away from my own try line. Similarly, my second error is during the execution stage of the punt kick, I make contact with the bottom point of the ball instead of with the centre of the ball. This flaw in my technique again causes an increase in vertical velocity and a lack in horizontal velocity, thus decreasing the distance that the ball travels away from my try line. My third and final fault is also during the execution stage of my punt kick. My non kicking leg should provide a firm foundation for me when I kick the ball. However, when I perform a punt kick I am usually running a therefore my right leg (my non kicking leg) is not usually firmly planted. As a result this often causes my kick to miss my intended target area.

Jonny Wilkinson (shown above) is a perfect example of a professional player who can carry out a punt kick with perfect technique and has a very high success rate in game situations. During his preparation stage phase of a punt kick Wilkinson selects a clear and achievable target then, with his eyes on the ball, points the ball in the direction where he wants to aim his kick. He ensures to hold the ball at waist height and at arm’s length and holds the ball at a 45-degree angle, this ensures that he will make contact with the centre of the ball and that his kick will be accurate. During the execution stage of his kick Wilkinson points the toes of his kicking foot down and releases the ball, he then ensures to make contact with the centre of the ball with the laces of his boot. Wilkinson non kicking leg is firmly set so as to provide a firm foundation and then he brings his kicking leg through the ball with rapid acceleration, this kick demonstrates excellent control and timing with a fluid action. During the follow-through stage of his punt kick Wilkinson keeps his head down with his body over the ball, he then brings his kicking foot up above his head for an effective follow-through which will increase the power of his kick. During this whole process of the punt kick Wilkinson ensures to keep his kicking leg straight and his toes pointed downwards.

The theoretical reasoning behind my weakness to carry out a successful punt kick in defence during a game situation is because of negative stress or anxiety.

        Stress is often conceived as a negative feeling. However, there is a distinct difference between stress that has a positive effect and stress which has a negative effect. Seyle (1956) gave a broad definition of what stresses affect has upon an individual. ‘The non-specific response of the body to any demand made on it.’ This was take further by McGrath in 1970 who described why stress occurs within an individual he explained that ‘A substantial imbalance between demand (physical and/or psychological demands) and the response capability, under conditions where failure to meet the demands has important consequences’. Therefore, when placed in a pressurised situation we may experience a stress reaction. This will differ from person to person because individuals react differently. Stress is initiated by stressor’s which are either positive or negative (Eustress or Anxiety). In my case the stress brought on by the need to clear the ball from my own try line, using a punt kick, alongside the pressure put on me by the opposing side closing me down cause’s anxiety. This causes a major increase in arousal levels and subsequently causes a decrease in performance levels. This negative stress also causes a loss of concentration, a feeling of apprehension and attention narrowing.

 This is supported by both the inverted U theory and, more appropriately, the catastrophe theory. The inverted-U theory suggests that as arousal becomes too high, beyond the optimum level of performance, the performance will begin to drop.

So as the ball is passsed to me and I have to perfotm the punt kick with the opposition defence closing me down, the pressure builds up and subsequently causes a rise in arousal level to the point where my performance drops.

The catastrophe theory (Hardy 1987), suggests that an increase in cognitive arousal will improve performance but if over-arousal occurs and arousal levels continue to increase, both in terms of cognitive anxiety and somatic anxiety (physiological responses) the performer will not be able to recover and catastrophe will occur.

This is what happens to me, as arousal increases rapidly in the build up to performing a punt kick to the stage where my performance experiences an extreme decline, thus causing my punt kick to be inaccurate.

To correct these faults in my technique, caused by anxiety, I must employ stress management techniques. Stress management techniques help to build the self-confidence of a performer and create personal self belief within a performer of their own abilities. My anxiety is caused by an imbalance between the perceived demands of the task and my own ability. The stress management techniques should, if used correctly, lower my arousal levels, thus allowing me to feel in control of my emotions and actions, this will enable me to feel able to complete the task successfully. There are numerous amounts of stress management methods which can be employed, these methods all fall under two categories; cognitive strategies and somatic strategies. To control my anxiety in a game when about to perform a punt kick I will have to use cognitive strategies to control my arousal levels, so as not to become over aroused and instead stay within my optimum level of arousal. In particular I will focus on two cognitive methods of which to use to control my anxiety, these methods are; thought-stopping and attention control.

        To use thought-stopping I must recognise when I am starting to worry or develop negative thoughts about my performance. When I recognise these that I am having these negative thought I must use an action or cue word to redirect my own attention to positive thoughts. This can be applied to me performing a punt kick in a game situation because as the ball is about to be passed to me and I start to have negative thoughts about how I am not going to be able to kick the far enough, quick enough or accurate enough I could use the cue word ‘contact’, this would make me focus upon just making good, solid contact on the ball, which I am usually able to do and feel confident about. This would block out all other negative thoughts and only focus my mind upon this positive thought.

Strategic weakness 1: Staying too far up the Pitch

In a game situation a strategic weakness of mine, as a fullback, is staying too far up the pitch. This often leaves me out of position and leaves my team defenceless to a kick over the top from the opposition; giving them the opportunity to clear pressure from their own half, or to gain an attacking advantage with a kick over our defensive line for their players to run on to. As fullback it is imperative that I correct this weakness to my game.

The reason for my weakness is because I am relatively new to the position of fullback, as I used to play on the wing, this has meant that I have built up a strong bond for defending in the line and have not yet fully made the transition to the defensive role of a fullback, as that bond has not yet been fully broken down. This is a problem, particularly when our team is in defence, as I fail to recognise that I need to drop further back to account for the long Kick that the opposition may employ, particularly when the ball is deep in their half. This failure to recognise when I am too far up the pitch often means that one of the wingers from my team has to drop back to cover for me, leaving them out of position and a gap in our defensive line.

        Me being too far up the pitch when in defence is a further problem as it is the role of the fullback to spot any gaps in their own teams defensive line and to react accordingly. This job has to be taken up by the fullback as, like a goalkeeper in football, I have the best view of my team’s defensive line and can see where there are possible weaknesses. However, because I am too far up the pitch and not far enough back from my own defensive line, I am unable to see the whole of my defensive line, thus leaving my team vulnerable to the possibility of a gap in the defence going unnoticed.

        A further issue created by me being too far up the pitch is that, should the opposing team manage to break through my team’s defensive line, I am only in a position to make the tackle if they break the line close to my proximity. If they break the line and I am not close to where this has happened I am often not able to get there in time, particularly if this happens on the wing and someone with a lot of speed and acceleration breaks through the line. I need to correct this because if I am standing further back from my defensive line I will have a much higher chance of being able to move into position and make the tackle and prevent the opposing team from scoring a try.

Delon Armitage (shown above), is a perfect example of professional fullback who plays the position exactly how it should be played. When in defence he drops off from his defensive line to ensure that the opposition team cannot play a long kick to clear the pressure they are under and if they do, he is back far enough to ensure that the ball does not clear him and that he can get into position to collect the ball before it lands. Furthermore, his defensive positioning is always far enough back so as that he can get into position, should the opposition break through the defensive line, to make a tackle and prevent the opposition scoring a try. Finally Armitage is able to spot any gaps in his own team’s defensive line, as he is back far enough to see the whole line, this ensures that his team’s defensive line is a strong as it can be and if there are any gaps or weaknesses in the line he is able to identify this problem quickly and take appropriate action to correct this problem quickly, before the opposition team can utilise upon it.

The theoretical reasoning for my weakness is due to frustration aggression. Aggression has a few definition but all have similar characteristics as shown: ‘Aggression is any form of behaviour directed towards the goal of harming or injuring another living being who is motivated to avoid such treatment.’ (Baron 1977) another definition is that ‘any behaviour intended to harm another individual by physical or verbal means.’ Both definitions show that an act of aggression must have intent to harm another and must be intentional. However, both these theories best explain hostile or reactive aggression. The type of aggression I often display within a rugby match is channelled aggression; where my actions are within the rules of the game and I aim to complete the task successfully, but at the same time inflict harm or physical pain to the opposing player in the tackle. This happens as I become frustrated by the lack of involvement I have within the game, particularly in defence, thus causing me to push up into the defensive line with the goal of making a hard but fair tackle to release my aggression so that I am less frustrated and can regain concentration.

The frustration-aggression hypothesis was proposed by Dollard (1939), he suggested an interactionist approach to aggression. He argued that individuals display aggressive behaviour due to innate characteristics and learning from others, so we become aggressive when our goal is blocked which leads to frustration. This can be seen in my own aggression, as my goal to be more involved in the defensive aspect of the game is blocked due to the role of my position, causing me to become aggressive which leads to frustration and inevitably causing me to join in the defensive line as a means of releasing my frustration. Dollard suggested that frustration will always lead to aggressive behaviour and aggression will always be caused by frustration. This hypothesis further shows that if a performer is able to release his or her frustration via an aggressive act, it has a cathartic effect. However, if the aggressive act is punished the frustration levels are increased.

Another theory of aggression is instinct theory which suggest that aggressive behaviour is innate, genetically inherited and, as a result, inevitable. Freud proposed aggression is due to our evolutionary development; our need to dominate. This theory suggests that there is an energy within us that builds up and has to be realised to maintain our well-being, and sporting participation allows this to occur in an acceptable manner – through cathartic release. This can again apply to me as it would explain why I enjoy playing rugby. However, it does not explain why I react the way I do as well as frustration hypothesis does. Furthermore, this theory has fallen victim to heavy criticism, numerous psychologists have pointed out that levels of aggression often increase during sporting situations rather than decrease, no biological innate characteristics has of yet been identified and performers in sports of an aggressive nature do not tend to display similar characteristics away from the sporting environment. This, therefore, concludes that frustration-aggression hypothesis the best theory for my weakness.

To correct this fault in my game I must I must find use methods to reduce and control my aggression without moving out of position, leaving my team vulnerable. This could involve strategies such as increasing peer group pressure an highlight responsibilities to the team, this method is key to myself as my behaviour has adverse effects on the team as it leaves the defence very vulnerable to a kick over the top, if I have peers reminding me of the importance of my position and highlighting my responsibility this could help. However, it is important to note that such responsibilities should not be put on teammates in a game situation as it may distract them from their own goals and task, therefore it is imperative that I take on the responsibility of my own weakness and realise my importance and control my aggression. Another method that could be employed by either myself or by the coach could be positive reinforcement and rewards. The coach could encourage me for staying in position and at the end of the match reward me for staying in position throughout the game to encourage this behaviour. Equally if I do not do this then they could use punishments or negative reinforcement to discourage my behaviour. Both these methods would help to strengthen the bond between rational behaviour and successful outcome and equally weaken the bond between aggressive behaviour and successful outcome. A further method I could use to correct my weakness of being over aggressive, causing me to move out of position in defence, could be to increase the importance of the event and the emphasis on winning. Doing this may encourage me to stay in position, as I will be focused more on the success of the team rather than venting my own frustration. The final method that I could employ could be setting performance goals, if I set the goal for me to be back in position for every defensive situation and wait patiently for any incident when the opposition may break through the line, rather than joining the defensive line for the sake of making a tackle.

Strategic Weakness 2: Always trying to score myself.

My final strategic weakness in a game situation is that when I am in a position where I think I can score a try, even if there is more than one player blocking my path, I will nearly always go for the try rather than look to pass to a teammate who is in a stronger position to score than I am.

This is a weakness of in a game situation as it can often cost my team valuable points as, although at times I may beat the players and score, more often than not I am tackled and fail to score the try, at which point I look to offload the ball to a teammate but it is often too late and scoring opportunity is lost. As fullback I often join onto the attacking line either outside or inside the winger, by doing this it often means that we outnumber the opposition by one player creating what is known as an overlap. When there is an overlap it creates a two on one situation on the wing, from this position it is the job of the ball carrier to commit the defender to the tackle and then play a pass to his teammate just before contact so that the defender cannot react quick enough to catch the other player who should be able to run the ball in to score a try. Equally in a two on one situation if the defender does not commit to tackling the ball carrier, in anticipation of a pass, then it is the job of the ball carrier to fake a pass and run past the defender and score the try themselves. However, when I am the ball carrier in a two on one situation I often fail to make the correct decision and nearly always go to run the ball in myself to score the try, in the hope that I’ll beat the defender or will be able to offload the ball to my teammate should I get tackled. However, this is often not the case and instead I am usually tackled but unable to offload the ball fast enough, as the supporting player is flat to anticipate the pass from before contact, making it my fault that we do not score and thus a definite in game weakness of mine. My constant need to score a try in rugby is a further strategic weakness as when it comes to a situation in a game where we are winning and just need to keep possession of the ball I often disregard this and try to score instead even if it means risking losing the ball. This definitely makes this a strategic weakness as my own desire to score puts the win of the team at jeopardy.

Jason Robinson (shown above) is an example of a fullback who demonstrates the perfect model of how the position should be played and, more specifically, he demonstrates the restraints that I need to employ to my game so as that I can play as strategically well as he does in rugby. When Robinson is in a two on one situation and the defending player is committing to him and not his supporting player he draws the man and then just before contact he passes the ball. He does not try to take on the defending player regardless and in the hope of scoring the try himself, as this is unwise and not strategic. Furthermore, when his team is winning and it is imperative that his team remains in possession of the ball he does not do anything risky to try to create a try scoring opportunity and instead helps his team to keep possession of the ball when in attack and makes sure he is always in support of the ball carrier or, if he is the ball carrier, that he has a supporting player who can secure the ball when he is tackled.

The theoretical reasoning for my weakness is due to my achievement motivation. The theory of achievement motivation was brought forward by McClelland and Atkinson (1964), they saw achievement motivation as a stable aspect of personality and suggested that we all have two underlying motives when placed in a situation in which some form of evaluation takes place. The theory proposes that the behaviour of an individual is based on his or her interaction with the environment and desire to succeed.

        The two aspects in which achievement motivation theory can be broken down into are; n.Ach (‘need to achieve’) and n.AF (‘need to avoid failure’). Someone who possesses a n.Ach personality will display characteristics such as; confidence, optimism, perseverance, pride and satisfaction from competing, a preparedness to take risks and face challenges, welcoming of feedback and willing to take responsibility for their own actions. In comparison, someone who possesses a n.AF personality will display characteristics such as; a constant worry of failure, always attempting to avoid shame and humiliation, they will choose easy tasks, dislike personal feedback and will give up easily.

        I possess a need to achieve personality and it is this that causes me to constantly push to try to score a try instead of giving the ball to a teammate in a better position, this sometimes result in me to get tackled and loses my team a try scoring opportunity, thus compromising the team. Equally my personality also causes me to look to score and try something risky to score rather than to hold onto the ball, when it more important for our team to keep possession.  Achievement motivation is an interactionist theory meaning that it is a combination of personality and an evaluation of the situational factors. The evaluation assesses two aspects: the probability of success (the difficultly of the task) and the incentive value of the success. This is relative to me as, despite the risk of getting tackled and ruining a try scoring opportunity, the incentive of scoring a try far out ways the risk. This is a problem as I am focusing on my own personal gain rather than that of my team.

To correct this I must change my mind set in a game situation when playing as fullback. I must alter my approach behaviour patterns when attacking and realise the importance of offloading or drawing a player and passing to a teammate who is in a better position to score than I am, rather than trying to score myself in very difficult circumstances. I must focus on the achievements of the team rather than my own personal gain and remind myself that the overall outcome of the game is more important than my own personal success. This can be achieved by goal setting at the beginning of each match, for example I can set the challenge of assisting a try rather than actually scoring one for myself.  Furthermore, I can set an outcome goal for the team to win no matter who it is that scores the points. Finally I can set the goal to be the supporting player for anyone who is in a try scoring situation, even if that means passing the ball to someone else and tracking them to the try line, this would mean that I would be there to score the tri in case they got tackled but would not be trying to claim the glory of a try for myself and would instead be putting the achievement of the team beyond the status of my own ego.

Document Details

• Word Count 7117
• Page Count 20
• Level AS and A Level
• Subject Physical Education (Sport & Coaching)

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GCSE Physical Education

• Specification
• Planning resources
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• Assessment resources
• Introduction
• Specification at a glance
• 3.1 The human body and movement in physical activity and sport
• 3.2 Socio-cultural influences and wellbeing in physical activity and sport
• Scheme of assessment
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Part 2 – Full context (15 marks)

Students should perform in a fully competitive Rugby Union match (15 versus 15 or 7 versus 7), demonstrating the skills appropriate to their chosen position. The standard of the game should be appropriately challenging for the performer.