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Wht is my best position?

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Hi, I am 14, 5 foot 7 and weigth just over 9 stone. Recently, at the end of last season, my coach decided to move me from the Centre to back row, a position I am not sure I would particually suit. I have decent pace, but am not the quickest, and my main strength is my evasive skills. I am not great defensivly but I do have decent ball skills. What position do you think I would be most effective in?

Thanaks very much in advance.
 
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Agree with Mite on scrum half, however one important part of scrum half-dom is to be ok with shouting at your forwards and being a complete prick.
 
how does your height and weight compare to other kids you are playing with and against? At 14 i'd assume you are still growing so it's hard to judge your best position based on your current size.

Imagine if you started playing scrum half now and grew 2 feet in 2 years and put on a few kegs from eating/weight training, suddenly you're no longer scrum half size. you'll end up like mike phillips :p
 
It really depends on how big you are as an adult. I was a short arse as a kid and was a half back, 5'7 until I was 15 and now I'm 6'1 and play centre. How big are your folks, grandparents, siblings etc? Perhaps stick at back row for the time being, you will learn valuable skills that will only make you a better centre, if you end up back there. Centre (especially outside) is arguably the most difficult position in which to defend. You often have multiple people running at you at pace and it can be a nightmare knowing who to tackle and when. So if you are aren't strong defensively, then perhaps a stint in the back row will give you a chance to improve this skill.
 
I think from your question you are looking for someone to make a decision for you that only you - and your coach - can make.

Your coach certainly knows more about you and your skills than anyone here. It's not just about your speed or your ball skills, but about your ability to think on your feet, too. It's also about approaching any position you play with the right attitude. Try out the back row and see what happens. Have faith in your coach and what he sees in you. And as others have said, you're young and still growing and you may try several positions before you find the perfect fit. You never know until you try.

Also, ask yourself why you're skeptical about the back row. Is it because you dreamed of something different, or because you question your skill? If it is the former, then learning to appreciate the position and its importance to the team and the game can help you to have the right attitude, and having the right attitude about the role you play in the team is half the battle. And if it is the latter and you're not confident in your ability as a back rower, give it a try and give it your all, and perhaps you'll find you're a natural in the position. And if not, then at least you know and you can move on to something else until you find what works best for you.

das
 
You're always gonna get moved around at youths level. When I started out playing at age 11 I was a lock. But I was devastated when I moved up to Under-14s and had to play at inside centre. I was a poxy back 'Who wants to play in the backs?' I thought. 'The forwards are the real hard rugby players, all the backs are soccer-heads'
I wanted to quit at first but then I realised that that's just the way it goes at that age, you're still growing and are inexperienced. You have a new coach every couple of years and you're on a team full of fellas a year older than you every time you move up an age group.

That year at centre really helped my defending and organisational skills, as well as my ball handling and now I'm back in the pack. Wherever you end up you'll enjoy it coz your coach will eventually put you in a position that works to all your strengths. The more positions you try out now the better player you'll be.

Anyway, the back row's arguably the best position because you get to put all your skills into place there: breakdown work, carrying, tackling, support play, set-pieces. Even kicking if you're ballsy enough!
 
edit: Das said the same thing, i did not see page 2 of this topic.

So, go and talk to your coach :).
 
I guess as some others have said at 14 your best bet is to focus on improving as much knowledge of the different positions as possible. as your height and weight will change i the next couple of years, as all round knowledge is IMO vastly important (I feel that if a 9 has good knowledge of the back rows it gives him more experince to deal with them etc). but if you really don't want to play back row, talk to your coach and discuss why he has put you there it may be just a short term thing.
 
Cheers for all your answers, much appreciated.

I forgot to add that I have been alternating between 10 and 15 for my school, and me and my coach decided that it would be beneficial for us both if I played 15 for my club as well. It suits me down to the ground from an attacking point of view, and I enjoy the fact that I can pick and choose when I join the line. I do have work to do, especially under the high ball, but so far so good.

I was wondering if you have any tips for me to improve my ability under the high ball, and are their any drills that I can do on my own to improve my technique, for playing both as a 10 and as a 15.

Thanks.
 
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ImO Watch and learn from the pros study what they do and under the high ball, keep your eyes on the ball and don't snatch at it.
 

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