Playing out of position

Watching the international rugby over the weekend I was struck by an obvious but important truth.  It's no good playing good players out of position.  In the previous two matches the French had tried to fit all their best players into a single team, this meant picking stars to play out if position.  One of their best players Wesley Fofana  has been stuck on the wing until Saturday when He was played in his regular position at inside centre. Stuart Lancaster the English coach has been admirable in his consistent selection policy playing people in position and if necessary leaving out star players to ensure the team is successful.  All change this weekend as the French started off with a team that had everyone in their favoured position; whilst the English experimented with Courtney Lawes at wing forward, he normally plays in the second row.  

Courtney Lawes out of position

The second row requires muscle, line out skills and close quarter tackling at wing forward the primary job in tackling in open play.  The defining moment of the first half was when Fofana evaded Lawes' miss-timed tackle and goes on to score a great try.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Guuy1q9xXhc

Indeed the French were the better side up to half time.  In the second half we replaced Lawes for James Haskell  a proper wing forward and the French made a perfectly good scrum half play at fly half; and the rest is history 

England 23 France 13  

Whilst watching the rugby I was holding an interesting conversation with my daughter on the ups and downs of my working career.  She probably thinks I peaked early and have disappointed over the last 15 years.  She might be right and what is certainly true is that I have spent too many years playing out of position and the results have been predictable! I am currently contemplating a new job with another company so the lessons of rugby selection were well timed - unlike Courntey Lawes' missed tackle on Wesley Fofana (you should look at the youtube clip).