By Emmerson Campbell
Theodore Henry, player/coach of the national rugby Sevens team which is preparing to participate in the Las Vegas Invitational Sevens tournament in the United States of America early next month, says the team is working on correcting one of its weakness which was its offence.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport following Saturday’s practice session at the National Park, Henry said:”We were working a lot on our offence, trying to string together multiple passes because we find that has been one of our biggest weaknesses.”
He added:” Because we have good, natural athletes, whenever a player makes a beak, we expect him to finish the try. Now rather than sitting back and letting whoever makes the break go alone, we are working on getting him that support to keep the ball alive.”
Saturday’s training was boosted by the participation of two of the Trinidad-based players Richard Staglon and Ronald Mayers.
Staglon and Mayers arrived in Guyana on Friday and despite just taking part in their first practice session with the rest of the ruggers, the duo raised the intensity and the competitive nature of the simulation games, said Henry.
“Basically today was another practice game that we used to get the guys a bit more cohesive, while incorporating the Trinidad based players back with the local guys to gel them together,” Henry disclosed.
A third Trinidad-based rugger Ryan Hinckson arrived in Guyana yesterday while United Kingdom-based Rupert Giles will join the team in Las Vegas.
“So far the team is looking very good. It was a very positive feel to get the overseas guys at home, I think they really lifted the intensity of the practice games, they kind of brought out the best in the local guys as well because good competition tends to raise the ability of everybody,” Henry reasoned.
The national rugby coach highlighted the fact that although the team practiced on a muddy, slippery field because of the inclement weather, he used the prevailing conditions to allow the players to work on their soft touches in terms of passes.
“One of the things I will point out is that as much as the rain is a hindrance, it will kind of give us the opportunity to work on our soft touches in terms of passes.
“With the rain, we have to make simple passes rather than being able to fire a hard pass so that the other guy can catch it.”
Henry stated that the players will undergo a Beep Test on Thursday to gauge their fitness level but said that this will depend on the condition of the rugby field.
The Las Vegas tournament which takes place from February 9-11, will serve as a warm-up tournament ahead of the team’s participation at the HSBC Sevens World Series in Hong Kong from March 23 to 25.
The local ruggers earned a place at the HSBC Sevens World Series after they won their sixth consecutive North America Caribbean Rugby Association (NACRA) title last November in Barbados by demolishing the Cayman Islands by 29 points to nil.
The team which will wing out for Las Vegas on February 6, will be made up of Captain Ryan Gonsalves, vice captain Elwin Chase, Henry, Claudius Butts, Valon Adams, Dwayne Schroeder, Rickford Cummings, Christopher Singh, UK-based Giles and the trio of Trinidad and Tobago-based players Hinckson, Staglon and Mayers.
The reserves will be Walter George, Breon Walks, Avery Corbin and Rondell Hutson.
Henry, will be assisted by Shane Grant-Stewart. The team will be managed by Robin Roberts while the team’s physiotherapist will be Barrington Browne.
