Aviva Premiership Rugby Union side the London Irish has added a renewed emphasis on the discipline of the team ahead of the 2012/13 campaign. The Exiles have been plagued by problems of indiscipline for quite some time over the last few seasons and this renewed emphasis on the discipline of the team is being considered as a measure to stop any more distractions from affecting the performance of the players on the field.
When Brian Smith returned to the club in his capacity as the Director of Rugby, he placed team discipline at the top of the list of his priorities as well as that of the core value of the team in the very first team meeting that he attended. Moreover, he also made arrangements for the players of the London Irish to take part in three special events program during their pre-season schedule that are specifically designed to improve the awareness of a player on the subject.
It is not only the off-field discipline that the team has been working, but the on-field discipline as well and Shaun Edwards, the defense coach of the side laid special attention to the tackling technique of the players and spent long hours in training working out flaws in the technique of certain players. During the training camp of the club held at Winchester, the squad underwent a ‘laws of the game’ referee exam that has been specially designed by Clive Leek, a member of the RFU in order to ensure that the players developed an understanding as well as appreciation for the laws of the game and their application.
According to Smith, the disciplinary record of the London Irish has been unsatisfactory at best, both on and off field and he hopes that these little steps will go a long way in improving that record.