Will Greenwood is an English former rugby union player who played for Leicester Tigers and Harlequins and played 55 tests for England and was the centre for the 2003 World Cup-winning team.

Will is now a Sky Sports commentator and sports journalist for The Guardian having written over 1.5 M words for the publication on the game of rugby. 

This episode was just class. Will is an excellent storyteller, succinct copywriter and master craftsmen when it comes to communication. In this episode we cover: 

• Will's playing career and his love of NZ rugby including his own insights on the first weekend of Super Rugby Aotearoa 
• How Will thinks about writing, communication and using this to capture viewers and readers attention and how to apply this to rugby 
• Will's story about Jonny Wilkinson in the 2003 Rugby World Cup Final overtime and his attention to detail and practice 
• Will's insight into the difference between Northern and Southern hemisphere rugby in the early 2000's 

You know a great speaker when you hear them speak and in this episode, Will embodies that. I loved every minute of this episode and if you're even a fringe fan of rugby you will too. 

Go train, do some housework or simply get some pen and paper and takes notes on this incredible episode of the Rugby Bricks podcast with Will Greenwood. 

In this episode, we go deep on the upcoming Detail series that is coming Rugby Bricks followers and a fireside chat with Aaron Smith. 

One of the missing links I've found in rugby is the attention to detail. Some of the best in the world are making half centimetre adjustment to their hand position or ball drop and as a community, we've been missing this. This is where our new long-form content series "DETAIL" enters the picture, we're creating a subscription site that is based on bringing you the micro-skills that will help you perform better at the breakdown or just rapidly distributing the ball.  In this podcast episode, I cover: 

• What the DETAIL series will cover 
• My most recent podcasts with Stephen Larkham and Devin Markle 
• A 10-minute fireside chat with Aaron Smith 

Enjoy this DETAIL episode of the Rugby Bricks podcast. 

In this episode, we go deep with Australian Wallaby utility back Matt Toomua.  Toomua is an Australian rugby union player who has played over 35 times for Australia since 2013. He plays for the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby and his usual position is at fly-half or 2nd-five. He has previously played for the Brumbies and for Leicester Tigers in England's Premiership Rugby.

In this episode we cover: 

• The business of rugby and Toomua's representation of Union players in the restructuring of Australian Rugby
• His attention to detail and how these micro-skills amplify your overall in-game performance  
• The selection decisions that drove issues within the Wallabies squad during the previous Rugby World Cup 
• How Super Rugby needs to be restructured so that there is a better offering for fans to get to the game 

This episode was special, Matt is insightful, well versed and someone who is thinking about how the micro affects the macro inside and outside of rugby. 

Grab a pen, grab a note pad and start looking at how you can implement the gems that were dropped in this episode. 

In this episode, we go deep on performance anxiety with sports psychologist Devin Markle.  Devin has experience working with athletes at every level, from youth development programs, high school, and college through to Olympic and pro-athletes. She's developed curriculums for the NFL and the NBA Pre-Draft programs. 

Devin earned her Master’s degree in Counseling and Sport Psychology from Boston University. Following her training at Boston University, Devin earned certification by the Association of Applied Sport Psychology. She is also completing her Psy.D. from California Southern University. She is also an Adjunct Faculty Member at California Lutheran University. In this episode we cover: 

• The differences between stress and anxiety and how to recognize this in your performance
• How to overcome anxiety and look for those cues so that your team and coaches can support you when you're under pressure 
• The origins of anxiety and how to accept this as a useful tool versus an issue that you have to face every day
• Changing your self talk to allow you to perform at your peak versus your most worried 

This episode was something we wanted to bring together as we're now moving out of lockdown and performance pressure is returning to everyone in some way or form. 

Grab a pen, grab a note pad and start looking at how you can implement the gems that were dropped in this episode. 

Janet Main is a physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach working out of Kinematics Performance here in Melbourne. Jay has worked with professional athletes nationally and internationally.  In this episode we cover a return play after COVID: 

•  How to run so that you're carrying yourself with the appropriate back mechanics 
• How to prime your muscles and the key exercises to do this 
• Your most likely injury areas and how to remedy this before returning to practice and play

This episode is extremely tactical and practical, if you're a coach or player who is getting ready to return to club rugby this is the episode for you.  Take a look at our YouTube video on this episode so that you can get access to all of the exercises and drills in this episode. 

Stephen Larkham is a retired Australian rugby union player and World Rugby Hall of Famer, currently in the role of senior coach for Irish provincial side Munster, who compete in the Pro14. Larkham has been recognised as one of the best first-fives to play for Australia and during his peak, he was one of the best in the world at 10. This mastery has now been channelled into his rugby his coaching game and was one of the reasons behind the success of the Wallabies in the 2015 Rugby World Cup as the attack coach. In this episode, we take a deep dive with Larkham on:

• His days as a player and his transition from 15 to a 10 and his continued dominance in this role

• The golden era of Australian rugby and how they created a world-class rugby team that believed they could win any game they played and taking home a world cup

• His time as a coach at Munster and the depth of his key players within his squad and how they’re using momentum as a key part of their attack game

• How everything can become a competition and why this edge was important for creating a winning culture in Australia’s golden era and how it rubs off as a leader too

This was an incredible episode where you get to see what one of the best players in the world achieved during their playing days and then how this has translated to a world-class coaching career. This is a true bridge between the world of an athlete and a coach. Get a pad, get some notes and start learning on this one.

Jesse Kriel is a South African professional rugby union player for the South Africa national team and Canon Eagles in the Japanese Top League. He is a utility back who can play centre, wing or fullback. Jesse has played 46 test matches for the Springboks and was a part of their Rugby World Cup-winning squad in 2019.

This episode was simply special we get everything from World Cup practices to Jessie’s own examination of the micro-skills of the game. We cover: 

• Jesse’s drive to get better by getting a spare gym key cut so that he could train in the evening without the lights on so that others wouldn’t know he was there
• The division of racism in South Africa and how the Springboks head coach Rassie Erasmus made this something that his team would tackle headfirst and the inclusion of black and white players in their squad
• The exact details of how Jessie learned to add an offload to his game after playing against Sonny Bill Williams
• The unity that was inside of the South African World Cup squad when they took home the gold in 2019 

In terms of episodes, this had something for everyone from coaches to players through to supporters and everyone in between. Jesse turned up to this podcast with a pen and a pad and is a true student of the game and it’s something we can all mirror in our careers and lives. Download, learn and enjoy. 

SPONSORS 

Hudl - New Partnership 

Hudl powers sports. More than 150,000 teams including the best in the world use Hudl to elevate their performance with video and analytics. Get your own personalised kicking review done by Peter using Hudl based on the 10 Pillars of Goal Kicking. Get your own kick reviewed now for 25% off.

Rugby Bricks Passing Program 

This is our on-field and gym passing program used by those at the highest level of the game. This program was crafted by Peter Breen with All Black Aaron Smith to teach players how to generate power, accuracy, and consistency in their passing. Get the program here. You can now grab it for 75% off until rugby is up and running again. 

Ben Ryan is an English rugby union coach who is best known for coaching the Fiji sevens team to a gold medal in sevens rugby at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

As Fiji's sevens coach from 2013 to 2016, he guided the team to their first-ever Dubai 7's title and set the record of tournament titles won by a Fiji Sevens coach with nine. The gold medal was the first-ever medal won by Fiji at any Olympics. 

Fiji is one of the most underfunded and under-resourced countries on the planet and in this episode Ben shares: 

• How to create a culture around “The Standard you walk past is the Standard you become”
• Bens love for each and every one of the players and the lengths he went to build rapport and trust with each of the players
• Skill acquisition, attention to detail and how he fine-tuned the Fijian offload game to be the deadliest on the planet
• Ben explains how he overcame his ego when he was England to focus on team success, not individual success
• Building lifelong relationships with his manager Ropate Kauvesi and Captain Osea Kolinisau to take the team to gold in Rio.
• How to create a safe environment for any team or business where players feel safe and believe in the common purpose

This episode was mind-blowing for me and it spoke to the true nature of what it means to coach and lead a team.  Wherever you fit into the world of rugby this episode is an absolute must-listen. 

SPONSORS

Hudl - New Partnership 

Hudl powers sports. More than 150,000 teams including the best in the world use Hudl to elevate their performance with video and analytics. Get your own personalised kicking review done by Peter using Hudl based on the 10 Pillars of Goal Kicking. Get your own kick reviewed now for 25% off.

Rugby Bricks Passing Program 

This is our on-field and gym passing program used by those at the highest level of the game. This program was crafted by Peter Breen with All Black Aaron Smith to teach players how to generate power, accuracy, and consistency in their passing. Get the program here. You can now grab it for 75% off until rugby is up and running again. 

Andy Ellis is a halfback who was previously playing for the Kobelco Steelers until COVID-19 hit. Ellis has played for Canterbury, then the Crusaders and made 28 appearances for the All Blacks. 

This episode was special. We get a look at what it was like for Andy to play alongside some of the greats of the game from Dan Carter and Richie McCaw and how the Crusaders culture is built with legends like Justin Marshall and Reuben Thorne. We get some nuggets on: 

• What it means to have a championship-winning team and how this is reflected at training and in camp
• How to keep going when you’re hurting and knowing that “you’re not going to die” and pushing yourself through the hole when testing
• How expectations are set by the players alongside the coaches to breed a mindset of adding value and winning championships
• How to live outside of footy and how rugby doesn’t have to be your defining moments 

This episode with Andy is an incredible resource on how to stand on the shoulders of giants, taking on an outwork mentality with everything you do and building a culture of excellence. If you’re in lockdown and missing rugby this one will make you miss it even more so get stuck in and grab some notes on this episode of the Rugby Bricks podcast with Andy Ellis.

SPONSORS

Hudl - New Partnership 

Hudl powers sports. More than 150,000 teams including the best in the world use Hudl to elevate their performance with video and analytics. Get your own personalised kicking review done by Peter using Hudl based on the 10 Pillars of Goal Kicking. Get your own kick reviewed now for 25% off.

Passing Program 75% Off

An on-field and gym passing program used by those at the highest level of the game. This program was crafted by Peter Breen with All Black Aaron Smith to teach players how to generate power, accuracy, and consistency in their passing. Get the program here. 

Buy One Get One Free Using The Code: TWOBRICKS

Due to Covid-19 and the shutdown of the NZ non-essential businesses, all tees will now only be shipped after the 29th of April, 2020. If you want to purchase a Rugby Bricks Tee please take this into consideration

Bryn Hall is New Zealand Half Back who has played 89 Super Rugby Caps earning the majority of these at the Super Rugby franchise The Crusaders. Hall has played for NZ Under 17's, captained the NZ Under 20's and has played 3 games for NZ Māori. 

This is one of the most detail orientated podcasts we've had and is filled with gold that you can use during this lockdown period. In this episode, you're going to get an in-depth look into: 

• The skill work and attention to detail and training that have made the Crusaders the most dominant Super Rugby Franchise of all time 
• The exact exercises that Bryn has used to strengthen and push his pass further and faster 
• How the Crusaders are coping with the lockdown period and the guidance from their coaching staff 
• The video review details and specific examples of tactics the Crusaders have used mid-game to beat other Kiwi sides
• Bryn's mentality as a player and how he approaches learning and focused on becoming a student of the game

If you're a 9 this episode is literally one of the best online resources for educating yourself on what it looks like to execute at the highest level but also learn what a world-class team does.  This is one you're going to want share with anyone regardless of their position on the pitch. Grab a pen and swap notes as this episode is a masterclass. 

SPONSORS

Hudl - New Partnership  Hudl powers sports. More than 150,000 teams including the best in the world use Hudl to elevate their performance with video and analytics. Get your own personalised kicking review done by Peter using Hudl based on the 10 Pillars of Goal Kicking.

Passing Program 75% Off

An on-field and gym passing program used by those at the highest level of the game. This program was crafted by Peter Breen with All Black Aaron Smith to teach players how to generate power, accuracy, and consistency in their passing.

Buy One Get One Free Using The Code: TWOBRICKS

Due to Covid-19 and the shutdown of the NZ non-essential businesses, all tees will now only be shipped after the 29th of April, 2020. If you want to purchase a Rugby Bricks Tee please take this into consideration