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In this episode of the Rugby Coach Weekly podcast, Dan Cottrell speaks to coach and former professional player Sam Mace about the journey from playing to coaching and the lessons that shaped his philosophy.

Sam played professionally in Major League Rugby with the Toronto Arrows, before concussion injuries forced him to retire early. That experience changed the direction of his career and sparked a passion for coaching that is now reaching thousands of players and coaches online through his SMPerformance platform.

In this conversation, Sam explains what truly energises him about coaching. For him, the biggest influence was the feeling of being supported by great coaches and the opposite experience of feeling small or unwanted. That contrast shaped his commitment to creating environments where players feel belief, ownership and agency over their own development.

Dan and Sam explore how honest conversations build trust, why players improve more when they understand why they are not selected, and how coaches can balance challenge with care.

They also dive into coaching contact skills, discussing the technical side of tackling, the importance of control rather than aggression, and why the best defenders focus on precision and positioning rather than simply hitting harder.

Along the way, Sam reflects on social media coaching, the limits of short-form content, and why great coaching is always about the human connection behind the technique.

Key themes

• Building belief and agency in players
• Honest feedback and player ownership
• Coaching confidence after mistakes
• Teaching tackling through precision and technique
• The difference between social media coaching and real coaching

If you want to connect with Sam, you can find his coaching content at SMPerformance on Instagram.

To find out more about this podcast and many others, go to Rugby Coach Weekly

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