The Effect of Game Location on Positional Profiles During a Competitive Season in Professional Rugby Union: Implications for the Coaching Process

Introduction Previous studies within rugby union have examined various aspects of performance including performance profiles (Reed and Hughes, 2006) and position-specific performance indicators (James et al., 2005). The investigations have provided an insight into the relative demands and effectiveness of each position, however, the impact of game location has not been considered. It is suggested that home teams play an attack dominated style (Thomas et al., 2008) and therefore the aims of the present study are to examine the impact of the game location on positional profiles of a professional rugby union over a competitive season and also gain an insight into the implications for the coaching process. Methods Match analysis: Twenty-eight competitive matches (14 Home; 14 Away) from the 2010 English Championship were analysed using the SportsCode elite system (Sportstec). All fifteen playing positions were fully coded utilising 31 performance indicators: Minutes played prior to substitution; Total tackles attempted; Effectively completed tackles; Ineffective completed tackle; Assisted tackle; Missed tackle; Jackal; Kick pressure; Ball-in-hand; Pass; Into contact; Ball out of tackle; Recycle; lost in contact; Tackled into touch; Hammer; Ruck clears; Try; Handling error; kick; Penalty conceded; Penalty won; Turnover conceded; Turnover won; Line-out throw; Line-out jump; Lift; Maul attack; Maul defence; Scrum engage; Set piece error (Inter operator reliability – % error score 0.85±0.26). Coach interview: A semi-structured interview was conducted with the team Head Coach to consider the game location positional profiles and their subsequent use within the coaching process. Results Match Analysis: Mann Whitney U tests identified no significant (p