Rugby read for the week:

Bokkie Carstens from South Africa has come up with some compelling historical evidence of how far this kind of training can take you.

A couple of years back Bokkie wrote a book to celebrate 100 years of rugby in a small town called Somerset West about 40km from Cape Town. The rugby club was established in 1904 and between then and 1923, no less than nine of the Morkel family from the town represented the Springboks (seven of them in the 1913 team).

Bokkie says: “It was interesting that they too only practiced with tennis balls, forcing themselves to catch with both hands and kicking with both feet. They are part of the real cream of all Springboks ever to represent South Africa. Gerard, the true prince of fullbacks, in one season kicked 22 drop goals, some from more than 60 yards, both left and right without missing one.”

Bokkie says that Gerard when asked about his success said that it came from practising with tennis balls, and when you think about it, the reasons are obvious. If you can perform a skill with a small ball, then doing so with a large ball should be far easier.

Not everyone is going to become an international using this method, but there are clear benefits for all standards of players.