One question you frequently hear in popular culture is, "What do women really want?" Who cares? I mean, what does the coach want?

What a Coach Expects from his Forwards

A coach would like all his forwards to be good ball players, able to get around the field and to think.

Props:
must be solid in the scrums, understanding the mechanics of the scrum
must give strong support in the line-outs
must give strong support from kick-offs
in general play must support from depth
drive forward with the ball and deliver whilst moving forward not when the drive is dead
he must stay on his feet
must be aware of what the situation is on the opponents' line-out and take appropriate action.

Hooker:
must take his own scrum ball
throw accurately in the line-out at the required speed and height.
play as a loose forward from the front of a line-out- the blindside is his
play off rucks and mauls in conjunction with the scrumhalf (all will possibly not agree here)
his tackle rate must be as high as a flanker's
he is the loose forward of the tight forwards.; his game begins when his tight piece duties end
if he is not involved in a number of handling movements he is not worth his weight

Lock:
in line-outs he must jump aggressively and ensure possession for his side
he must scrum strongly, understanding the mechanics of scrumming
he must support from depth in the loose and tight loose
he should get around more than a prop and pull off more tackles than they do especially around the edges
he must master the take at the kick-offs
he must learn to feed the ball before a drive dissipates
he must be a pest on the opponents' line-out ball
he should measure his success by counting the number of times he handles a ball in a game

Flanker:
he must be the major ball winner
his running lines must be directly to the ball
he must stay on his feet
run like a back and handle like a back
support from depth
tackle as many times as or more than a centre driving opponents back in the tackle
cause havoc through pressuring the opposing backs
look after the hole between scrum and backs, line-out and backs, in defence; if a side plays back inside, he is the defender
judge his success on the numbers of tackles he pulls off and the numbers of times he handles the ball
he must understand the defence systems used from scrums and line-outs
he should know all the backs' calls

No. 8

must be the king from broken play where he must be the key ball winner as well as attacker
must always be within a pass of the ball in attack and defence
use his feet like a good back
handle like a back
come into the backline like a back
play effectively off the base of the scrum
like a good centre, create for others; put others into gaps
understand his defensive role from line-out and scrum and like the flanks watch the holes created by a pass back inside
know all the backs calls
he will range wider than his flanks who are restricted to an extent and so can be expected to pull off wide tackles
like a flanker he must have a high tackle count and ball-handling count- the highest of the forwards
run effectively off the edge of ruck, maul, kick-off.
of all the forwards , he plays most like a back

One of the loose forwards is often used as a line-out jumper and that will restrict his loose play from a line-out and, of course, he must be able to take his own ball.

A few major points for all forwards:

Support from depth at pace (if you can see the ball-carrier's number you are in the right position)
stay on your feet
the ball carrier is responsible for the ball, the others must look after the ball carrier
don't play the ball when a drive comes to the end, play while the ball is still moving forward
dominate the tackle when you are the ball carrier, don't let the tackler dominate you- use your feet (is that heresy nowadays?)
in defence you dominate the tackle by cutting down space
in defence communicate
help the ball carrier get the ball in front of the team

One of the greatest sins in rugby is overrunning the ball because the support has been too flat and shallow. It happens often.

What a Coach Wants from Backs

Generally:

1. Ability to beat a man on man.
2. That means ability to use one’s feet, change of pace.
3. Ability to create space for others.
4. Quickness (not necessarily speed).
5. Ability to rapidly read a situation.
6. Equal ability to pass with both hands.
7. Sound defence.
8. Ability to kick punts , chip, grubber.

Fullbacks.

Ability to be a strike player by entering the line.
Change the angle of running when entering a line.
Be able to take high balls.
Good positional play.
See himself as the joker in the pack and to pop up everywhere.
With his wings to become a formidable counter-attacker.
To come into the line as a decoy.
To come in to give an overlap
To be strong in the tackle
Have a good boot.

Wings

To be fullbacks and able to do everything a good fullback can do so read what I have said about fullbacks.
See when the game is going into touch and to come inside.
Form with other wing and full back a counter-attacking team.
Sound defence.
Realise how difficult he is to mark if he moves all over the field like a number 8 especially when he is the blindside wing with his side attacking.
Vary running lines and point of attack.
Pace helps- a gift of God, but also the ability to link and not necessarily go to ground.
Keep the ball in the field of play, not to give opponents line-outs.
When you see a player heading across the field, give him the angle by coming inside to take a scissors.

Centre

Everything I said under general applies particularly to centres. I believe their jobs to be the most difficult in the game.

Create for another , space, a gap, an overlap. "I create for my wing- a golden ball."
The ability to slow a game down and quicken it up . To change pace.
Always committing an opponent or beating him. He won’t always do this by running across the field but even that can work if his partner then comes through close and straight.
To play off and with another as a pair.
Communicate in attack and defence.
Defend especially in an opponent’s face
Be the first into a tackled ball to retrieve it from your partner who is tackled.
Primary and secondary support.
Work off the ball is almost more important than work with the ball.
Dominate his opponent.
Play both inside and outside and not be a basher.
Communicate with the touch judge and indicate to his fellows the offside line. Communication.

Flyhalf

To get his backs away
To determine the most effective backline alignment in defence and attack. He must vary his attacking alignment according to the situation.
Be in calm control.
He is a key support runner and cannot except this from his game.
Defence must be strong.
Vary his personal game. Certainly he must as much as possible commit his opponent as well as the loose forwards and not allow them to drift across in defence without first checking him
Have a competent boot.
If his outside players are limited for space it is most likely his fault. He is responsible for the good play of those outside him.
He must have the ability, like a centre , to crack a line.
Like the inside centre he must be a playmaker and not a basher.
He must attack and be positive.

Scrumhalf

Give a good, clean, quick, accurate service to his outside man.
Be a force on attack round the edges.
Be a good support player by always being a metre inside and slightly behind the man with the ball. A big ask.
Be able to vary his play by using the boot but, like the flyhalf, rarely and with effect.
Form with the backrow a formidable attacking quartet.
Be a pain in defence by exerting pressure.
He must direct his forwards in rucks and mauls pulling out and pushing in. He has the same function in defence from rucks and mauls, especially near the line.
He must liaise between backs and forwards.
Forwards get tired and don’t think. He can play a big role here as encourager and instructor.