Brief
A small piece of work, but the first of its kind. As lead author, I published the first peer-reviewed study mapping match output, measured via GPS and position by position, against off-field S&C testing data.
The study was conducted with the Hanazono Kintetsu Liners squad across a competitive season.
Citation
Dallimore, L.P.T., Cripps, A.J., McGuigan, M.R., & Piggott, B.G. (2021). "The relationship between physical capacity and match running performance in Japanese Professional Rugby Union players." Journal of Australian Strength and Conditioning, 29(6).
Read the paper on the ASCA journal site →
The question
Coaches measure two things in parallel. What athletes can do in the gym (S&C testing), and what they actually do in matches (GPS output). The literature has tended to treat the two streams separately. I wanted to know whether they connect, and where.
The findings
The headline result: testing measures and match outputs do correlate, but not in the ways most coaches assume. Maximal strength is a poor predictor of high-speed running output. Reactive strength index is a better predictor than people give it credit for.
Full methodology and results in the published paper.