If you find yourself looking at a lineout, at the very top of it, you are most likely to find Jack Usher.

The rugby player, whose goal this year was to be a good leader and friend to all the boys, says his favourite part of training has to be when they do forward set pieces like scrums and lineouts. “To me, there is nothing more satisfying than having a good scrum session, or perfectly executing a new line out move.”

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To prepare for match days, Jack makes sure he is physically ready by making sure to treat his body well. Getting in the proper nutrients and putting maximum effort into the warm up. “Mentally, I like to find a quiet place by myself, where I can close my eyes and envision what I want to do during the games, and how I can present myself as a good leader to my teammates.”

A typical training regime for him and his team starts off with a group stretch and warm up. “Then, we typically move to ball handling skills, to sharpen up our passing. Then, we would maybe do a quick tackling, or defence, block before splitting into forwards and backs, where we work on our specific set pieces.” He added that, at the end of training, they come together to do some game scenarios, before finishing with a team talk.

Though the De La Salle Holy Cross College rugby player doesn’t think that competitive rugby is where the future will take him, he currently loves the camaraderie and brotherhood. He is firm believer that the rugby field is the perfect place for one to find people who become more than just friends.

The two professional rugby players that he looks up to have to be Pieter-Steph Du Toit, for his prowess on the field, and Siya Kolisi, for his ability to lead his team to great things.

Jack’s biggest accomplishment, thus far, has been leading the team. “As captain, you make the decisions on the field, which can easily be the difference between winning and losing. You have to make sure your team runs like a well-oiled machine, whilst making sure you play your own game to the best of your ability.”

He added that it is not an easy task, but one he takes on, thanks to the help of his great vice-captain, Angus Smith, who makes sure to help him when he needs it. “He always makes sure to lend a helping hand, and give me more insight before I make key decisions.”

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