AHEAD OF tomorrow’s Heineken Cup clash between London Irish and Munster, the Exiles are hoping a new data analytics system will improve its long-term performance on the field.

Although top-level professional sport is no stranger to analysis software, what marks the London Irish example as different is its choice of technology more commonly found in boardrooms than bootrooms.

The rugby club has signed IBM Business Analytics to develop a bespoke system it claims will improve its ability to analyse training and onfield performance.

London Irish plans to input data that has already been gathered into a cube database that the club’s coaching staff can interrogate in different ways. The analytics system will consolidate the amount of performance data that is already collected, including matchday and training details, as well as measurements of player exertion levels, strength and conditioning.

The system is designed to produce a series of standard reports built to specifications laid down by the London Irish coaching team. After that, they can query the data to produce ad hoc reports on specific areas like individual error counts or to show trends over a longer period. “We’re looking for patterns which you only spot over time and you don’t see week to week,” said Chris Miles, business development director with London Irish.

The insight gained from the system will be used to enhance training plans and aid short-term and long-term player development and squad management. The system will allow the club to map onfield performance with its training sessions, which it had never been able to do before, said Miles.

By analysing different elements of a match, the coaching staff can see whether the time spent working on these areas in training corresponds to what happens in match situations. “Some clubs have done this anecdotally but we’re trying to use facts, not feelings,” he said.

London Irish also intends to take some of the data it gathers to publish player and match performance statistics on its website for fans and members. The system is not due to be fully operational until later this month – too soon to affect the result against Munster.

“The data we collect during the Munster match will be held and analysed at a future date,” Miles confirmed.