Massimo

Cuttitta promoted to Scotland Scrum Coach

It is a proud day for Doncaster Knights and their Scrummaging coach Massimo Cuttitta as he gets promoted to work alongside Andy Robinson as Scotland’s International Scrum Coach.
Ex Italian International forward Massimo Cuttita has been a popular figure with fans and players alike at Castle Park for the last two seasons, and is looking forward to his third juggling his time in Doncaster with is new commitment to the Scottish Rugby Union.
Massimo , (or “ Mouse” as the giant Italian is known as at Doncaster) has a jet setting week. Working for three teams last season ( Edinburgh, Glasgow Warriors and Doncaster Knights) mean he left Italy on a Sunday and didn’t return back home to his native country until late Thursday evening.
“ Sure it is a lot of travel” Massimo told us, “ but my relationship with Lynn and the people at Castle Park is important to me” He carried on “ What I do have to say is I am proud of where my career has taken me, and that it still allows me to work with Doncaster Knights”.
Massimo originally worked with the Knights Director of rugby at Italian side Leonessa, before teaming up again with Lynn Howells when he took over at Magners League side Edinburgh.
“ I’m happy to say Lynn has been an important figure in the development of my coaching career” Mouse stated “ and the announcement of my promotion to work with the Scottish National team is as much a matter of pride for him as for myself”
He continued “Part of my Contract with the SRU is a stipulation that I am allowed to continue working with Doncaster Knights on my current arrangement, meaning I keep on running my sessions here”. Massimo confided “ I have other offers from clubs people would class as bigger than Doncaster for my time away from Scotland, but I have what I call a relationship with Doncaster. The affection I have for the fans and the players is worth more than money.”
Working with the Scottish National team and the two Scottish Magners League sides would seemingly leave little time to travel to England, but the arrangement Massimo has with the English clubs makes the trips South of the border doubly productive. “Mouse” runs his scrummaging sessions with Scottish International players at their English clubs, travelling to whichever Premiership club the players are located at alongside Scotland Coach Andy Robinson.
The enthusiasm and passion Massimo has for the game is legendary, and on the subject of the players he works with he had this unilateral statement.
“It doesn’t matter if a player is established or an Academy player, I get in to scrummaging with them and make them feel the movements and structure I want my pushing them in that direction. In a way I retrain them totally in scrummaging to work my way after making them fully understand what I want from them. To see any player at any level develop fills me with immense pride, but them understanding why and how they did it impresses me even more”.
And finally, on the art of the scrum?
“ Good scrummaging and the art of the breakdown is more important a dance than ever in Rugby. You can never do the damage on the scoreboard without the ball, and good ball to the backs can rack up points. The scrum and the ruck can sometimes be the best defence, as by keeping the ball your opposition can not hurt you with points”. He explained, “whenever the rules are changed to lessen the effect of the scrum in Rugby, it wins through as the heart of the game and always will”.
The Knights will be displaying the awesome power of their forwards against Bedford Blues on Saturday the 5th of September, a 3pm kick off at Castle Park. You can buy tickets from the Knights ticket office on 01302 831388 and look for the free children’s tickets on First Group buses throughout Doncaster., this game sponsored by the Doncaster Dome.