01 / 12 / 10Coach Ned has scoured the Rugger Mags. and gives you the wisdom gleaned therein. He gives you some seriously good advice. He recommends the following
2009 -2010 Best Advice from Coach Ned
Rugby Attack!
Best from
n A scrum anywhere on pitch, though normally not
too close to the right hand touchline.
n A situation where you want to create an easier ball
to kick from inside your 22 or take the pressure off
a poor scrum.
n A situation where you want to set up quick second
phase ball and tie in their 6 and 7.
Why it works
n 8 attacks the space to the side of the scrum, where
the nearest opposition player in open play is likely
to be standing, probably at least 3 metres from the
side of the scrum.
Good if you have
n An 8 who is quick from the back of the scrum.
n A scrum that can wheel or turn so the tighthead
side can move up whilst the loosehead side stays
steady. This takes your 8 closer to the gain line and
away from the opposition back row.
What players should do
n 8 gets the ball on his right foot. He gathers it and
drives off to the right, aiming to get beyond the
opposition 6 and towards the opposition 10.
n 7 follows 8 and supports him for either an offload or
more likely into a ruck. 5 follows, plus any other
forwards, to secure the ball.
n 12 or 13 (whoever is nearest), but not 10, goes in to
support 8 for either an offload or to ruck.
n 9 covers around and clears a pass to 10.
Common mistakes
n 8 runs too close to the side of the scrum and the
opposition back row in particular.
n 8 turns away from support when he makes contact.
Think about
n 8 goes left, taking out the opposition 9. Good if your
team is tight to the right hand touchline or the
opposition 9 is poorly positioned.
n 8 runs a flatter angle infield, thus drawing the
defence further away from the scrum.
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Improve reaction times
By Dan Cottrell
Coach your players to react fast and make quick decisions when they're first to the ball and you'll help them beat bigger and stronger teams. Use the following rugby coaching tips and drills to achieve this aim.
Ground work drill
A player lies on his back on the ground. He throws a ball up and has to get to his feet before catching it.
Blind receipt and pass drill
Pair up your players. One player stands in between some posts (maybe the goal posts). He closes his eyes and puts his hands out.His partner stands about a metre in front of him. He throws the ball to the "blind" player, who has to catch and pass it right, so that the ball hits the post.
Continue the drill with every other pass going left and swap the players round frequently.
Colours drill
Mark out a 5m square box (or a grid of boxes, depending on the numbers at training). Inside the box, have the players perform simple rugby drills, such as pop passes, rips and side-steps.
When you shout a colour, all the players have to sprint to a coloured cone outside the box, then return. Emphasise technique in the box and speed on the reaction to your call in this drill.
Two balls drill
Three players stand about two metres apart. Two have a ball. A fourth player (the "worker") stands four metres away from the other three players.
One ball carrier passes to the worker, who passes it on to the player who didn't start with a ball.
As soon as the worker passes the ball, the other ball carrier passes to him. The worker repeats the catch and pass action to the "spare" player.
Repeat this rugby drill for 10 or so passes, before swapping the players' roles.
Core ruck skills
By Dan Cottrell
Here is a session to improve your players' ability to drive out opponents from the ruck. The objective is to secure quicker, better quality ball for your scrum half.
What you tell your players the session is about
Driving out opposition players from the ruck quicker.
Securing good, quick ball for the scrum half.
What you tell your players to do
Arrive at a ruck in a position to drive an opposition player backwards.
Have a body angle on arrival to keep you on your feet.
Aim to drive on and grab an opposition player's "hook" (an arm or leg) or "handle" (shorts, pockets or shirt).
What you get your players to do
Practice 1
One player lies on his side on the ground and puts a ball in front of him no more than 1 metre from his hips. Two players, starting 3 metres away, have to lift and roll him over the ball.
Practice 2
One player makes a bridge shape with the ball under their hips. Another player, starting 2 metres away, has to drive the player backwards, by focusing on a hook or handle.
Practice 3
Set up four situations across the pitch where a team of four players has to perform a combination of practices 1 and 2 in the fastest time.
Developing the session
The training session can be developed as follows.
Add more defenders into each situation.
Use ruck shields, held so they are touching the ground, to get players lower in the contact area.
In practice 2, place a "tackled" player next to the ball.
A game situation
The session can be developed by playing the following game.
In a narrow playing area, say 20 metres wide, divide your players into two teams with two extra players on the attacking team.
Give the attacking team the ball. They have to score at one end of the pitch.
The attacking team is allowed three "rucks", lasting for only three seconds on your count, otherwise the attack fails.
Allow plenty of time for rest between the attacks and change the players around regularly.
Develop the game by widening the pitch significantly.
Coach's notes
What to call out
"Chin off your chest, helps keep your head up"
"Look over your eyebrows to keep your back horizontal to the ground"
"Take short steps before contact to keep balanced"
"Target one opponent"
"Drive through and out to clear the ruck"
What to look for
Players not focusing on the ball. Driving out opponents should be to free up the ball, not clear out players for the sake of it.
Miss hits at the contact area. Players should keep their eyes open and put the same foot forward as the shoulder with which they make contact.
Players falling over at the ruck. Are they approaching too fast and off balance? Emphasise "low to high" body positions at the point of contact.
What to think about
Should ruckers bind with each other before contact? Does this work for your players?
Do you want your players to drive beyond the ball or simply stand over and protect it?
How do players know if they should go into a ruck or not?
If a player arrives at a ruck and the ball has already been won, what are the options?
This session is from my Coaching Rugby manual. Covering more than 100 drills, games and sessions for coaching all the basics, the manual is a "must-have" for any coach looking to introduce and improve the core skills.
An intense session for aggressive tackling
By Mark Calverley, an IRB Level 4 coach working in school and club rugby in New Zealand
In this article, I outline a tackling practice I've used to improve my team's poor defensive performance. In this full-on training session, I concentrate on the three main types of tackle.
Basic practices
All the practices start with four players rounding a cone halfway up the side of 20 metre square box.
The players line up at the end of the box opposite a numbered bag or shield lined across the middle of the box.
Each tackler has a designated shield as a target. Each bag or shield is held by a player, but not by the straps.
Practice 1: The aggressive front on tackle
Stipulate which shoulder you want the tacklers to use. Once the tacklers have run into position, on tackler 1's command they advance together and tackle on the stipulated shoulder.
Get the tacklers to "stomp" their front foot close to the bag/shield. They should drive the bag backwards with three or four quick power steps, tackling the bag to the ground before quickly regaining their feet.
Insist that tacklers do NOT dive into the bag to make the tackle. This is a front on tackle. When do your players ever dive head first into front on tackle?
If they can't drive the bag backwards, then they need to aggressively twist and throw the bag forwards.
Practice 2: The aggressive rear on tackle
This works as the previous practice, but the bag men now run backwards with the bag towards gate 3. The tacklers have to catch up with them, to tackle and drive through the bag.
Practice 3: The aggressive side on tackle
The set up is the same as for practices 1 and 2, but the difference is that once tackler 1 is in position, the bag men will run around a corner cone and towards gate 2 or 4.
You dictate which way all four bags/shield go.The bag carriers must initially stay in number order 1-2-3-4. They follow the leader and run a straight line around the coloured cone to the named gate.
The tacklers go up to the white cones then immediately break left (gate 2) or right (gate 4) to make the tackle on their numbered bag.
Bags should step into the tackle to add more weight and ensure contact is real and aggressive.
Eat Drink and get Fit (sounds good to me. Ed. )
Eat yourself fit
By Dan Cottrell
In this article, I highlight five tried and test health and fitness tips to help your players get themselves back on track after a break.
1. Eating well
Increasing the frequency of when your players eat helps burn more fat than eating the same amount but infrequently.
Encouraging your players to eat healthily every three hours means that the body burns the fat and keeps the muscle, which leads to a virtuous of circle of allowing the body to burn even more fat.
If the players eat a few big meals, then the body catabolises the muscle tissue, which means they start to burn off muscle, reducing the gains from training or just general activity.
Fat affects your shape
A balloon containing 1kg of muscle tissue would be smaller than a balloon containing 1kg of fat. Work off the fat and not the muscle and look leaner.
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2. Focused snacking
One of the best ways to eat frequently is to snack.
Snacking is easier if it matches the players' desire at that moment. For instance, they may feel like something sweet, so they should eat a food that satisfies that craving.
In which case they should eat some fruit. For something more stodgy, the players could try eating low fat cheese.
3. Eat "negative" calories
A portion of brussel sprouts is worth about 50 calories. However, roughly 75 calories are used in its digestion and absorption, so burning 25 calories of body fat.
Other negative calories foods include broccoli, carrots, celery, leeks, apples, kiwis, satsumas and strawberries.
4. Lose fat not weight
Comparing the absolute weight of player is not a good indicator of whether they are gaining or losing weight in the right way. If they are gaining muscle, then it is possible they could be putting on weight.
A body fat monitor is an inexpensive way of measuring body fat, and easier to use that other methods like callipers. You can buy Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis scales for around £20- £30 (US$30-$50).
A guide to body fat ratios
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5. Back in the gym: work efficiently
A few reminders about gym work.
Your players should maintain good form and posture throughout their training sessions.
They need to concentrate on working the muscle, not the joint.
Small movements don't make as much difference as working the muscle through the full range of motion. For instance, with a pull up, go all the way down and then all the way up.
Go Faster Food
Kate Percy is a marathon runner and cook. She is passionate about the link between good eating and better athletic performance, and the vital role food plays in fuelling stamina and recovery, both for match day and during training.
Smoky black bean and chorizo chilli with salsa
Here's a high-energy, low GI meal, packed with nutrients. It's a great meal to have the night before a big match, containing all the right nutrients in balance to power up your body for the following day.
Whilst the meal is very healthy, it doesn't taste it, so you will love eating it.
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Pre-match chilli
There is something very convivial about a bowl of chilli and this is a wonderfully tasty alternative to your common or garden chilli, easy to cook up for the night before a big match or training session.
Serve this chilli with a dollop of salsa, some extra green chillies on the side and brown or white basmati rice, both of which are high in low GI carbohydrate and provide particularly good fuel for endurance.
Endurance food
Black beans are high in protein and are a very good source of fibre, complex low GI carbohydrate, B vitamins, iron, calcium and other minerals. They are also loaded with antioxidants and studies have shown that, gram for gram, they contain 10 times more antioxidants than oranges.
You can buy them dried and tinned in most supermarkets.
What's so great about low GI?
The GI (glycaemic index) rates how quickly glucose is released from a food. The lower the GI, the slower the release of glucose, usually a preferable requirement from a food.
A low GI meal pre-match may confer an advantage as the player has a lower insulin surge and their blood sugars remain elevated over a longer period of time after the meal. Basically, the player has more energy for longer.
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Ingredients for a meal to serve 4
For the smoky chilli:
400g stewing beef, chopped into fairly small chunks (1cm).
2 tbsp flour mixed with ¼ tsp each salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.
2 tbsp olive oil.
100g spicy chorizo chopped into 1cm chunks.
1 onion, peeled and sliced finely.
2 green peppers, deseeded and chopped into 1cm chunks.
1 bay leaf.
1 tsp smoked paprika.
1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed.
100g black beans, rinsed and soaked overnight, then rinsed again and drained (you can use tinned as an alternative, although the dried beans will be superior in both taste and texture).
500ml chicken stock.
1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes.
Handful of chopped coriander leaves.
Squeeze of lime juice.
1 green chilli, finely sliced and with seeds remaining, or two if you like it really hot.
For the salsa:
½ small cucumber.
1 avocado, peeled.
10 cherry tomatoes.
4 spring onions.
1 tsp coriander seed, crushed in pestle and mortar.
Handful of mint leaves, roughly chopped.
Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped.
Juice of 1 lime.
Glug of olive oil.
1.
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Preheat the oven to 160°C/gas mark 3.
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2.
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Use a casserole dish that you can put on the hob and in the oven. Toss the meat in the flour mix. Heat up a tablespoon of oil in the casserole dish and brown the beef in batches over a high heat.
Set the beef aside and then quickly brown the chorizo and set aside. Scrape the juices off the bottom of the pan. A good way to do this is to pour a splash of whisky or brandy in and the brown scrapings come off the bottom of the pan really easily. Pour the juices onto the beef.
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3.
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Add the remaining oil and then gently sauté the onion and green pepper with the bay leaf for a few minutes. Add the smoked paprika and stir. Add the garlic, the meat, the black beans, the stock and the tin of tomatoes and bring it all to the boil.
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4.
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Give everything a good stir and then transfer to the oven and simmer for 1½ hours until the beef and the beans are tender and the sauce has become nice and thick.
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5.
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Add the coriander and lime juice and taste for seasoning. You might want to add some salt and pepper at this stage or a little more smoked paprika.
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6.
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Make the salsa by chopping up the avocado, cucumber and tomatoes very small and mixing them with the other ingredients. Don't make it too far in advance as it is best really fresh.
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7.
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Serve the chopped green chillies in a bowl on the side for people to sprinkle over the top of the chilli to their own taste.
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This recipe is by Kate Percy, a marathon runner and cook, from her latest cook book" Go Faster Food", out now.
* Editor's choice. Yum Yum *
Five things you need to tell your players about fitness
By Dan Cottrell
Here is an article in which I hope to dispel some fitness and conditioning myths.
1. The "fat burning zone"
Make sure your players don't confuse burning fat with weight loss. A low-intensity training session will use up calories and fat. A higher intensity session for the same period will burn up even more calories, leading to a quicker weight change.
2. No to no pain, no gain
Players should not see pain as a way of measuring fitness improvement. If you need to change the intensity of the work out as your players become fitter, change the length of the session or the intensity, but not both.
3. The truth about gaining muscle
Players who want to bulk up will be able to add around 12 to 15 pounds of weight from a good diet and weight-training programme. But you cannot effectively play rugby and add muscle weight at the same time, because the two training programmes are so different.
Muscle should be added during the off-season. Legal supplements can help, but I advise you make sure your players understand that these need to be carefully managed. They should not be taken without expert advice.
4. Fitness programmes are for the long term
Thinking that you can turn around the fitness of your team in a week or even two s more likely to lead to greater injuries and poorer performance.
Good sides will have a rolling fitness programme that covers the whole season and beyond. Your players should understand their role in this rolling programme, because you can only influence them directly during your limited time in training.
5. Players can only train effectively in the morning
Your players can train any time of the day. There is no substantial evidence to suggest that one time is any better or worse than another.
More important is for the players to find a time that suits them, in terms of their off-field commitments and how they feel after training. If they're falling asleep at work or in school from early morning runs, then this might be a signal to change the routine.
"Scaps on"
A contact warm up you cannot ignore by
Paul Lloyd Davies, a professional contact coach
Prepare mentally and physically
Dominate the contact zone and you dominate the game. For example, you get quick go forward ball or you can slow down opposition ball at the breakdown.
These contact measures require the use of many muscles. Such compound movements require correct body position and this requires correct muscle tension combined with the correct technique.
Mental intent is also a big factor. We know that when players go in for a tackle half-heartedly, they are much more likely to get hurt.
So, muscles need to be activated in readiness and in a way that encourages the correct patterns of movement and which stimulates player controlled aggression.
The "scaps on" exercise
"Scaps on" involves pulling the shoulder blades back and pushing the tongue to the roof of the mouth. At the same time, the player puts tension into his core and the shoulders when making contact.
This can be done with players visualising going into a tackle or taking the ball into contact.
Tongue to the roof of the mouth
A martial arts tip is to stress to the players to push the tongue into the roof of mouth. This helps produce a strong straight neck. The players should look through the eyebrows and hold the head in a natural position.
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Just as a player would tense up against a punch to the stomach, the use of Ki (a martial arts term) or muscle tension and correct breathing can greatly enhance the player's contact resilience. Acceleration into and out of contact is also enhanced.
Developing the scaps on exercise
Players should step strongly into the area of contact. They must make use of a strong core muscles (stomach and lower back muscles) to transmit power and withstand impacts.
Use tackle pad drills where the tackling player holds a tennis ball in each hand and steps in, ensuring the shoulder goes in, with a strong arm action to grab the bag. It can be part of a match warm up without the tennis balls.
Tackle posture
The player drives in with:
Strong arms - not using the hands.
A straight back - spine in line.
The head in a natural position whilst looking forward.
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One-on-one scrumming exercise and body position
Players can use one-on-one scrummaging, working progressively.
Match players for size weight, strength and training status for safety. Get one player to resist and the other to push, and then change roles.
Emphasise "scaps on", with straight backs and the bottom thrust out. These additional points normally bring quick improvements in performance of this drill.
Paul Lloyd Davies works with some of the top rugby sides in New Zealand, specifically on the contact area and sports recovery. He also coaches Ultimate Fighting Championship fighters.
High jinx By Dan Cottrell
Most players in the team will have to catch a high ball at some stage, whether from a kick and chase, kick off or drop out restart. If they are not involved in the direct catch, they alternatively may have to support the catcher.
So, while primarily aimed at the back three, this session has benefits for all players.
What you tell your players the session is about
Getting in position to catch a high ball.
Improving your body position in the air to catch a high ball.
Exploring your options from a secure high ball.
What you tell your players to do
Call clearly for the ball.
Time your jump so you can catch the ball while in the air.
Support the catcher and give him options for your counter attack.
What you get your players to do
Split the players into groups of three, with the groups moving around the area, throwing the ball up for each other to jump up and catch.
The catcher must keep his eyes on the ball, call for the catch and time their jump so they catch the ball in the air. The catcher then should land in a strong position, ready to take contact if necessary.
The catcher in each group calls for the ball and jumps up to catch it.
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What to call out
"Eyes on the ball until it is in your hands"
"Arms up at head height. Fingers pointing up."
"Get side-on to the direction of play."
Development
Player one throws or kicks the ball towards player two, who runs forwards and times his jump to catch the ball in the air.
Player three runs up and either competes in the air or makes the tackle on the ground.
The kicker has to come in to support the catcher.
Add more players to each group so there are more supporters and chasers.
The catcher has to focus on the balland not the oncoming defender.
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Game situation
Two teams of three compete against each other, playing across the 22 metre area. One team kicks the ball high for the other team to receive, and follows up the kick as a defensive team.
The catching team has to secure the ball and support the catcher. They then counter attack against the oncoming defence.
Develop the game by allowing the teams to kick back if a counter attack is not on.
The support players communicate with the catcher and run back to support him.
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What to think about
What can I do to stop players knocking on when catching the ball?
The key is for players to get side-on when they catch the ball. This means if the ball is dropped it will go backwards rather than be knocked on.
My players are always watching the oncoming defender rather than the ball.
This is very common, especially with younger players. Start getting their technique good without any pressure from opponents. Remind them that if they are in the air the opposition cannot tackle them.
Once they are comfortable, add opponents gradually and slowly increase the pressure they exert.
This article is a Smart Sessions Core Skills. try Smart Sessions Core Skills for 9 issues for just 97p.
Where your wingers stand at a defensive set piece can mean the difference between leaking points and stopping the attack dead
Every situation is different and good wingers will make their own judgement based on the following considerations:
The type of team they are playing against. Do they move the ball wide, kick a lot or play a tight game?
What position on the pitch the set piece is taking place. Close to your own line or in the opponent's half?
The quality of their opposite number. If he is a quick, powerful runner, he may get a lot of the ball. If a weak player, his team are less likely to move the ball to him.
The openside defensive winger
Looking at the defensive positioning for an openside winger, there are three starting positions.
1. Wide and deep: This would normally be used if the attacking team kicks a lot or if the attacking team is deep inside their half.
2. Wide and flat: Covering an opposition winger you know is much quicker. Your winger must not give him options on the outside. Plan for your midfield to slide and cover across, to fill the gap between them and the winger.
3. Flat and close: Your winger is much quicker than the opponent. Here he can also be used to "blitz up" in defence.
Habana magic
By Dan Cottrell
Some teams are blessed with quick wingers. However, even the great Bryan Habana lost out in defence during the 2007 World Cup, when the US speedster Takudzwa Ngwenya rounded him for a spectacular try.
Whether you have quick players or not, you should always make time to work out a defensive system to combat direct attacks from speedy wingers.
This article is a Smart Sessions Core Skills from November 2007. It concentrates on organisation and running lines in both attack and defence, and has a simple outcome that you can implement very quickly.
What you tell your players the session is about
Using changes of pace and direction to beat a defender.
Keeping your options open when attacking a defender.
Making defenders make decisions early about which way to go.
What you tell your players to do
Slow down to make the defender think.
Stay balanced.
Watch the defender and see what he is going to do.
Change direction late.
Accelerate away from the defender.
What you get your players to do
Set up players in 1 v 1 situations in a large area, with a defender standing about 20 metres away from an attacker.
The attacker picks up the ball and runs to score.
The defender runs towards the point where he expects to make the tackle.
The attacker slows down as he approaches the defender to draw him in.
At the point where the defender is committed to making the tackle, the attacker makes a decision about which way to go.
The attacker rounds the defender, accelerates away and straightens up to score.
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Start by allowing the defender to tackle using a two handed touch or a tag tackle, before building up to full contact.
Development
Add a second attacker. This gives the ball carrier a further option and creates more uncertainty for the defender.
Have the defender start from different positions.
Add a second defender and see if the ball carrier can beat two defenders on his own.
What to call out
"Run straight at the defender"
"Keep the ball in two hands"
"Eyes on the defender"
"Be decisive"
What to look out for
Players not sure what they are trying to do.
Attackers tucking the ball under one arm.
Attackers who don't change their pace.
Attackers becoming unbalanced as they change direction.
What to think about
Which players are going to use this skill most?
Where on the pitch should players be trying to beat defenders in one on one situations?
When is this skill going to be most effective?
Can your bigger slower players still achieve some success?
How do you defend against an attacker like this?
Putting the skills learnt into a game situation
Two teams of three play touch rugby in an area about 22 metres wide by 40 metres long.
The attacking team starts on their try line. The defending team starts at the halfway point of the pitch.
The attacking team has to beat the defenders by drawing away two of the defenders and creating the most likely one on one scenario.
If the ball carrier is tackled they can pass the ball to a support player, otherwise the game is reset with the other team attacking.
Teams score three points for a try and one point for a successful defence.
This article is a Smart Sessions Core Skills.
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Issue number 269
Monday, 20 April 2009
TECHNIQUE: Visionary 9s (Greig Oliver)
GREAT PLAYS: Target man - a backs move (Dan Cottrell)
THE WINNING DIFFERENCE: Faster more accurate scrum half passing (Dan Cottrell)
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
The 100: How do I get my team to switch quickly between attack and defence?
Reader's choice: An excellent resource for both player and coach
Jargon busting: Sack, sacking
* Technique *
Visionary 9s
By Greig Oliver, Director of Rugby at Garryowen Football Club, Ireland, and a former Scotland international scrum half.
Weighing up the options
Before passing the ball from the back of a ruck, the scrum half has to be able to weigh up the options and make the right decision. He therefore needs to be alert to everything going on around him.
The scrum half needs to be aware of where his team mates are, where the opposition players are and where the ball is.
He can improve this awareness by developing his peripheral vision. In the process, you should see an improvement in his decision making too.
Peripheral vision graph
The "peripheral vision graph" exercise challenges the scrum half to keep two players in his eye-line as they move from side to side.
The graph has two, 5 metre long axes at right angles. Each axis has a runner.
The scrum half faces one of the runners, with the other runner standing at ninety degrees from him.
The scrum half uses small fast steps to stay opposite both runners as they move up and down the axes.
When you shout "CHANGE", the scrum half turns and faces the other runner, whilst keeping the first runner also in his vision.
Introduce a ball once your scrum half is comfortable with the exercise.
Now when a runner gives him a pass, he has to pass the ball quickly to the other runner, before turning so he's always facing the runner with the ball.
Pyramid exercise
The "pyramid exercise" challenges the scrum half to keep his head up, looking forward while getting in position to pass the ball.
Set out different coloured cones in a pyramid shape. Start the scrum half at the first cone.
The scrum half squats and puts both hands on the first cone.
At the same time, you direct him left or right to the next cone, and so on to finish on the last line of cones.
Alter your position so the player has to scan to locate you. As he improves, make the signals harder to spot.
This article is from Rugby Coach Junior. Published each week, Rugby Coach Junior contains advice, tips and secrets for new and inexperienced coaches of younger players.
read more and to take out a 97p, 8 week trial membership.
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* Great plays *
Target man - a backs move
By Dan Cottrell
This play, also known as "Suicide", is reproduced here from my 50 Great Backs Moves manual.
It's a high risk move for teams with a quick 9, particularly from scrums, who can also pass the ball long.
Because of the risks involved, "target man" works best when the defence is near to their own line, with your attack probably no further than 15 metres out.
The "target man" move
What the players should do
9 picks up the ball from a scrum and runs sideways, dummy switching with 10 and 12, and then missing 13 to pass to 15.
10 runs on a dummy switch with 9.
12 runs on a dummy switch with 9.
13 runs on a line to take a pass from 9, but holds their depth.
15 runs and receives a long pass from 9.
14 stays wide. He must delays his run to "pick a line" and take a pass from 15.
Why it works
Running 9 to the openside is an unusual move from the back of a scrum.
The first two dummy switches hold the defence, perhaps even closing it up.
The long pass from 9 releases 15 into a space, to attack the gap between the widest two defenders.
This should create a simple 2 v 1 with the openside winger.
The move is good if you have
A 9 who is quick away from the scrum situation and is a long passer.
A strong running 15.
Already made runs at the defence with 10 and 12.
Common mistakes
10 and 12 run too early, so they do not draw the defence.
9 does not effectively hide the ball from defenders when running across the pitch.
13 hides 15 from 9's view.
Think about
Going from the left, because the defending 9 will not be in a position to follow the 9 as effectively.
All players should expect to take a pass from 9. For instance, 9 may flick the ball up to 10, 12 or 13 at any time if the space is reduced.
This move is from my 50 Great Backs Moves manual.
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An excellent resource for both player and coach
Says Tim Richardson, Head of Rugby, Lord Wandsworth College, Hook, Hampshire, England
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* The winning difference *
Faster more accurate scrum half passing
By Dan Cottrell
The position of the feet play an important role in determining the success of the scrum half's pass. Where to place the feet
The rear foot (the foot furthest from the intended receiver) should be placed close to the ball prior to the pass. This helps transfer the player's weight from the rear to the front foot during the pass.
Two common foot placement errors
1. Straddling the ball: This provides stability but also prevents weight-transfer. It results in a reliance on upper-body strength, and a shorter pass.
2. Rear foot too far from the ball: This means the body is not over the ball. It results in "overreaching", with the player falling forward after the pass, due to the unstable distribution of weight during the passing movement.
Foot alignment
During the pass, a line drawn between the feet should be in line with the target.
A common error is to place the lead or front foot too far ahead of the target, resulting in the pass being raised and sometimes placed behind the receiver.
This is due to the front knee blocking the route of the ball, requiring the scrum half to lift and sweep the ball over and across the lead knee.
This article is from Rugby Coach Junior. Published each week, Rugby Coach Junior contains advice, tips and secrets for new and inexperienced coaches of younger players.
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* Jargon busting *
Sack, Sacking v.
An expression borrowed from American Football, sacking a player means catching a key playmaker whilst in possession of the ball.
Ultimately, this can lead to a turnover, but normally it refers to a scrum half or fly half being unable to pass or kick the ball due to a tackle by an opposition player.
For instance, "The flanker sacked the scrum half at the 5m lineout. It was carnage!".
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Building a session from one element - footwork before contact
By Dan Cottrell
Imagine you have only one session to coach a core aspect of the game. What do you keep in and what do you leave out?
One of the coaching techniques I use is to construct a single session with progressions, to work only one element of the game at a time. In this example I look at footwork before contact.
Individual work
There are five easy options to mix and match, to help get individuals developing their footwork and evasion skills.
1. Easy dodging
Split the players into teams of three, with one ball per group.
The teams move around a 20 metre square using footwork to avoid each other.
Every time you blow your whistle the ball carrier has to pass the ball to a team mate, but they must not pass less than 3 metres.
2. Heavy traffic
As before split the players into teams of three, with one ball per group.
Once again the teams have to move around the square avoiding each other.
However, now when you blow your whistle the ball carrier must run after his two team mates, trying to touch them on the back with the ball.
3. Footwork at different heights
Players also have to use footwork skills to drive through the collision and the tackle, often when they are bent over or leaning forward.
Use the same exercises as above, but make all the players run lower. This means, bending at the knees and the hips, but always with their heads up.
4. Don't look down!
Place cones or use ladders in a small area.
The players have to run through them WITHOUT looking at their feet.
5. Hips for different widths
Footwork is also about shifting and twisting the hips.
Set up a series of narrow gates with poles or players holding tackle backs.
Each player has to pass through the gate facing in a direction specified by you. For instance, I use a coloured cone by each gate to indicate which way the player should be facing when he moves through the gate.
Next have the players running through the gates sideways or backwards.
Group work
In a team situation footwork can be used to beat a player as a pass is received, or to get into a better position to support or be supported.
1. Late passes to static players
Set up a 1 v 1, where you or a player pass the ball to an attacker two metres from a defender.
From a standing start the attacker has to get beyond the defender's starting point.
Develop this by adding an attacking support player and then another defender, all static.
2. Late passes to sprinting players
Set up the same 1 v 1, but now in a 5 metre channel. Again you or a player pass the ball to the attacker.
Now the attacker starts seven metres back and runs onto the pass to beat the defender.
Use the same developments as above.
Conditioned games
Game 1: On the charge 1 v 3
Set up a 10 metre square. Start a single player (the "ball carrier") from the opposite end to the three defenders.
The ball carrier tries to carry the ball as far up the square as possible, while the three defenders try to hold him up.
Measure how far the ball carrier progresses by observing the furthest point the ball gets to whilst in his possession.
Game 2: Late support 2 v 3
Use the same set up as the 1 v 3 game, but now with a second attacker (the "supporter") starting from the middle of one side of the square. The supporter must run round one of the corners behind the ball carrier before joining the game.
Both attackers try to carry the ball as far up the square as possible, while the three defenders try to hold them up.
Measure how far the attackers progress by observing the furthest point the ball gets to whilst in their possession.
This article is from my monthly Rugby Coach publication
Five defensive lessons from last year's Six Nations
By Dan Cottrell
The eve of the 2009 Six Nations is a good time to analyse how the Welsh coach, Shaun Edwards, transformed his adoptive nation's defence.
The Welsh Six Nations Grand Slam winning team in 2008 conceded only two tries across the five games in which they played. What was the secret to their success? And what lessons can you learn from the Welsh example?
Ruck defence
The final game of the series was against France. In this game Wales used a policy of letting the opponents win ruck ball in return for spreading out a blanket defence.
Often the French team committed more than three players to the ruck and so then faced an unequal challenge with perhaps 10 attackers facing a wall of 12 defenders, with two more in the back field.
Against a side who counter attack and like to spread the ball about, this makes perfect sense.
However, against a team like England who prefer to keep the ball tight, a more aggressive ruck defence is required, with greater numbers at the breakdown to disrupt the possession.
Lesson 1
You need to balance the risk of not winning the ruck against having a defensive wall to force the attacking team to "make" the plays. France had plenty of phases without disrupting the Welsh defence but eventually turned over the ball or kicked away possession.
Tackle completion
Wales completed 446 tackles in their five matches, more than England and France, but less than Ireland, Scotland and Italy.
What is more important is that they completed 95% of all their tackles, missing only 25, a significantly better statistic than all but France. So for every 20 tackles attempted, 19 were made and one was missed.
If you look at the top tacklers, the back row three of Williams, Jones and Thomas made a third of all their tackles!
Interestingly most of the other sides spread their tackles across a greater range of positions.
Lesson 2
In defence make sure you put your best tacklers in a position where they are going to make tackles. Don't commit them to rucks.
Lesson 3
Don't forget that different positions tend to make different types of tackles. For instance, props and locks make a lot of close quarter tackles, which require different skills to open field tackles. Do you practise specific tackling by position?
Kicking out of defence
The advantage of a good kicking full back means that sides receiving the ball will have to attack from deeper.
In the 2008 Six Nations, Wales boomed the ball back out of defence, frequently with little regard for finding touch. A good chase then put pressure on the counter attack.
This was the undoing of both England and France, who made little headway on the counter or counter kicks.
Lesson 4
Make opposition teams attack from deeper by kicking the ball very long and not always to touch. This requires the back three (the two wingers and full back) to co-ordinate, to move the ball swiftly to your best kicker.
Lesson 5
Do your wingers practise kicking off both feet? And can they pass long back into the midfield?
This article is from my monthly Rugby Coach publication.
Is this the best groundsman story ever?
By Dan Cottrell
On Saturday morning I turned up to a national squad training session to find that we were not allowed on the pitch until the frost had cleared.
I can understand this, but the ground was not hard. The Head Coach enquired further.
The reply? If we trained now, "the grass might break".
It has been said that groundsmen (or "parkies") would prefer that rugby would not ever be played on their surfaces.
They take great pride in producing an excellent surface and this is constantly frustrated by the vagaries of the weather and the desire of teams to train on the pitches.
The groundsman is actually in a difficult position because he (and she) knows that there is balance between provision and training and playing.
The field is there to be played on, but it needs to be ready to be played on not just this week but next week, next month and next year.
Some coaches are poor at realising this. They will flout the obvious rules of when to "keep off the grass", invoking the "I must train somewhere" law.
There is an uneasy alliance between the grounds and coaching staff at times. Both sides can get tetchy. And sometimes it is an unequal one versus fifteen plus in terms of opinion.
Do we give the grounds staff the credit they deserve? What do you think?
The defensive front-on tackle
By Dan Cottrell
Look at the statistic for tackling in the "Five defensive lessons from last year's Six Nations" article above - 446 tackles in 5 games. That's a lot of tackling.
This is the best technique for the defensive front-on tackle.
Target
The tackler targets the opposition player's waist. He needs to get low in order to get under any potential hand off.
Keep moving
The tackler keeps moving forward and has to get in front of the ball carrier. Just before contact he should set himself in a strong crouched position with one foot slightly in front of the other.
Head up
The head stays up, with the eyes looking at the target until contact is made.
Shoulder, head, arms
Contact is made with the shoulder. The head tucks in tight to the hip and the arms form a tight band round the thighs.
Roll back
From the strong crouch position just before contact, the tackler rolls back using the ball carrier's momentum to bring them to ground.
This article is taken from Rugby Coach Junior.
Published each week, Rugby Coach Junior contains advice, tips and secrets about coaching rugby to inexperienced players.
A key skill to exploit space
By Paul Tyler, Joint Editor, Rugby Coach Junior
Putting a support runner into enough space to beat defenders is an important part of rugby. The pullback pass aims to give support runners such opportunities.
The pullback pass
The pullback pass is about passing the ball back at about a 45 degree angle to a support player, coming from deep and able to run onto the ball at pace.
Honing the skill
Four players start about 5 metres from a line of four cones. They run forward and pass the ball down the line so that the last player scores on his cone.
The catch is that they are only allowed to pass when they reach their cone. The pass must be pulled back to the next player running at pace.
He has to be able to take the pass with enough time to slow down and pullback the next pass.
Using the skills in a game situation
Four attackers line up opposite three defenders, so that the last attacker is free. (You can add a second line of three defenders as the players improve.)
As the attackers move, the defenders move forward as a line, slowly at first and then at increasing pace as the players progress.
Don't allow tackling, but let defenders knock down passes if a ball carrier gets too close. The players have to pullback their passes until the last player is put into space.
Skills checklist
Support players must come from deep.
Support players need to communicate with the ball carrier.
Support players must receive their passes at pace.
Players must attack their cone or the defender convincingly.
Players must look where they are passing.
Players should slow down after receiving a pass so they can get balanced to give the next pass.
Passes need to be accurate and delivered with soft hands.
This article is taken from Rugby Coach Junior.
MISSED TACKLES: Bad decisions or bad technique?
By Colin Ireland, Joint Editor, Rugby Coach Junior
Selecting the right type of tackle to make in a game can be difficult. Many missed tackles result from poor decision making rather than a lack of effort or technique.
So what you must do is coach all types of tackles in one session, because in a game your players never know which type of tackle they are going to have to perform next.
There are so many variables when tackling, like the opponent's size, angles and the speed of the run, and the proximity of other defenders, that it can only really be developed in live situations.
It will show them what works and what doesn't in a variety of situations and against many types of attacker.
What you do
The defender and attacker start opposite each other. Both move forward on your signal.
As the attacker gets close to the cones, call out a number (or colour) of a cone. The attacker has to run outside that numbered (or coloured) cone.
The defender then has to adapt his run to intercept the attacker and make the tackle.
Tackle selection should become apparent to the players. The wider the attack the more side-on the tackle will become. Calling a straighter cone will require the defenders to make a more head-on tackle.
Remember to talk to your players about which tackles are more effective and why.
This article is taken from Rugby Coach Junior.
Published each week, Rugby Coach Junior contains advice, tips and secrets about coaching rugby to inexperienced players.
The tackle and types of tackle
The action of bringing an attacking player to the ground by force by one or more defending players using their arms.
The contact points must be below the shoulders to avoid being classified as an illegal "high tackle".
The tackled player, if he goes off his feet, must not by driven into the ground, known as a "spear tackle", also illegal.
A tackler must show the intention to use his arms to stop the ball carrier. Shoulder charging, sticking out a leg or kicking are illegal and dangerous.
A "dominant tackle" is where the tackler wins the contest by driving the ball carrier backwards, thus creating a good chance of a turnover.
A tackle where the tackler clips the heel or ankle of the ball carrier is known as a "tap tackle" or "ankle tackle".
Getting back in the game after the tackle
By Paul Tyler, Joint Editor, Rugby Coach Junior
A player on the ground can't play rugby. So how do you go about getting up and back into the game?
Falling in the right position
Players can't always fall the way they want to in a tackle, but you can coach them to try to always land on top of the opposition player, whether tackling or being tackled.
They should also fall so they end up on their front rather than on their back or side. This makes it easier to protect the ball if they have been tackled, and is a much easier position to get up from.
Making "falling well" a habit will make your players think about twisting as they drop to the ground, and so give themselves a better platform to get up from.
Developing speed off the ground
Getting back up is not a chance for a rest. It should be an explosive movement where the legs and arms are used together to push up.
Think of a surfer moving from a prone position to a standing position. The arms straighten and the knees explode up towards the chest, bringing the feet underneath the body.
This leads to a strong balanced crouched position ideal for competing for the ball or moving into position in any direction.
Look and move
As soon as the player is upright, they need to look around and assess the situation. They should ask themselves where they are going to be needed for the next phase.
They then need to get there quickly.
Communication from the players who are already on their feet and can see what is happening is crucial for helping team mates to get back in the game.
Do your players know the game plan?
It takes time for players to learn to read the game. Don't expect them to always get into the right positions.
Ensure players understand your game plan in attack and defence. This will help them read the game quicker and get into position faster.
Tricks of the trade
When regaining their feet your players can use the opposition player to help them up faster. It also keeps the opponent down longer.
Placing the hands on the opponent's body gives more leverage to get up quicker.
This article is taken from Rugby Coach Junior.
Published each week, Rugby Coach Junior contains advice, tips and secrets about coaching rugby to inexperienced players.
Why forward play doesn't have to be a pain in the neck
By Dr Sally Lark, a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Sport and Science
at the University of Glamorgan.
Coaches need to take better precautions with their players' necks to ensure longer rugby careers and less damage to their necks in the future.
I have identified that rugby players suffer from poor neck motion, compared to players of other sports. You won't be surprised to hear that forwards are far worse off than backs.
A forward's neck range of motion is sometimes so bad it is similar to people suffering acute whiplash injury.
The range of movement in your neck deteriorates over time with age, but playing rugby exacerbates the problems.
You, as a rugby coach, should take care of your players by educating and training them in three vital phases:
Pre-season.
Pre-match and training.
Post-match and training.
Resistance work can use weights and body weight. However I strongly caution against two common errors in training.
Don't use hyperflex or over-extend the neck
Hyperflexing means the neck is at the very edge of its normal range of movement, where it is at its weakest. For example, if your player is lifting a weight, he should not start the movement with his chin on or near his chest, or extended backwards.
Any exercise should start with the neck in a neutral position, with the upper spine in line with the thoracic and lumbar spine.
Always build up the weight gradually within a strength training session even if you managed to lift a large weight in the last session, as there may be some small damage to the neck from playing or training that can be exacerbated by lifting a heavy weight.
Don't circle the neck
The spine is not a ball and socket joint like the shoulders. It will respond to sideways, rotation (which means looking from side to side), and up and down movements.
However when it is circled around, this is an unnatural way for the neck to work and so puts the wrong sorts of strains on the muscles.
Forwards need strong necks
Ironically a stiffer neck is equated to a stronger neck, and forwards are thought to be better off with "stiff" necks, not (hyper) flexible necks for the scrum situation.
Importantly, however, strength does not have to occur at the expense of normal neck motion. It is still important that forwards players can scan the field of play quickly.
Most of the strength training outside rugby training should be based on developing strength within a certain range of motion and not necessarily increasing extra flexibility as stability is needed in the scrum, and head-on collision tackles which are characteristics of the forwards play.
This article is from my monthly Rugby Coach publication.
Rugby Coach contains performance-boosting advice and insight, plus a few tricks of the trade, provided by top rugby coaching specialist from around the world
* Le Crunch *
Your edge at the breakdown
By Dan Cottrell
The breakdown contest is a key part of the game. Getting your players to adopt the right stance to win these contests is crucial.
The tackle area is one of the most difficult to referee, largely because of the speed of play and the bodies involved. For instance, the position of the "gate" (the area through which players must access the tackle zone) may frequently shift.
Having negotiated the laws successfully, when a player competes for the ball in the tackle situation they expose themselves to being "cleared out" (driven off the ball) by opposition players.
Moreover, the player is likely to have their head forward, so if they are not in a good position their neck could be dangerously exposed.
The player therefore needs to take a strong position to challenge for the ball, reduce the chance of being cleared out, and be in a safer body position.
Le Crunch
"Le Crunch" is a technique whereby the player who is competing for the ball at the tackle situation crunches themselves before they take contact, to present a better body position and a safer one too.
In the picture above, the player at the top is in a good, safe body position. However, he is more upright than the lower player and showing more of himself to opponents.
The second player has bent his knees, rounded his shoulders and pulled his elbows out to present less of a target. The bent elbows in particular help round the shoulders and make the arms stronger over the ball.
Driving up and out before "le Crunch"
What happens when an opposition player gets over the ball before one of your players gets there?
Ideally, your players need to drive off opposition players before they get too low.
To do this, your player's shoulder needs to impact under the opposing player's chest to drive that player "up and out". This means driving the player away from the tackle, not backwards, but to one side.
"Up and out" is effective since the opposition player will be bracing against being driven backwards and not against being driven off at an angle.
This can really only be practised "live", since ruck pads don't provide much help in teaching this technique. However, body suits would be advisable.
Clearing out le Crunch players
If a player has assumed a "le Crunch" position, then it will very difficult to shift him. In which case your players have two choices.
1. Do nothing
The first option is to do nothing. Your players simply accept that the ball is not going to be won and instead reposition themselves to win the next phase.
2. Disrupt
The second choice is to disrupt the opposition by driving in and trying to twist the player. Though this does not shift the player, the passage of the ball may be disturbed, thus slowing down the possibility of good, clean ball subsequently.
This article is from my monthly Rugby Coach publication.
* Rugby coach blog *
Why detail counts
By Dan Cottrell
There is a debate in rugby at the moment about "skills" and "rugby" coaching. Too much time spent on one means a deficit of the other.
Some professional sides are spending so much time on skills they are forgetting how to play rugby. Too many amateur and youth sides are concentrating on rugby, and not building a base of skills.
I like to think that skills training is an investment in the future. Players will not grow in the long run unless they have a good understanding of the fundamentals.
The full range of skills cannot be taught in a season. They have to be nurtured over the player's growth cycle, adding layers to a core.
But a player also needs to play at the weekend.
The application of skills leads to playing experiences which shape decisions. It motivates the player, allowing him to justify the skills work and seek to learn more in the future.
Since the majority of us don't coach full time teams, we tend to concentrate on the "rugby" - the plays and plans to win games. In fact, we should spend more time on the skills
Get your players to fill up with "premium fuel"
By Paul Tyler
It is important to educate rugby players about good nutrition and eating habits.
You need to stress the importance of not training on a full stomach but not training hungry either.
Players should eat a carbohydrate based meal (rice, pasta, potato) about two hours before training or playing.
Make sure your players are always hydrated before, during and after training.
Sports drinks are expensive and not really necessary. Fruit juice and water are best before and after exercise, with water in small but regular amounts during training and games.
All your players should follow the basic guidelines of healthy eating. However every individual is different in physique, lifestyle and work-rest balance.
Depending on the daily physical activity, the amount of food intake a person needs will differ.
You probably don't want your players losing weight because their daily food intake does not cover the calories they are burning off.
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BACK ROW BIKER:
A blindside move your right winger will love
By Dan Cottrell
I spent much of my career on the right wing, waiting for the right time to strike and score. The back row move "Biker" was among my favourites. It's relatively easy to set up and execute, and created many simple run-ins for me close to the opponent's line.
Which teams can use it?
Biker is a good move it you have:
A quick number 8 who can pass well.
A quick 9 who can attack gaps.
A fast 14.
A scrum that can wheel slightly so the tight-head side gets ahead of the loose-head side.
Where in the pitch?
What you need is enough room for your number 8 and 9 to quickly get into the space between the scrum and the lone defender defending the blindside.
To have the space you need, you should look to use Biker when you have a scrum in the opposition half and at least 15 metres from the right hand touchline.
You probably then will need to be some way from the opposition line. Too near it and they are likely to add an extra player to cover the blindside.
Why the move works
The number 8's blindside run draws the back row defender, creating a 2 v 1 for your 9 and 14. With the defending 15 likely to be covering the midfield, this can give your 14 a free run to the line.
How it works
9 puts the ball into the scrum and then arcs round to the back of it and to the right. He takes a pass from 8 and attacks the inside shoulder of the opposition 11. If the opposition 11 is drawn in, 9 passes to 14. Otherwise 9 continues on his run.
As soon as the ball is at his feet, 8 picks and goes right. He passes to 9 as that player comes round.
14 stands close to the touchline. He waits until 9 receives the ball before running forwards to support 9, possibly to take the pass.
Common mistakes
The scrum wheels the wrong way, so 8 has a long way to go to attack. In this case cancel the call.
8 runs too far with the ball.
14 stands too close or runs too early. He must maintain his position to keep his marker guessing.
This move is taken from my Rugby Attack! manual. Containing the core 27 attacking plays you'll ever need, it covers back row moves, ruck moves, maul moves, penalty moves, backs moves and sequences so you can run multiple plays through the phases.
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SCORE MORE TRIES: Making the most of attacks close to the try line
By Dan Cottrell
When your players have the ball near the try line you want them to make the most of the position, to score over the line. Which is just what this session is all about. Naturally, it's also a great way to teach your defenders about protecting the try line from the opposition.
In the session you want your ball carrier to drive forward, low towards the try line, before turning away from contact to ground the ball. Meanwhile your tacklers need to work hard to get their arms and bodies between the ball and the ground.
Throughout the session you need to watch how the ball carrier reacts as he drives for the line and at what stage in the move he does so. You also need to see how your defenders handle the ball carrier.
The set up
Two players stand facing each other 2 metres apart, with a line between them. A third player stands at the side with a ball. He throws the ball to one of the players who has 5 seconds to try to put it down over the line. The other player tries to save the try.
Adapt the distances between the players according to the success rate. Also make sure that the three players alternate their roles.
Developing the session
You can develop the session like this:
Vary the height of the pass – high, low, on the ground.
Designate an attacker and let them start with the ball. Stipulate the position they can start in, for instance with the ball at their feet, or facing away from the defender.
Start the defender 1 or 2 metres to the side of the attacker, with the attacker a metre further back from the line, to replicate a saving tackle from a covering player.
Allow both players to move along the line, so the defender tracks the attacker until the ball is passed.
Set up players in pairs, each with one player standing just behind the partner. Have a few practice run throughs, before allowing the players to pass and double up in the tackle.
A game situation
The session can be developed with a 3 v 2 game. Form groups of players with three attackers and two defenders. Set up a number of 5 metre boxes – one for each group – with a try line running through each about 1 metre from one end (put the boxes across a real try line for instance). Place a ball by the side of each box.
The attackers start at the end of the box furthest from the line, faced by the defenders. When you are ready, run to a box and kick or roll the ball in.
The attackers must pick up the ball and attempt to score over the line. After a couple of sets, change the players around and involve previously unused players. Don't use more than five players at one time.
ONE SESSION WONDERS: The lineout in 30 minutes
By Dan Cottrell
Few coaches have enough time to prepare for the next match. Sometimes you simply have to cut down a training session to cover only the core aspects of the game. This doesn't mean you have to cut corners, however. Here's an example "one session wonder", based on preparing an effective lineout in only thirty minutes.
Establish the priorities
Ask the players to establish the three main priorities for the lineout. It may seem obvious, but it gives you and the lineout forwards a clear objective for the session.
Win clean ball.
Deliver the right type of ball for the backs to exploit or the forwards to drive up.
Disrupt the opposition lineout.
10 minutes - Throw, jump, lift: working together
A lineout functions because three elements come together. The throw, jump and lift. Each element has different players involved and so requires specific techniques.
The technical part of the session should take no more than 10 minutes, so there will only be time for minor technical adjustments at this stage. Consequently focus on three key areas.
1. The throw: You need to work out very quickly what can be achieved by the lineout thrower. This will dictate much of your lineout possibilities because there is no merit in trying to work a throw to places the hooker can't make 90% of the time in training.
2. The jump: The speed of the jump is more important than its height. So warm-up the jumpers by using exercises to get them off the ground quickly.
A quick review of the technique of the jumper is required for better in-flight delivery and lift.
The toes must be pointed in the jump, chest out like a long jumper and hands close together.
The jumper should sight the ball through their hands.
The jumper should jump off the ground from both feet.
3. The lift: Lifters, whether they are turning into their jumper or running into position, need to arrive there quickly.
As part of the warm-up, lifters can work in pairs, running around before coming together, opposite each other, and then pushing their hands up, bringing their chests together. If they are not together, on their toes, then the instability will affect the speed and height of the jump.
10 minutes - Pods and throws
Now you need to work the "pods", that is a jumper and two supporters.
Without movement, check pods for speed and height. Use a throw in as a target, with each pod going up in reaction to it. Adjust the distances, going back as far as the thrower can, while still achieving 90% accuracy.
Depending on your side's movement in the lineout, practise moving lifters and jumpers to specified points, again focusing on the speed of the jump.
"Tricks of the trade": The lineout has so many variations and plays that it is easy to be lost in the "tricks" that have worked for you in the past. Concentrate instead on the essentials first, that is the speed of the jump and the accuracy of the throw. The tricks can come once the "trade" has been learnt.
5 minutes - Decisions over variations
At this stage you need to decide on the number of variations you can work on. In an average game you might have up to 20 lineouts where you throw the ball in. Having five variations which work well should cover the next game, plus a shortened lineout move just in case.
You own 5m line: A key lineout situation must be your lineout on your own 5m line. At least some time must be spent on your options here. You should note that most international teams shorten the lineout, because there are fewer opposition players close to the line.
5 minutes - Defensive lineouts
The defensive lineout is often relegated to the last few minutes of a normal practice. Unfortunately only about 5 minutes can be spent on this vital area in the 30 minute practice. However, it should be the focus of the team talk pre-match because much of the defence will be about "outthinking" the opposition. You will anyway have covered the techniques in the attacking phase of the practice.
PLAY IT SHORT: Make shortened lineouts work for you
By Dan Cottrell
Having options for your lineout is a "must-have". Shortened lineouts are an excellent tactical option, which can give you a psychological advantage over the opposition too. But you have to make sure you get the best return from them.
Why use shortened lineouts?
There are many good reasons to use a shortened lineout.
You are struggling to secure your own ball with a full line.
You have only one good lineout jumper.
You want your "spare" forwards to run at the opposition backline.
It disrupts the opposition defensive lineout.
Variations in the lineout length keep your forwards motivated.
Examples of good, shortened lineouts
1. Five man slider (picture 1):
The "slider" is a lifter. He stands in the middle of the line, with a jumper (J) and lifter (L) at each end. The slider checks to see where the opposition jumpers are lining up and either fakes forwards and runs back, or vice versa. The thrower should take his cue from the slider's call.
2. Four man system (picture 2):
The four man system starts when the intended jumper (J) stands in the scrum half position and the scrum half (S) stands at the front. Three lifters spread themselves along the line. The jumper notes the areas the opposition are defending.
He fakes a move towards one space before running towards a lifter. A second lifter moves to support the jumper. To finish the move the scrum half peels off the front of the lineout to receive the ball.
Your own five metre line
More and more sides are using two-man lineouts when it's their ball on the five metre line. The advantages of this are:
There might be fewer opposition forwards near the line.
You can line up the spare forwards on the try line, so if the ball is lost there are more players to fill in the defensive gaps.
There are more spaces to throw to.
A jumper or lifter can stand in the scrum half position, and the scrum half can stand on the try line to receive the ball.
You can throw over the back of the line to a forward running onto the ball, set up a ruck and so have a better angle for the clearance kick.
But... A long throw to the back might not go straight. It needs the hooker to be more accurate with the throw because the jumpers are running around in the lineout a lot more.
CLEARING AND PARKING: An effective way to retain possession
By Colin Ireland
When you've put all that effort into an attacking move the last thing you want is to lose the ball in the tackle or subsequent ruck. You can give your team the ability to retain the ball by coaching your players "clearing and parking".
In a tackle situation the ball carrier should do everything they can to present the ball with two hands back towards their team mates. Retaining possession is then about the support players and the options they take.
1. If there are no opposition players they can pick the ball up and run or pass.
2. If an opponent is on their feet trying to win the ball the supporter needs to drive or "clear" them out, leaving the ball free for the next support player.
3. If the defenders have been driven away but there is no time to make a pass, the supporter should "park" over the ball to secure it.
Clearing opponents away
When clearing defenders away from the ball, it's important to have the right attitude as well as good technique.
Arrive in a low driving position with your head up.
Bind onto team mates as you arrive.
Target one opponent only and drive them back.
Bind onto opponents and use leg drive to clear them backwards or to the side.
Parking over the ball
Parking over the ball helps secure possession. You are forming a ruck, so defenders have to stay onside.
Arrive in a low position and bind onto the clearing player in front. This keeps the ball in the ruck.
Stay on your feet and ensure the ball stays between your feet. This keeps the ball secure.
Keep the low body position until the scrum half picks the ball out and passes.
Developing clearing and parking
Organise your players into groups of two defenders and four or five attackers. The ball carrier takes the tackle and presents the ball.
The first two or three support players clear away the second defender. The third or fourth support player parks over the ball. The final support player picks up the ball to run with it or pass it away.
Walk through the exercise at first, correcting the players' technique until they are comfortable with the roles. Then increase the pace to a jog, then to full speed.
THE WINNING DIFFERENCE: Use this session from Coaching Rugby to ensure your players fall safely and in the best way to maintain momentum
By Dan Cottrell
There's lots of things to think about when coaching your players in the tackling techniques.
As soon as young players stop playing touch tackling and move on to proper tackling they are at the mercy of the coaching staff to teach them the proper technique so they know how to fall safely.
What you tell your players to do
Use your knees, hips and shoulders to impact on the ground, not the arms.
Progress slowly, increasing the level of contact.
Remember that the ball carrier needs to know how to fall as much as the tackler needs to know how to tackle.
What you get your players to do
Slowly increase the level of intensity.
Make sure every player practises with a ball held in both hands.
Make sure all players fall to the ground correctly – with no hands out to break the fall.
Practise falling to the ground. The order of contact with the ground is:
Knees.
Hips.
Shoulders.
The static tackle
A practice involving the middle and end sections of a full tackle. One player puts one foot in front of the other (heel to toes) whilst holding the ball in two hands. Another player is then shown the ideal tackling position and grip. He takes up this position.
The tackle for this advanced position is made, ideally onto a mat or pad. Check that both players have fallen properly.
HITTING THE HEIGHTS: Supersonic locks are vertically challenged
By Dan Cottrell
I love it when you see a "supersonic" lock soaring up to pluck the ball out of the air. For a split second he hangs there, the ball in his hands - a spit second of total awe - then bang he hits the deck and the team are on the move again.
As a coach it's a fine sight. It's also one you can expect to see if you spend time on improving the vertical distance you players can achieve with their jumps.
Two feet are better than one
Because the jump in the lineout or for the high ball is vertical, both feet should be used to initiate the leap. In terms of teaching the players the value of this, make them hop on one leg first to see how high they can get. Then ask them to revert to two legs. A target on a post or wall helps measure their progress.
Keep straight legs in the air
Straight legs on the ascent help players with their balance. The player should then bend the legs on the descent to cushion the landing.
Supporters or not, there are a number of benefits of having straighter legs once the feet have left the ground. With supporters, straight legs are important to grab onto. They also prevent inadvertent kicks as the player struggles for height.
So practices should ensure that any jump should aim to get the legs straight, with a good measure of the height achieved being the distance from the ground to the feet.
A tip from grizzled, battle worn locks: players should jump like a ballet dancer, keeping the toes pointed down to keep the legs straight.
Jump with the ball
The Ancient Greeks used to long jump holding a stone in their hands. Apart from helping the momentum, it kept their hands and arms working in the right direction.
Taking this a step forward (or upward), a jumper for the ball should practise with the ball in both hands. Bent elbows, hands moving up and above the head should increase the control of the jump and replicate the correct position to receive the ball.
Jumping higher in the lineout
Being supported or lifted in the lineout is a bonus that modern senior players have at their disposal. Depending on the country you are in, lifting starts from around 15 years old.
In any event, it is not always the height that players get that matters, but the speed with which they get there. This means players meeting the ball at the top of their jump and before the opposition has a chance to react.
Locks are usually the main jumpers at the lineout. They should be looking to improve their jumping ability all the time.
Olympic lifts: specific fitness for jumping
The hips are primarily responsible for the success of a vertical jump. What "Olympic lift" jumps do is teach players to use their hips explosively.
A good experiment to show the benefits of an Olympic lift is to make players perform two types of jump. The first is to sit and hold for four seconds before jumping. The second is to sit as quickly as possible and then rise as quickly as possible. It should be that the higher jump comes from the second type.
Since Olympic lifts are performed with both feet on the ground, they strongly replicate a rugby situation for a powerful jump.
THE WINNING DIFFERENCE: Coaching the correct jumping technique
By Paul Tyler
When you coach jumping you have to do it correctly. No one is going to be soaring above the opposition if they are not jumping properly. Off-balance or having the wrong posture will mean your players are more likely to end up on their backsides than clutching the ball from a lineout.
Here's how I coach it...
The player needs to change his normal stance to prepare for jumping. He should stand on the balls of the feet, drop the hips and bend the knees, pulling the arms back at the same time. The feet should be no further than a shoulder width apart.
Once the player has dropped into position, he has to "explode" up with his arms and legs.
Get the players to jump using just the arms or legs and see the difference of using both together. Importantly, the arms need to go up with the hands, ending above the head.
Training tips
Include static vertical jumping at the end of your warm-ups.
Constantly monitor that your players have the correct technique for jumping.
Get players to work in pairs and see who can jump higher.
As players improve their technique have them catch a ball at the highest point of the jump and then get them to run a few paces and jump.
* The engine room *
WISE UP: Core stability fitness is vital for lifting at the lineout
Core stability is the buzzword in rugby fitness. Why? Because the "core" is the origin of movement and the foundation for safe and dynamic rugby.
It provides central body control, and allows you to generate power by maximising the efficiency of your muscular effort. Core stability is the foundation for explosive movements and control (agility, balance and co-ordination), qualities vital in rugby.
When your players are lifting at a lineout they need core stability fitness to give the power, strength and speed to lift the player at the right time.
A fundamental component of core stability and core stability training is neutral posture - this allows your muscles to perform efficiently and reduces your risk of injury.
To help find "neutral", draw yourself up from the crown of your head, as if you were being lifted by a helium balloon.
"Neutral" alignment should be maintained for the most effective use of stabilising and mobilising muscles. Poor posture is the root of many preventable sports injuries and weak performance. Identifying signs are excessive 'arch' in the lower back and "slouching" - both are side effects of weak core musculature.
* Rugby coaching blog *
Teams losing their feet over old law
By Dan Cottrell
Sealing and bridging is confirmed as illegal. This month referees were told to be more vigilant in the tackle contest area and lots of teams struggled.
This is mainly because of poor technique in the contact area. Players go off their feet because they are not balanced as they arrive and they tend to drive down and not up.
DECEIVING THE OPPOSITION: Turn predictable moves into defence splitters
Ever get that feeling that your tactics just aren't working?
We practiced the scissors move all week and then in the match it just didn't work.
The opposition read every one.Sound familiar?
Well here's a plan to pep up those scissors moves and make them something that is really deceptive.
Deception happens when a defender or defensive unit finds it difficult to follow or read an attacker’s or an attacking unit’s intentions.
A switch can become predictable if it is over used in a game, so try some of the following variations to keep the opposition guessing.
Instead of turning towards the support player, the ball carrier turns away from them and passes the ball on the opposite side.
The ball carrier turns towards the receiver but passes the ball over the right shoulder, or turns away from the receiver and passes the ball over the left shoulder.
The ball carrier does not turn, but instead holds the ball with all the fingers pointing to the ground. They “flick” the ball back to the right or left hand side.
Deception Understanding and Training
Practise the variations to see which work best before adding a defender to the practice. This will help to build your players’ confidence.
Make sure you build the skill levels and practise at game speed for greatest effect.
Encourage your players to sometimes dummy the defenders rather than just always pass.
Develop your drills into three versus two situations as soon as possible.
What Helps Players Create Gaps and Space?
Possible receivers looking as though they are to get the ball.
Possible receivers calling for the ball.
Possible receivers running fast.
The ball carrier changing pace.
The ball carrier hiding the ball behind their body.
The ball carrier moving the ball about in their hands.
The ball carrier looking at possible receivers but dummying or passing to another player.
* Hot Tips: Warm-ups*
WISE UP: Always warm-up your players for fast ball handling
In a ten metre square four players wait on one line, facing in. You stand about halfway up the square on the left hand side and roll the ball in.
One player picks up the ball and it must then be passed once to every player, always in a direction away from you. This might mean very short passes depending on how quickly the ball is rolled in and how the players react.
What to say:
“Passer step towards me before passing”
“Receivers, hold depth”
“Ball retriever, pick and pass straight away, just like in a tight game situation”
Does your touch rugby look like this?
Talking of passing decoys and deceptions watch the NZ boys turning on the style.
1. Look at the rules: two handed touch, ball carrier and one team mate to the ground, plus the toucher and one of his team mates too. This creates space and encourages support around the fringes.
2. Look at the work rate: at the end these boys are tired.
3. Look at the rugby basics: two hands on the ball, passing before contact, changing angles, arriving from depth.
Touch Rugby
A game of rugby with a modified form of tackling, no lineouts, rucks, mauls or scrums. A tackle is completed when the player in possession of the ball is touched by a member of the opposition, known as a touch tackle. There are a number of variations of the game, which include the types of tackle.
For instance, the touch can be made one or two hands and the touch tackle could be below hip height. Most games of touch give the team in possession a limited number of tackles before the ball is turned over to the other side. Different games using touch tackling, challenge teams to use handling skills, good footwork technique and a high level of fitness.
Set Piece Kicking
Since you gain advantages from a bouncing ball on a hard ground, it is worth exploring lower kicks than you would normally employ.
There are two areas to aim for, both with the idea of bouncing the ball in front of the back field defenders (the wingers and full back): behind the scrum or lineout and over the centres.
With your attackers organised and ready, you should chase the ball with at least two players. This increases the chances of regaining possession against the single defender as your players can run either side of the bouncing ball.
The fly half needs to practise receiving the ball in such a way as to initially mask the kicking action. One way to do this is to have the fly half stand deeper, run onto the ball and then kick.
The Rolling Ball
Kicking the ball along the ground means a receiver has two options of gathering the ball – swooping or falling on it. On hard grounds players will be more reluctant to fall on the ball, so make defenders turn and chase the ball, rather than being able to run forward to gather it.
To increase the chances of winning the chase, draw up the wide defenders by having the centres kick the ball.
For instance, the inside centre (12) can take the ball, run sideways more than normal and then push the ball with his kick into the openside corner. The running action of the inside centre should draw up the defence, especially the openside defending winger.
The style of kick changes for turning the defenders so they have to chase the kick, with the ball being stuck in the middle so it can roll further.
Drill Kicks for Territory
The fly half can exploit the hard ground by driving the ball into the corners of the ground. The target area is rucial – better to kick from a wider angle to allow less margin of error. In which case your players may well employ “wiper” kicks, which are cross field long distance kicks.
WISE UP: Check out the state of the ground when you warm your backs up
By Paul Tyler
The backs need to work through their preferred moves for that day. Here are several elements:
Without the ball, go through three simple moves, just to get the running lines right.
Add the ball and complete the moves again.
Run through any other moves – remember that some will be from line outs and some from scrums, rucks or mauls.
Run the moves that are close to set piece or breakdown with 10, 12, 13 against the wingers, fullback and the backs sub.
Reverse with 10, 12 and 13 acting as defence.
Run some second phase moves after the first phase to help practice lines of running.
Practice receiving kicks for counter attack options.
Do not:
Introduce new moves.
Run at full pace until players are thoroughly prepared.
Practise your moves across, rather than up the pitch, to avoid the opposition seeing what is going to happen. (I have scored several interception tries from observation of the opposition moves before a game!)
Many coaches tell me that it is the warm-up that prompts most of the "same old, same old" complaints from players. You can build on a successful warm-up
The Best Attacking Options from Lineouts
The lineout provides you with a range of attacking options. But it's vital for you to have clear tactics to make best use of possession once you've won lineout ball, says Jim Love, head coach of Viadana in Italy.
Catch and drive
Without a clear objective, many catch and drive mauls end up with the forwards happy with their progress, but with poor ball for the backs to use. Our main purpose for a catch and drive is to create go forward from which we can develop plays.
For instance, we will run off the maul and use offloads and quick rucks to tie in defenders, to create time and space for our backs to attack. We also use mauls to manipulate field position, such as when we want to create a larger blindside for our next attack.
Setting up the catch and drive has changed over the years. These days sides bring the ball down from the jumper to set up a maul before driving forward.
We use what I call "points mauling". We constantly change our point of attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to defend against our maul.
Key points of a catch and drive maul
Maul to your objectives.
Create quick ball after the end of the maul with offloads or mini rucks.
Set the maul before the drive.
Attack through the maul by changing the points of attack.
The length of our attacking lineout
We use very few full lineouts for two key reasons:
1. They provide easy opportunities for interference.
2. The referee cannot easily see what is going on.
We use three, four and five man lineouts, each with the same mauling options I described above. We also attack around the front of the lineout (the front peel) or around the back (back peel).
Plays from the lineout
The lineout lends itself to using "pods" to develop plays. A pod is a designated group of players who take the ball and set up a position on the field.
The group can also support an attack, leading to a line break or a quick ruck ball to exploit a disorganised defence. From shortened lineouts forwards can be set up behind the back line.
Jim Love is head coach of the professional Italian side Viadana. He is also head of the NZ Sports Academy (www.nzsportsacademy.co.nz), and a former Maori All Blacks player and coach.
5 Ways to Create a Controlled, Aggressive Team
New Zealand have been the most consistently successful rugby playing nation over the last 30 years. There are many reasons for their domination of the game, but one key area is the way in which they control their aggression.
The All Blacks do most things aggressively – tackle, ruck, run and support – but in a controlled way. Many teams can claim to match this aggression, but few seem to maintain the same control. Here are five training tips you can use with your team.
1. Play small sided full contact games in a narrow channel to maximise contact. Try to match up the players, so there is not an obvious advantage for any team. If one or two players start to dominate, then give the opposing team an extra player.
2. Keep games short and encourage the players to be aggressive in attack and defence.
3. Look for players with natural aggression and pick them out as role models for their team mates.
4. Keep your players "hungry" for contact by limiting contact in training sessions – make sure they
always want more. If your players know that contact games at training are short and sharp, they will put more effort in and be more aggressive.
5. Keep the players' aggression controlled by refereeing games tightly. Always stop games before things get out of control.
The Best Attacking Options from Lineouts
The lineout provides you with a range of attacking options. But it's vital for you to have clear tactics to make best use of possession once you've won lineout ball, says Jim Love, head coach of Viadana in Italy.
Catch and drive
Without a clear objective, many catch and drive mauls end up with the forwards happy with their progress, but with poor ball for the backs to use. Our main purpose for a catch and drive is to create go forward from which we can develop plays.
For instance, we will run off the maul and use offloads and quick rucks to tie in defenders, to create time and space for our backs to attack. We also use mauls to manipulate field position, such as when we want to create a larger blindside for our next attack.
Setting up the catch and drive has changed over the years. These days sides bring the ball down from the jumper to set up a maul before driving forward.
We use what I call "points mauling". We constantly change our point of attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to defend against our maul.
Key points of a catch and drive maul
Maul to your objectives.
Create quick ball after the end of the maul with offloads or mini rucks.
Set the maul before the drive.
Attack through the maul by changing the points of attack.
The length of our attacking lineout
We use very few full lineouts for two key reasons:
1. They provide easy opportunities for interference.
2. The referee cannot easily see what is going on.
We use three, four and five man lineouts, each with the same mauling options I described above. We also attack around the front of the lineout (the front peel) or around the back (back peel).
Plays from the lineout
The lineout lends itself to using "pods" to develop plays. A pod is a designated group of players who take the ball and set up a position on the field.
The group can also support an attack, leading to a line break or a quick ruck ball to exploit a disorganised defence. From shortened lineouts forwards can be set up behind the back line.
Jim Love is head coach of the professional Italian side Viadana. He is also head of the NZ Sports Academy (www.nzsportsacademy.co.nz), and a former Maori All Blacks player and coach.
5 Ways to Create a Controlled, Aggressive Team
New Zealand have been the most consistently successful rugby playing nation over the last 30 years. There are many reasons for their domination of the game, but one key area is the way in which they control their aggression.
The All Blacks do most things aggressively – tackle, ruck, run and support – but in a controlled way. Many teams can claim to match this aggression, but few seem to maintain the same control. Here are five training tips you can use with your team.
1. Play small sided full contact games in a narrow channel to maximise contact. Try to match up the players, so there is not an obvious advantage for any team. If one or two players start to dominate, then give the opposing team an extra player.
2. Keep games short and encourage the players to be aggressive in attack and defence.
3. Look for players with natural aggression and pick them out as role models for their team mates.
4. Keep your players "hungry" for contact by limiting contact in training sessions – make sure they always want more. If your players know that contact games at training are short and sharp, they will put more effort in and be more aggressive.
5. Keep the players' aggression controlled by refereeing games tightly. Always stop games before things get out of control.
2008 top tips
The Best Attacking Options from Lineouts
The lineout provides you with a range of attacking options. But it's vital for you to have clear tactics to make best use of possession once you've won lineout ball, says Jim Love, head coach of Viadana in Italy.
Catch and drive
Without a clear objective, many catch and drive mauls end up with the forwards happy with their progress, but with poor ball for the backs to use. Our main purpose for a catch and drive is to create go forward from which we can develop plays.
For instance, we will run off the maul and use offloads and quick rucks to tie in defenders, to create time and space for our backs to attack. We also use mauls to manipulate field position, such as when we want to create a larger blindside for our next attack.
Setting up the catch and drive has changed over the years. These days sides bring the ball down from the jumper to set up a maul before driving forward.
We use what I call "points mauling". We constantly change our point of attack to make it more difficult for the opposition to defend against our maul.
Key points of a catch and drive maul
Maul to your objectives.
Create quick ball after the end of the maul with offloads or mini rucks.
Set the maul before the drive.
Attack through the maul by changing the points of attack.
The length of our attacking lineout
We use very few full lineouts for two key reasons:
1. They provide easy opportunities for interference.
2. The referee cannot easily see what is going on.
We use three, four and five man lineouts, each with the same mauling options I described above. We also attack around the front of the lineout (the front peel) or around the back (back peel).
Plays from the lineout
The lineout lends itself to using "pods" to develop plays. A pod is a designated group of players who take the ball and set up a position on the field.
The group can also support an attack, leading to a line break or a quick ruck ball to exploit a disorganised defence. From shortened lineouts forwards can be set up behind the back line.
Jim Love is head coach of the professional Italian side Viadana. He is also head of the NZ Sports Academy (www.nzsportsacademy.co.nz), and a former Maori All Blacks player and coach.
5 Ways to Create a Controlled, Aggressive Team
New Zealand have been the most consistently successful rugby playing nation over the last 30 years. There are many reasons for their domination of the game, but one key area is the way in which they control their aggression.
The All Blacks do most things aggressively – tackle, ruck, run and support – but in a controlled way. Many teams can claim to match this aggression, but few seem to maintain the same control. Here are five training tips you can use with your team.
1. Play small sided full contact games in a narrow channel to maximise contact. Try to match up the players, so there is not an obvious advantage for any team. If one or two players start to dominate, then give the opposing team an extra player.
2. Keep games short and encourage the players to be aggressive in attack and defence.
3. Look for players with natural aggression and pick them out as role models for their team mates.
4. Keep your players "hungry" for contact by limiting contact in training sessions – make sure they always want more. If your players know that contact games at training are short and sharp, they will put more effort in and be more aggressive.
5. Keep the players' aggression controlled by refereeing games tightly. Always stop games before things get out of control.
Smashmouth Bullies
The Smashmouth principle is crude, says Philip Copeman. Simply run the ball up the guts of your opponent's defence and force them to deal with it. The moment they double up in defence to handle the pressure, attack the gap left behind.
How do you play Smashmouth?
1. Nominate your best ball carriers:
Select your strongest runners from among your best ball carriers. Then make sure that the ball gets to them.
2. Identify their weakest defender:
Your opponent's weakest defender should be easy to spot. He is the guy who never makes a front-on tackle. Aaron Mauger in the All Blacks, Jeanne de Villiers in the Springboks, Anthony Allen for England and Ronan O'Gara for Ireland have all been targeted as relatively weak front-on tacklers, for example.
3. Run your best ball carrier straight at their weakest defender:
Make sure your runner does not run around the defender or run off his shoulder - he must run straight at the defender and try to knock him onto his back. If your runner tries to avoid the defender, the defender may get an opportunity to jump on your runner and bring him down.
Your runner could spin out of the hit, but only after knocking the defender to the ground. If the defender stays on his feet, your runner should do likewise and either start a rapid rolling maul, or offload to a supporting player.
Try to back up your runner with a support player (the "snake") to create a double team. "Rocket Ball" below could help you achieve this.
The benefits of Smashmouth
If this "bullying" tactic is successful, it forces your opponents into a difficult position. Either they let you keep on doing it, with the result that you march up the field and score, or they draw in another defensive player to support their weakest defender.
In which case, a gap is created from wherever the supporting player is moved. And since two defenders are now covering the same ground, you effectively will have 15 men against their 14.
Summary
Identify your strongest running ball carrier.
Identify your opponent's weakest front-on tackler.
Ensure your runner attacks this defender front-on, and with support.
If your runner breaks through the defensive line, make sure he keeps going!
If your runner is held up, ensure he stays on his feet either for a rolling maul, or to offload.
Continue with this strategy until your opponents have to double up to cover for their weak defender.
Then move the ball into the space created for you by your opponents.
My new rugby coaching manual is out now!
The 27 Attack Plays
Every Teams Needs
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Every team needs a set of pre-prepared moves to produce co-ordinated attacks - even if your principle strategy is to focus your attacks on one man.
Rugby Attack! will provide you with the tactics to attack from rucks, scrums, lineouts and penalties, as well as in open play.
Containing ruck moves, backs moves, penalty moves and back row moves, Rugby Attack! will equip your players to exploit weaknesses in your opponents. Read more about this new, unique manual here.
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The 27 Attack Plays
Every Teams Needs
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Rocket Ball
Here's a recap of an issue of Better Rugby Coaching from 2006, to complement Smashmouth Bullies. "Rocket Ball" looks at getting players to double up to drive through contact situations. It's one of my favourite Smart Sessions.
What you tell your players the training session is about
Smashing through a tight defence by doubling up into contact.
Better go forward and continuity for the team.
What you tell your players to do
The ball carrier drives into a defender. Immediately the first support player binds on.
Use your combined momentum to drive through the defender.
Let your momentum take its natural course and go to ground as the last resort. The first support player must then seal over the ball carrier.
Once you go to ground, the second support player picks and goes.
Protect the ball at all times.
What you get your players to do
Set up a narrow channel, with three attackers facing one defender. One attacker picks up the ball and drives into the defender. The support player directly behind him binds on to the ball carrier (never the ball). He pushes ("rockets") the ball carrier through the defender.
The ball and players will eventually go to ground. The second support player then picks and goes, running round into the next channel where you repeat the exercise.
How to develop the session
1. Add another defender.
2. Have two lines of defenders, set about 5 metres apart. Encourage the three attackers to break through both defensive lines.
What to call out
Handy pharses to call out to encourage the players and ensure proper technique:
Ball carrier - "Take short steps and get into a low body position for contact"
Ball carrier - "Keep the ball away from the defender into contact"
First support player - "Drive on the hips of the ball carrier. Leave the ball alone"
Ball carrier - "Tell the supporter when to let go of you" (once through the tackle)
What to look for
1. Players falling over too easily. The ball carrier must accelerate into the contact area, taking a low to high body position into contact.
2. Support players impeding the ball carrier by grabbing onto them, rather than driving them up.
How would I put this into a game situation?
Split your players into at least one pair of teams, attackers and defenders. make sure there's one more defender than attackers. For each pair of teams, set up a box with 6 lines of cones set out about 5 metres apart.
The attackers start from one set of cones, facing the defenders at the next set of cones. Adjust the starting lines according to the skill levels of the players involved.
Throw a ball to an attacker. The attacking team has to "rocket" the ball carrier and then pick and go to get over the defenders' line. If successful, the attacking team moves up a line and the defending team back a line, or vice versa if unsuccessful.
What to think about
When do you want your players to use "rockets"? Can they decide this for themselves during the match?
Do you want to use a pre-planned call to signal "rockets", or to use it in a pre-planned move?
Can your players use "rockets" close to a breakdown and/or in the midfield?
Can they turn a "rocket" into a mini-maul, to drag in more defenders and create gaps elsewhere?
How, when and to whom do you want them to release the ball?
"You have no control over what the other guy does, you only have control over what you do.
continuous effort - not strength or intelligence, is the key to unlocking a teams potential"
"What's the point of having someone in charge ifthey just do what everyone else wants."
Intense Defence
Getting your team organised and working together in defence can pay big dividends over the course of the season. Pressure caused by a good defence causes opponents to make unnecessary mistakes and can lead to you winning turnover ball. This article looks at the attitude that the players within your defensive system must adopt.
The 7 keys factors to get organised
Here's a checklist of the main aspects of an organised defence. Players must:
1. Get organised quickly:
This also means having their heads up and looking at the opposition.
2. Communicate:
This is the key to organising a defence. Communication must be:
Accurate: "I've got the centre", "stay wide", "you've got him", "up fast". All clear, short messages that are easily understood.
Noisy: Each player must let his opposite number know he's got them in his sights. The team must let the opposition know that you're organised and can't wait to get in amongst them.
Positive: Players must praise each other when tackles are made and support the player who misses a tackle.
Constant: When players are physically and mentally exhausted they still need to communicate effectively.
3. Move forward: They must look to cut down the opposition's space and time.
4. Have a good tackle technique: They must enjoy and take pride in their tackling. (With two equally matched players in a 1 v 1, the top teams expect the defender to make the tackle at least 90% of the time. How do your players compare - 50:50 or maybe 60:40 in favour of the defender?)
5. Have a commitment to every tackle: They must want to put the man on the ground every time, and then be able to get up quickly to challenge for the ball.
6. Be flexible: The players must be able to react to the attack.
7. Be supportive of each other: I mean both physically, doubling-up in tackles, providing cover, getting to break downs quickly, and motivationally, praising good tackling, encouraging a player who misses a tackle and the like.
Right minds for better defence
The players' mindsets need to be right for defence. You need to encourage them to enjoy tackling, and to take pride in their individual and the team's performance.
You also need to be enthusiastic about defence and praise your players in games and training. Hold up good defenders as examples to the rest of the team and build a competitive attitude between the players. Encourage players to brag about making the biggest tackle in the last game, or winning lots of turnover ball.
The power of a good tackling is attitude. Examples: The first is Josh Lewsey's huge hit on Matt Rogers - a great legal way for Lewsey to avenge a punch in the mouth he received from Rogers earlier. The other is a tackle by Beau Robinson which left Jerry Collins, of all people, collapsed on the turf.
Use plenty of games for defence
Training games where the attack is overloaded put defenders under a lot of mental and physical pressure. These games can pay dividends come match day, because defenders have to learn to work together - and not just as part of a system - to consistently stop an attack.
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Here's the word from Dan " the man " Cottrell dan@rugby-coach.com
I am pleased to announce that late last night I finished work on my latest rugby coaching manual.
Called Rugby Attack! the manual illustrates the core moves every team needs to retain possession, break down defences and score more tries.
Containing moves I have used and coached at all levels, from youth teams to those with senior international players, the manual includes:
Backs moves
Ruck moves
Penalty moves
Back row moves, as well as
Sequences - series of moves to run in devastating combinations.
In fact I think Rugby Attack! is a unique playbook of the 27 core offensive moves every team needs.
to see the moves included in the manual. More than simply a list, the Move Finder also allows you to select a move that suits your team's strengths, targets an opposition weakness and exploits the circumstances of the match.
Rugby Attack! won't be published until next week and I'll send out more information then. Please keep an eye open for it.
Interesting stuff, periodization uncovered. Give it a read.
Is this the secret of Dessie Riedy's success ?
The ancient Greeks used basic periodization training plans over 2000 years ago. Since then almost every major athlete has used them to achieve their goals. Can they work for your team?
What's the point of periodization?
If you want to improve your team's performance you can't train the same way all the time. If you did, your players would simply adapt to the level of training, and their fitness and skills would settle at a fixed level. You'd also probably get bored.
Put simply periodization is about splitting your rugby year into "chunks" where different intensities and types of training take place, and then identifying achievable objectives or goals for each chunk. In its simplest form this would mean pre season, in season and off season training periods. More sophisticated systems then split the year down into smaller chunks.
Jargon busting
Like many other areas of coaching the benefits of periodization can get lost amid all the jargon. So here are definitions for some of the terminology.
Microcycle:
A set number of training sessions which form a recurring pattern throughout the season. So your microcycle might consist of a weekly training programme like this:
Monday evening - skills and fitness training.
Wednesday evening - unit skills and team run.
Sunday afternoon - game.
Mesocycle:
A block of training consisting of a set number of microcycles, concluding with the attainment of a goal. It's probably most often a three or four week period.
Macrocycle:
A long period of training which is intended to accomplish a large overall goal, such as winning a league or cup. A macrocycle is made up of a number of different mesocycles. For most teams this would simply be "the season".
Adopting periodization - set SMART goals
Before the season starts sit down with the players (depending on their age and maturity) and your fellow coaches and set your goals for the season. Make sure these goals are SMART - Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic and Time specific - and that they are written down accurately so you can refer to them throughout the season.
Split the season into manageable chunks - mesocycles
Using a calendar mark out all your games and training sessions, remembering the weeks when training will not be taking place because of holidays and other breaks. Then split your season into manageable chunks (the mesocycles).
Four weeks is probably a good length of time for a mesocycle, although you may want to work on a shorter timescale during certain parts of the season, for instance pre season.
For each mesocycle look at the calendar and identify a specific goal. During pre season the goal might relate specifically to the players' fitness or their mastering of the team's set moves or game plan. There might be specific skills relating to your game plan which you want the players to become proficient at.
In season the goal might be to win two out of three games within a four week mesocycle or not concede more than one try a game.
Weekly microcycles
Once you know your goal (or goals) for each mesocycle, you can break down what you need to do each week to achieve them. These weekly plans are your microcycles.
The Periodization Training Plan
The table below shows an example training plan for the first four mesocycles of the season. The first two mesocycles are in pre season. Each is only three weeks long as pre season is a total of six weeks. The plan then reverts to four week mesocycles.
Each microcycle consists of three repeated sessions, one each on Monday, Wednesday and Sunday. The exact detail of each session would be completed nearer the time. There can be a lot of flexibility but the basic structure of the sessions is designed to ensure that the mesocycle goals will be achieved.
Mesocycle
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Week No.
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Goal
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Microcycle
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Monday
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Wednesday
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Sunday
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1 (pre season)
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1-3
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Increase aerobic fitness.
All players improve 2km runs by 10%.
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Lots of steady 200-400m running with passing drills in between.
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Sprint and skills training - sets of 8 sprints over 20-60m with skills between sets.
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Start with sprints as Wednesday.
Then work on individual passing & tackling skills.
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2 (pre season)
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4-6
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Improve speed.
All players improve 40m sprints by 10%.
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Acceleration & footwork session.
Then passing & 2 v 1 skills.
Body weight circuit to finish.
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Sprint & skills training - sets of 4 sprints over 20-60m with lots of rest.
Do passing as recovery.
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Game plan development: unopposed & semi opposed, team moves, unit skills, team calls.
High intensity running with lots of rest.
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3
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7-10
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Score tries whenever we are in their 22.
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Lots of overload games: 2 v 1s, 5 v 3s.
Lots of contact: tackling & rucking.
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Body weight circuit to start.
Then lots of decision making games: focus on attack.
Finish with unit skills & a team run.
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Game each week.
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4
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11-14
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Win all league games.
Concede less than a try a game.
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Sprints to start.
Then defensive exercises & games.
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Body weight circuit to start.
Then lots of decision making games: focus on defence.
Finish with unit skills & a team run.
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Game each week.
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"Where's the support?"
I suspect this is the most shouted phrase in rugby,whether by coaches, players or spectators.
Although contributions from the crowd tend to be - how shall I put this? - unwelcome, the truth is I'm aware that many players actually don't get what support play is all about.
It is, after all, more than just running on the shoulder of the ball carrier or pointing for a team mate to move into a space.
Most support play is close to the action, requiring close quarter skills. This means taking short passes and offloads out of contact, driving the ball carrier through tackles, clearing out rucks and the like.
As the play develops the required skills change to running the correct angles, arriving at the right speed to take the pass or dummy the defence.
Support play is about finding the right balance between being far enough away from the ball carrier to be able to react as the play unfolds, and close enough to be able to make a difference around contact.
This balance is one which is individual to each player and best developed through experience. The coach's role is to put players in various situations, with the knowledge of where they need to support from, and then give them plenty of opportunties to practise and develop.
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Throw Wrestling into the Training Mix ??
The benefits of wrestling for rugby players are widely recognised. Through wrestling, for instance, a tackler can learn to use his weight to pivot, put the ball carrier down and then get straight back up to steal the ball.
Of course wrestling is also a great way to let rugby players enjoy the aggressive elements of both sports, whilst keeping training fresh, stimulating and relevant.
This month's Rugby Coach features tips from Steve Fraser, USA Wrestling's National Teams Coach, on how you can effectively - and safely - integrate wrestling into your rugby training sessions.
"Rather you than me, but try it if you want to In fact the more I think about it this is a fairly off the wall idea" Fat Andy
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Secrets of the Front Row
1. Engage and chase quickly
At the top level scrummaging is an intense business. "Three second scrums" are the aim (apart from for pushover tries), so the ball is in and out quickly. All the effort comes from the engagement and beyond.
Too often, though, sides across the board stop on the engagement. In fact they should be driving forward as soon as the shoulders touch.
At the Ospreys, we concentrate on the speed of our feet movement going forwards, using quick, short steps. Calls certainly help with our timing. We use "hit, 1, 2, 3, 4", and then a quick step "1, 2, 1, 2". My main piece of advice here is sharpen up your calls.
2. Four locks together
Binding by the flankers at scrum time can be very random. On lots of different levels this can disrupt the scrum effort.
If a flanker can give me some support, then I have more weight behind me. From a communication and timing point of view, if everyone is scrummaging together, we will be better off.
We get our flankers to bind onto the locks BEFORE the locks bind onto the props. This avoids flankers binding late as they wait to find out the back row or backs moves. All our calls therefore need to be sorted out in advance of the binding.
3. Second row binding options
A long armed lock can struggle with binding through the legs. When the shove comes on, their arm can slip forwards and their shoulder disengage from the best pushing position on the behind of the prop.
My solution here is to turn their hand around, so the palm faces away from my shorts. This grip is more like an Olympic lift position, with the hand still wrapped in the drawstring area of the shorts.
4. All change for 5 metre scrums
I always like to try something completely different for a 5 metre scrum. I will use a tactic I have yet to use in the game, like changing the angle of my driving. Their prop won't know what to expect and I will hopefully gain the advantage.
With the 5 metre scrum being so crucial and dangerous to the defending side, this difference can cause the sort of disruption which increases pressure on the whole defence. But I save the tactic for when it's needed. If we don't have a 5 metre scrum I might not use the technique during the game.
5. Boss your opponent
What should I do at the first scrum of the game? Wait to find out how the other guy is going to scrummage, or impose my own style on him? These days I don’t wait.
I am lucky enough to have video analysis and so can look at and prepare an action plan for most of the props I might be playing against. Most props don't have these benefits, but they can consider two things come match day.
First, even if they don't know their opposite number's playing style, they can look at their body shape to give them some clues. In the most simple terms, the big guys will use their weight, whilst the smaller props will use technique.
Second, they want to give the other player the problems. And that is "problems" plural, because it's easier to scrummage against a prop who always does the same thing, no matter how good they do it.
So I suggest that your props learn to vary their approach for each scrum.
Support Play to Speed Up Your Attacks
When the ball carrier gets tackled to the ground, the support player is faced with two key decisions - play the ball or form a ruck. Paul Tyler looks at helping your players make the best decision depending on what is in front of them.
The support player needs to be close to the ball carrier before and during contact, offering physical support without overrunning the ball. He should communicate helpfully, where he is and what he wants the ball carrier to do. For instance, "stay on your feet", or "go to ground".
If the ball carrier cannot pass the ball away, once tackled to the ground he must place the ball as far back as he can towards his team, to give the support player options.
Option 1: pick and run - If there are no defenders nearby, the support player should pick up the ball and run straight.
Option 2: pick and pass - If there are defenders close by, the support player should pick up the ball and pass.
Option 3: ruck - If there are defenders so close by that the support player does not have the time to play the ball, he should form a quick ruck.
Pick and run exercise
The ball carrier goes to ground as if tackled and places the ball back. The first support player picks up the ball in a low position and passes to the second support player. This player takes the ball on for a few metres, then goes to ground so the exercise can be repeated.
Decision making exercise
Involve a defender in the above exercise, placed either 3 or 5 metres from the "tackle". If the defender is close, the support player should make the decision to pick and pass. If the defender is further away, the support player should make the decision to pick and run. You can vary the defender's position and the pace they move forward to increase the pressure.
You can develop this exercise further to practise quick ruck ball, by getting the defender closer to the ball carrier so the support player doesn't have time to play the ball.
Developing a quick ruck
When developing a ruck, the support player must tell the ball carrier they're going to form a ruck and then when to go to ground. After the ball carrier goes to ground, the support player should target and clear away the closest defender, with the intention of leaving the ball clear for the next support player.
As the attacking team you should commit as few players as possible to the ruck to win the ball. This gives you more options for the next attack.
Worst case scenario
You should drill your players to see slow ruck ball as a failure in attack, because it usually means the support players were too far away, or that the ball carrier was isolated or fell in a bad position.
Key points to slow ruck ball
It is difficult to attack from a slow ruck since the defence has time to get organised.
It doesn't matter if the ball then gets slower! So take your time and get organised for the next phase.
Don't commit even more players to the ruck. Instead make sure your players are ready to win the ball at the next phase.
Have a plan to create quicker ball at the next phase and then execute it.
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Turnover Ball – An Opportunity and a Threat
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Defending against turnover ball
Have a clear tactic to reorganise and reduce the potential damage. The first move is for the back three, the two wingers and full back (15), to drop back. Many sides will kick turnover ball and we need to protect our back field.
The rest of the players employ a scatter defence. The inside players will "push up and out". This means they will run up to the gain line and then push out along it. They won't, however, venture beyond the gain line.
The players on the extreme of the defensive line will act slightly differently. They will push up but not as far as the gain line.
Because of the nature of a turnover, stopping the attack on the gain line is a bonus. Therefore we are willing to give up territory to ensure we are secure under their attack.
Winning Turnover Ball – The "Three Pass" Rule
Winning turnover ball stacks the odds in your favour. If we win a turnover we always try to push the ball three passes away from the turnover point. The players will then consider the options. Sometimes there will be overlap. If not, a chip over the top of the defence will normally be the choice.
It is likely the opposition full back will not be in place because he was involved in the attacking line. He might well be chasing back into position so the quicker the three passes, the more chance of exploiting this opportunity.
We train to make it second nature that we will follow the same pattern when we win turnover ball. We use lots of games where there can be an opportunity for a turnover to arise. Sometimes this is by my instigation, for instance I might say "when I blow the whistle, the ball is given to the other side", at other times by setting up the defence and attack in "standard" positions before giving the ball to the defenders.
Summary
Use practice games to get players familiar with turnover ball tactics.
In defence, be prepared to give up some ground to ensure there are no leaks.
In attack, move the ball three passes away quickly from the turnover and then check the options.
Phase play doesn't win games...
I suspect that it won't be a surprise for you to learn that the side that scores most tries wins is mostly likely to win the game! During the last World Cup this was true 81% of the time.
What is also clear is that phase play generally does not result in tries. Indeed stats from the 2007 and 2003 World Cups are consistent about this: 75% of tries needed two or fewer rucks to score.
Of course, this does not mean your side does not need to ruck or maul well. A team is likely to ruck about 70 times in possession of the ball at international level. Rucking remains therefore a vital, powerful tool in your rugby armoury. However, the suggested ELVs are likely to change the nature of rucking, encouraging teams to pass the ball around more.
South Africa - traditionally a "crash-bang" team - won the World Cup by rucking far less than the other major teams. This was is in part because their forwards were far more likely to pass the ball than any other country, apart from Wales. For instance their front row passed 45% of all possession they received in the knockout stages, compared to an average 19% across all teams in the tournament as a whole.
As a general rule ball carriers should always look to maintain continuity, but they will have to take contact sometimes. In which case, they should be prepared to make the ball available out of the tackle and not just focus on setting up the next ruck.
New and Old Ways to Beat an Aggressive Defence
Attack Doors Not Walls
Avoid "T-boning"
Too much rugby, whether in England or in some quarters of the New Zealand game, is characterised by the desire to impose physicality on the opposite number. To do this, the player with the ball often simply runs straight at the centre of the defender's chest, the "T-bone", to gain maximum impact.
A "win" at this collision point leads to a sense of achievement in terms of defeating the opponent and a psychological advantage. However, it is also a risky strategy. It does not promote continuity and is relatively easy to defend against.
Attack doors not walls
I have long been a believer in the French philosophy of running through "doors" not at "walls".
Think of the physical presence of defenders as a series of walls and the gaps between them as the "doors". The closer the ball is to a defender when the ball carrier tries to breach the defence, the more difficult the door is to open.
This subtly different approach to getting through a gap can make all the difference to an attacking player.
Attack the weak shoulder
Just before a tackler wants to make a tackle, he directs one of his shoulders towards the point of contact. The other shoulder then becomes the weak shoulder. If the ball carrier can use good footwork to force himself onto the weak shoulder, then he should meet with a path of less resistance.
Even if he then "only" makes it halfway through before being held, he should still be better able to offload or present the ball in a way to allow greater continuity.
Side step slow, side step better
Footwork before contact to get through the "doors" is so important that many sides do indeed train hard to improve this part of the game. But they are often trying to run before they can step.
Instead, set up drills where your players learn to side step under pressure, but at half pace. Ingrain the right feeling before going on to practise at a greater pace.
Prior to the Rugby World Cup, the French team had developed a very aggressive defence. However, the Pumas beat this "brick wall" in a novel way, going on to win both their matches against the French.
Play a kick and chase game
The Argentineans bombed balls behind the midfield, using the old fashioned "Garryowen", not seen so much these days. The kicks were also aimed infield. This reduced the chances of the ball rolling into touch, which would have given the French lineout a chance to catch and drive – a crucial strength for "Les Bleus".
Of course a kick is only as good as the chase. With a pre-ordained kicking game as the major tactic, the Argentinean centres (12 and 13) closed down the French kick retrievers as one would hope, but the rest of the team also followed suit. Accuracy was vital, allowing the chasers time to compete for the ball and pressure the defenders.
The Argentinean fly half (10) dropped his high kicks into the space between the big French centres and the less experienced full back (15). This meant the full back had to run forward onto the ball, frequently against more than two Puma chasers. This gave the French little room for manoeuvre, reducing the chances of any sort of counter attack if they won the ball.
With the French forwards having to run back and around to compete, it is also meant the bulky Argentinean pack was moving forward without having to shift across the field.
The tactic did not always mean the Pumas won the ball back, but they tried it so often that it did cough up some very useful "go forward" attacking situations, which would not have otherwise occurred against this type of defence. It is also pushed the attack behind the defence. Consequently much vaunted defenders, such as the flankers Betsen and Martin, could not disrupt and drive back the Puma's attacking ball.
Close Push
If the defence is aggressive, then you don't want to be on the back foot. So don't pass the ball backwards!
Most of the Puma attacks with the ball in hand were from "pick and go", where a forward scoops up the ball at the back of a ruck and then attacks the nearest defender. The forwards then drove close and tight to the sides of the ruck, and very low. They inched forward and retained possession.
The French could not make the power hits they wanted. Meanwhile the Argentineans were not having to use up energy, moving forwards a long way from one breakdown to another.
Summary
Against an aggressive defence who don't give you any space:
Go forward with high kicks into the midfield.
Don't pass close to rucks and mauls. Instead pick and go, getting very low.
More Ways to Create Space for Your Attack
1. Stand deep or stand flat
By standing deep we mean how far back from the "gain line" (the line across the pitch where the restart is) a fly half stands. The nearer they are to the gain line, the flatter the fly half is. Basically, the flatter the fly half stands, the greater the risks involved and the lesser the space available.
Standing deeper
There is more time for the back line to pass the ball wide.
It's more useful if the team wants to attack with the openside winger or outside their outside centre (13).
It's better for passing off the wrong hand, that is passing left by right handed players. (Alternatively, the player could turn themselves around and throw a spin pass.)
Defenders have further to travel. If they then don't come up at the same speed, it can create "dog-legs" in the defensive line, meaning that one defender is in front of the line and so leaves a gap.
The fly half can more easily see what's in front and so has options to change the move.
Standing flatter
This is excellent for attacking short, because the ball is delivered closer to the gain line.
There is less time for defenders to react to moves.
There is less opportunity for the defence to drift and so there may be more space available wider out.
Standing flatter is generally better for a fly half who is quicker off the mark. Long legged fly halves, like Steve Larkham (Australia) or Ronan O'Gara (Ireland), usually find it more difficult to play flatter than say Jonny Wilkinson (England) or Carlos Spencer (New Zealand) because of their physical attributes.
My tip is to have your fly half vary the depth they stands. If the ball needs to go wider, stand deeper. It's always useful to keep the defence guessing as much as possible anyway.
2. Receiving the ball
The speed of the fly half:
Varying the fly half's speed is an under-utilised method of creating space.
In most games a defensive back line tends to come up at the same speed. By taking the first ball up quickly, the fly half makes the defence expect this will happen again. A slower pace in the next move could then give the fly half vital moments to execute a more complicated manoeuvre.
Varying the pace the fly half comes onto the ball can be helped by varying the way the fly half receives the ball.
Standing or moving:
Speed can also be varied by the fly half choosing to take the ball standing still or running on. The safest pass for a scrum half is to a fly half standing still. This means that the fly half does not use up too much of the space between themselves and the defenders.
Running onto the ball can often use up vital yards as the fly half gathers the ball and then looks to pass. This puts players outside them under more pressure since more of the space is taken up. The fly half therefore needs to communicate to the scrum half whether they are moving or not.
A Quicker Scrum Half Pass
The mechanics of the pass
The scrum half pass is like a sling-shot. It has a slow, deliberate start, followed by a long "pull", resulting in the final explosive release of the ball. The traditional key factors for coaching a scrum half (9) pass are:
A low body position to keep the pass from rising too high.
A wide base to help give the player a long sweep to gain distance.
A long follow-through with the hands to ensure accuracy.
The challenge
The challenge is to develop a quicker, more efficient pass while not compromising on accuracy and distance. This is not just about getting the ball there quickly, but also in a manner that is best for the receiver. That means, at the right pace, at the right height, and in the right place.
A quick pass is not measured by the speed of the ball
The speed of the ball does not make a quick pass. My definition of a quick pass would be in relation to the time the ball is in the passer's hands. I call this the "T"-time.
Key measures of a good quick pass:
Speed: Reduce the "T"-time through the hands.
Accuracy: Correct the depth and appropriate height of the pass.
Distance: Achieve the required distance to launch attacks.
Empathy: Passing for, rather than to the receiver. A pass should begin to decelerate rather than still be accelerating when it reaches the fly half (10).
Support: After passing, the next function of the passer is to provide support in order to maintain quick continuity of play.
In order to achieve these outcomes it is necessary to modify specific key factors of the "traditional pass" and produce a quicker, more flexible pass.
Shorten the "base width" (the distance between the feet)
A wide base provides more stability and the opportunity to swing the ball longer, resulting in a longer pass. A shorter base is less stable but means the ball spends less time in the hands and moves through the hands quicker ("T"-time).
The distance of the pass may be shorter initially, but with practice and the other adjustments below, it will not be significantly affected and may even be improved.
Weight-transfer and momentum
In the pass, the body momentum and therefore weight is better off going towards the receiver. Therefore the scrum half should approach and address the ball from a more side on stance. This also has the benefit of allowing the passer to "see" the receiver for longer, allowing a more accurate pass.
Body-height, head and shoulders
The traditional pass promoted a lower body position, keeping the head down which kept the pass from rising too high and helped with greater distance and control. However with the adjustments to the approach, base and momentum modifications to body height, head position and shoulder positions must also be changed:
More bend at the knees than at the waist.
Keep the head up (think of a discuss thrower).
Heres some simple stuff
"Warm-Up Crossover"
Set up a large square with eight cones spaced around it - four at each corner, four in between these. Organise your players into eight groups of three or four. Each group starts with a ball and from one of the cones.
On your call, a player from each group picks up their ball. They then run across the square to the opposite cone, evading the players running in the other directions. When they reach the opposite cone, they pass the ball on to a player in that group who repeats the exercise.
Players can be directed to move across the square using a variety of movements, such as:
Lunge walking – to loosen the hips, improve leg drive and strengthen the hamstrings.
High knee lifts – to improve hip flexor and ankle strength.
Touching the ball on the ground twice – to increase hip flexibility and hamstring strength, and stretch the lower back.
Calf walking – to extend the ankle on each step.
Running sideways and backwards, and skipping.
Running across in a crouched, driving position.
Once across the square, think also about how the next player might receive the ball. For example, rather than have the players pass to each other, the receiver could have to rip the ball out, with the ball carrier providing some resistance.
Repeat the warm-up for several minutes and each routine a number of times. Start slowly at first, then build up the speed. This will help your players warm-up properly, all while practising core skills.
Stop Slow Ball Killing Your Game
A key feature of rugby is the speed the ball is recycled. Fast ball provides you with options. Slow ball results in teams struggling to exploit possession. Here are four key ways to speed up your game.
Clean ball, dirty ball
Any ball that is not in contact with the opposition is "clean ball". Everything else is "dirty ball". The quickest ball is generated by having the "cleanest ball" possible. The worst is ruck ball. So the first rule is avoid rucks. Something that's easier said than done. However, the techniques required to avoid contact can also be used to ensure that your team is better able to set up "cleaner" rucking situations.
1. Footwork
The first way to create quick ball is avoid contact. Your players must look to run at "spaces not faces" or "doors not walls".
Training tip:
Practise using footwork to find space in a crowded channel. Then reduce the space available. Increase the pressure with more players to beat. Narrower channels keep the challenge intense.
2. Good contact with the opposition
Good contact is where the ball carrier is in control. The longer they can stay on their feet, the better the position from which to drive forward and/or present the ball.
Training tip:
1-on-1 wrestling, ball carrier v defender. The ball carrier must stay on their feet. If they go to ground, they must present the ball back towards their team. Develop the game by having the players walk and then run into the wrestle situation.
3. Contact bounce
The player looks to take the contact, but immediately "bounces" off the opponent and back towards supporters.
Training tip:
This is best tried first against tackle shields. The shields can either stay solid, twist to either side, or even fall backwards. The ball carrier bounces backwards off the solid shield, or stays balanced and passes the ball back to a supporting player. Once the players are confident, the shields can be removed.
4. The offload – basic retrieval first
An offload is the last chance to recycle the ball before a ruck is formed. This can be more risky than a pass. An offload into the space right behind the tackle is usually safest. The support is more likely to be there and the opposition further away.
Training tip:
Work three players, two attackers and one defender, in a very narrow channel. Success is measured by either the first ball carrier breaking through the tackle, or the second attacker receiving a clean ball from the tackle.
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Top tip in October is Westport lets get working, read below and mark the word intensity.
Some teams call the area between the opponents' 22m line and try line the "red zone". In this area lineouts in particular will have a different objective – in attack passing the ball back 10 metres is not going to be as good as a catch and drive because the play is so close to the opposition try line
Many teams struggle to score from within the red zone. There are good reasons for this, not least the fact that defences are likely to be more tightly compacted, better organised and harder working near to their own line. Too often, though, the attacking team is also over eager and impatient.
In both World Cup semi finals, the team who held their nerve prospered. England made enough mistakes to lose two games, but they had a belief. The captain Phil Vickery commented that game plans were not as important as bravery at this stage. Interestingly, England's Brian Ashton likes to empower his players, whilst France's Bernard Laporte prefers to "dictate" how they will play.
I watched the Argentina team building up for their semi final with their customary zeal and wondered if this might "tip them over the edge". One could argue that this pressurized energy won the Puma's their first game against France. But it also may have led to the series of errors that let South Africa into the semi final, a match the Springboks seemed content not to have to go out and win.
Pressure makes talented players drop passes, miss tackles and give away penalties. Managing that pressure is an interesting balance. Sometimes you want your players to "run through walls", at other times to look for ways around them. In which case, calming down players might be better.
9 Clever Ways to Ramp Up Intensity
"Intense" is the buzz word in rugby... according to the commentators at least. Broadly speaking, they mean "ferociously tough". But in coaching terms it refers to putting your players' techniques and skills under the toughest tests.
What's the benefit of coaching "intensity"?
It turns the technique into skill: Skill is defined as using technique in a decision-making or game situation. Performing a technique when there is less time to think improves how the player learns the skill.
It reduces boredom: More action equals more enjoyment.
It keeps the players "warm": This is not, of course, only relevant on cold days. Keeping warm also means maintaining a level of activity to keep the muscles ready for further use.
It replicates the game situation: In a game players have to concentrate for short periods of time, entirely on what is going on around them. A practice should similarly involve intense activity for short periods of time, rather than long periods of semi-activity.
The low intensity warning signs
Long queues of players: Players don't queue in a game and they are more likely to distract each other if they are queuing.
Players not sweating or being tired at the end of a drill: Most of the game is performed when players are not at their freshest. Mistakes are more likely under this sort of pressure. So, if the players have not been made physically uncomfortable, they are not replicating a game situation.
How you can get more intense?
Split your players into smaller groups.
Run more than one drill at a time. For example, have three drill boxes, each with different skills performed by a different groups.
Work players in pairs and not as individuals.
Add more stations inside a grid.
Make the training area smaller to allow your players to return to their starting points more quickly.
Have a "return activity". For example, once players have gone through a drill box, get them to return to their starting points by performing another exercise.
Add more balls into a handling drill.
Have "automatic starting". Encourage your players to start a drill as soon as possible, rather than wait for your signal.
Get your players to better understand the reasons for what they are doing. Impress upon them repeatedly: "If you're not working, you're not improving."
Corridor Wars
This is a great game to get all your players thinking about the significance of space, mobility and communication, whilst practising passing, tackling and support play. It should prevent sideways running, make players hold their positions, and keep defenders spread.
Split a pitch equally length ways to form four channels - the "corridors". Play two teams of six players against each other in one half of the pitch, with the two "try lines" the actual try line and the 10m line. Separate each team into three pairs: A, B and C. Use bibs or tags to indicate which players are which. You probably won't need the teams to have separate colours.
In attack, the "A" players can only operate in the first two left hand corridors, "B" players in the middle two corridors and "C" players in the right hand section. The players can pass and kick the ball between the corridors. In defence, the players can operate across the corridors.
Restart the game if the defence wins the ball or following a score, a dead ball, or a player moving outside their corridor, or for the usual offences (offside, knock-on, forward pass). Don't allow scrums or lineouts. Attackers will soon learn to avoid rucks.
Except for foul play, always restart with a change of possession, including after scores, by getting the defence to retire 10 metres (or behind their try line). Remember to make sure that the (new) attackers have aligned themselves into their proper corridors before the restart.
If you have extra players, or an odd number of teams, restarts are an ideal time to make quick substitutions and replace teams.
How to Build Fitness Conditioning into All Your Sessions
Do you almost never have enough training time to cover all the skills and strategy that you want to, and yet include a full-on fitness programme? In which case, you have to build fitness conditioning into all of your sessions. Here's some advice about how you can do this.
Games for fitness
You should use games for fitness and conditioning as much as possible. It will make players work harder yet keep the enjoyment levels up. Design the games to make sure you cover the skills work you want to do, as well as improve your players' fitness levels. Here are some examples:
Footwork games: Use obstacle races, for instance over bags or through ladders and around posts.
Collision games: Set up tackle games, where there is intense work for a short space of time and then rest. Here's an example:
A collision game
Mark out a diamond shape and place two players in the middle, sitting on the ground, back to back. Give each player a name, for instance "lion" and "tiger". When you shout one of the names, the players get up and run to the cone they're facing. The named player picks up a ball and attacks one side of the diamond, whilst the other player tries to tackle them. You can alter the pressure and the speed of the collision by changing the depth and width of the diamond.
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Strength games: Make use of wrestling and pulling games, like tug of war.
Handling games: Play a game of three on three touch rugby.
Ten pass keep ball game: Arrange a small box and small number of players, say 3 v 3, with the aim of making ten passes. Play with high intensity for a minute and then change groups.
Warm-ups, conditioning and skills
Why start a session with a run around the pitch? Get straight into ball work, easing the pace up. Over a ten metre stretch of the pitch, players can pass and dynamically stretch.
And why accept anything but total accuracy? If the players are moving more slowly than in a game, then they should pass more effectively.
Once dynamically stretched, move onto more challenging work on the lungs and muscles. For instance, to build “anaerobic fitness” (that is, the ability to produce short bursts of energy) work in a small square. Each time a player performs a skill, like passing, they exit the box and perform an exercise, like a press up to get their chest on the floor.
Conditioning coverage
Think of the specifics of the game and then work out your conditioning programme. There is a danger that you regard your players as "athletes" and not "rugby players".
Yes, most athletes share the same attributes, but a sprinter and a winger are very different. It is no good being extremely fast over 50 metres if you can't get past the first player to give yourself that space to run.
Work, rest and work again
The average amount of continuous play in a game of rugby is just over 20 seconds, with the maximum around three minutes. In fact, the majority of play is between five seconds and one minute.
Try using these timings as the basis for your skills workouts to replicate the activity on the pitch during a game.
Tackling: 3 Tips for Training and Match Days
Tackling is about three key elements:
Judgement.
Timing.
Courage.
With new players it is the first two elements that will need particular attention. Players need to be helped to understand what they should be looking to do when making a tackle.
I often encourage new players to make contact and then simply "hold on" until another player arrives to help them complete the tackle. I find this reduces the anxiety caused by the player feeling that they must tackle as well as "the best". They know that help is on its way and that by "holding on" they are contributing to the team's defence.
Remember, however, that different players can be very effective tacklers in different ways. For example, you rarely saw Neil Back, an openside flanker and world cup winner with England in 2003, dumping someone on their back in the tackle, but you also rarely saw him miss a tackle.
2. Training
Many players tackle well in practice, but not so well in matches. One reason for this is familiarity - the players know what their team mates are capable of and so are more willing to get "stuck in" during training.
Bags are pretty passive and soft, unlike someone charging towards you. I tend to get away from bags as soon as possible. Instead:
Include a live tackle practice in every session.
Give the players a limited range of things to focus on. It is very easy to overload players with too much information. I also use plenty of praise and encouragement.
Play tackling games. I usually start with 1 v 1s, so the players can work and improve together. But don't let the attacking player have a huge run up!
3. Match day
When it comes to match days, I include live tackling as part of our warm-ups. The players being tackled should run at about 70% pace over a short distance and should not try to evade the contact.
The emphasis here is to practice tackling technique and focus all players on the on-coming physical confrontation
Coaching Session: The Wrap Switch
A "wrap switch" is where one player (often the fly half / five-eighths) switches or cuts with a second player (usually the inside centre / 12). This player, instead of running back towards the forwards or in a straight like a normal switch, turns just after receiving the ball and follows the path of first player. This means he is now running away from the cover defence and into the hole left by the fly half.
The wrap switch is a useful attacking option, particularly against an organised defence. For instance, used against a drift defence near the breakdown (a scrum, ruck or maul) and your fly half might have the option to break into space, rather than pass immediately, and with a player in close support.
Coaching the wrap switch
The play requires footwork, changes of angle, balance and, inevitably, timing and practice. In particular, players must attack the defensive line with pace. The key is for them to make sharp turns and then accelerate away from the defenders.
Warm-up by running simple switch runs in a 10 metre square box. Place a ball carrier and a receiver on the two corners at one end of the box. They each run diagonally across the box to the opposite corner.
The main practice
1. Perform a normal switch or cut pass. A cone in the middle of the box will help with running lines.
2. After delivering the ball, the passer runs into a defender. The player must change their angle of running late on to interest the defender. They must pass into the path of the receiver, not to the receiver.
3. Just after receiving the ball, and instead of continuing their run to the opposite corner of the box, the receiver turns and follows the path of the passer. In other words to "wrap around".
4. Repeat with another pair behind, starting from another other corner. This way the practice can be run back from the other end of the box, once both pairs have gone through. This will mean different partners for the ball carriers also.
Developing the session
1. Have a "feeder player" on either side of the box to start the move by passing the ball in.
2. Add a defender to oppose the ball carrier. The ball carrier must then try to pass just before contact.
3. You can practise wrap switches with this game situation. Lay out a 20 metre square box. Set up two opposing teams each with a three player scrum and a four player backline (any player can play in any position).
The scrum starts at one edge of the box. The winners of the scrum have to develop the play using a wrap switch from the first and second phase situations.
Typical errors to watch out for
1. The ball carrier passing too early, before drawing in the defender.
2. The ball carrier taking contact immediately after passing.
3. The receiver turning too early. The aim is to fix defenders by making them think the receiver is coming their way.
Training: Making Warm-Ups Work
The warm-up is the bedrock of a training session, preparing for and reinforcing the basics.
A mental and physical preparation for the session
You should practice at a slower pace than normal, and with around half full intensity.
The warm-ups are all at a low intensity, and build a set of plays. Players swap in and out, acting as passive defenders when they are not in the move. These practices ensure all the players in the squad know their roles should they be called upon as a replacement.
What’s in the warm up?
We use a lot of footwork skills, since they have so much relevance to all areas of the game. As heart rates increase, I will include some dynamic stretching exercises. We don't use static stretches due to the weight of evidence against them.
Keep it simple
From my experience of coaching at lots of different levels, the best coaches keep it simple, repeating good practice over and over again. What changes as you move up the scale in terms of the skill levels is the attention to detail.
Coaches quite often leave warm-ups to a junior coach, player or conditioning coach. However, since the team is working towards our game plan, I think it is important that we take a very active role in the warm-up. The risk otherwise is that some of the focus on the themes we are trying to achieve is lost.
You should spend up to 20 minutes out of a one hour training session on warming up. This time is not a conditioning session but a combination of the following.
A chance to in-grain our "staple" plays
What I call "staple" plays are the moves we do on a regular basis – the simple ones that require the players to co-ordinate their actions. We repeat these regularly during our warm-up sessions. Examples of staple plays might be a type of switch we call "wraps", involving our fly halves, and pop balls with different angles of running ("unders and overs").
It’s a "wrap"
A "wrap switch" is where one player (often the fly half / five-eighths) switches or cuts with a second player. This player, instead of running back towards the forwards or in a straight like a normal switch, turns just after receiving the ball and follows the path of first player.
This means he is now running away from the cover defence and into the hole left by the fly half. The play requires footwork, changes of angle, balance and, inevitably, timing and practice.
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A reinforcement of the last session's themes
The warm-up is about reinforcing the themes from last practice. I know a coach at a semi-professional club whose warm-up includes five minutes of continuous lineouts and plays from the lineout. These are all based on the last session of the previous practice.
"Attack the Box": A Warm-Up that Works
"Attack the box" is a good way for your players to warm-up for a training session involving switches and cuts, as well as for most other handling exercises. The players can practise their running lines and passing. You can make adjustments to technique before the main practices in the session.
Line up four players plus the scrum half diagonally outside a 10 metre square box. The scrum half starts from the outside corner of the box. Have a ball at this corner.
The scrum half passes to the first player. The ball is passed along the line so that the last player can place the ball on the nearest corner of the square to him. All the players then move to the next side of the square and repeat the drill.
Make sure the players:
1. Pass the ball at around chest height.
2. Step towards the passer.
3. Reach for the pass with their hands.
4. "Take and give" - that is, don't run too far with the ball.
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This coaching advice and guidance follows the Sports Coach UK Code of Conduct for Sports Coaches
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Seven Ways To Conquer The Best Team In The World or Monivea
1. Match skill with skill
You must select your most skilful players and not simply players who are going to do a "job". Your team's core skills and strengths must not be comprised to accommodate such a game plan.
Too many coaches choose players to counter the All Black team rather than picking someone who can meet them on an equal footing. By this I mean great evasion and handling skills, aligned with a thorough understanding of the tackle contest.
2. Exploit their weaknesses
Every team, however good, will have areas which are not as well protected as others. The All Blacks identify the weak points in the opposition and attack these mercilessly. You should do the same.
For instance, the All Blacks wingers are superb runners, but they are not so special under the high ball. This weakness could be exploited.
3. Get behind the opposition
You can get behind your opponent by creating "go forward" ball, either through pick and go, good footwork or chips over the top.
To beat the All Blacks, you need to stop their defence from coming forward to defend. Like any other team, if the All Blacks' defence is spread out across the field, it is susceptible to an attack through the middle in numbers.
4. Chase your kicks
Pressurise the defence with kicks, but make the kick and chase work together. This needs three defenders bearing down on the kick receiver, with good communication.
Using a kick to turn and pressurise the All Black back three is a risky business. So both the kick and the chase need to be exceptional.
5. Scan the rucks
Why do the All Blacks seem to deploy less resources into the rucks? Because the players scan the situation and then decide whether to enter the contest, and what they are going to do when they get there. For instance, block, drive through, or compete for the ball.
6. Set piece pressure
Set piece ball (scrums and lineouts) provide a platform for any team. Work hard on your tactics given your strengths. Think about scrummaging lower and harder in defence, and using "channel 1" – quick in-and-out ball – on your put in.
The British & Irish Lions failed to disrupt the All Black set piece in 2005 and few sides since have made much impact in this area.
7. Close out the game
So you're ahead. How do you close out the game?
Take the ball up the middle of the field, inside the two 15 metre lines. This will put you in position for a drop goal or penalty. If they want the ball and you are keeping hold of it, they will need to bend the rules – giving you a possible penalty kick opportunity.
Use "pick and go", where forwards take the ball from the back of ruck, or "pod systems", where forwards work together in groups of four to drive the ball forward in turns.
Don't kick the ball!
How To Warm-Up To Improve Performance
A warm-up is the exercise of the body and mind before training or a match. It should be undertaken gradually. According to sports science advice endorsed by the major international rugby unions, the key benefits from well-performed warm-ups are to:
Reduce the chance of soft tissue injury by stretching muscles.
Increase the body's temperature and blood flow.
Allow mental preparation for the forthcoming exercise or game.
Increase the level of performance.
Most coaches would agree that a warm-up session should also be enjoyable, varied and support the player as an athlete as well as a rugby player.
The science of the warm-up
Scientific research has increased our understanding of the best way to warm-up for sport. Here is a summary of the consensus view of sports scientists:
Stretching for warm-ups should be dynamic not static. "Dynamic stretching" means stretches carried out through a controlled range of movements rather than held for a period of time.
Warm-ups should be specific to the activity about to be undertaken.
The cool down is as important as the warm-up and should also be performed after every training session or match.
To derive the greatest benefits from a warm-up, the work should mirror the actions that are to be taken while competing. (Source 1. See below.)
Specific warm-ups are best employed after completing a general warm-up, which reduces the chance of injuries. (Source 2. See below.)
Warm-up guidelines
A light sweat over the entire body is the best indicator of the correct body temperature (around a one or two degree Celsius increase in temperature).
Avoid letting your players get tired out.
The benefits of the warm-up are lost after between five and 45 minutes of rest. Once a specific warm-up is completed the athlete should remain active (2).
The cool-down
After a match or training session it is essential to use some form of warm-down or cool-down. The benefits of a cool-down are that it helps to:
Break down waste products in the muscles.
Prevent muscle soreness by coaxing muscles gently back into shape.
A cool-down should include:
Gentle movements like jogging and skipping, and floppy "loose limb" movements.
Static stretching of the muscles for 10–15 seconds. Don't let your players overstretch. They are trying to help the repair process and if the body has been bashed around in a game, the muscles will need to be gently coaxed back into shape.
Summary
Do...
Build the level of intensity gradually.
Ensure the technique is correct, even if the activity is light and gradual.
Increase the heart rate first then move to stretching and specific activity.
Have plenty of water available.
Take account of the weather conditions. Cold weather means there should be a shorter time between warm-up and activity. In particularly cold conditions it might be better to warm-up inside.
Don't...
Let players bounce during stretching. Muscles increase their elasticity as the body warms up, so they will not take kindly to over exertion.
Stop for a long period of time after warming up (such as for team talks or game reviews) before moving into the activity.
Expect players to be warmed up at the same time. Different players need a different amount of time.
Warm-up on hard surfaces.
Sources: 1. Costill & King (1983). Quoted in Volume 4 of Coaching Science Abstracts. 2. Ingjer, F., & Stromme, S. B. (1979). Effects of active, passive, or no warm up on the physiological response to heavy exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology.
Aggressive Lineout Defence
Defending the lineout maul is a hot topic for coaches, players and referees alike. Over the last couple of years, I have encountered a particular type of defence that not only seems to require a lot of work on the training ground to perfect, but also a forewarned referee. Otherwise, I think the referee would have assumed that the defence had deliberately collapsed the maul.
What happens?
Immediately the attacking jumper (the catcher) lands (literally when his feet touch the ground), the defending player directly opposite tackles him high, and attempts to turn him over his (the defender's) hip towards the defender's line.
Simultaneously, the other defending players attempt to drive the attacking lifters and other support players behind the catcher.
The referee's view
(Please note that Simon Thomas' interpretation is based on his experience and not on official IRB or RFU statements.)
1. As soon as the catcher's feet are down, you have a potential tackle situation. Of course, the catcher can only be tackled if he has the ball and then only before any maul has formed. The tackle must also be made before any other defenders make contact with the attacking support players.
However, the tackle only occurs if the ball carrier is taken to ground. Otherwise, a maul is formed on contact, as the jumper is bound in by his support players. Any tackle opportunity is then lost.
2. A high (body rather than legs) tackle on the catcher is unlikely to be effective. Any such tackle may look to the referee as if a maul was being formed. I would also look carefully at any tackle which took a player over the tackler's hips, as this could be viewed as a potentially dangerous “judo style” throw.
3. Timing is crucial in getting the first tackle in effectively. I have only seen this done effectively as a very low “falling backwards” tackle, using the catcher's own forward motion to bring him down.
Unless the catcher is immediately taken to ground before any maul is formed, I would look at penalising the defenders for collapsing the maul. I may consider a yellow card, or even a penalty try depending on the proximity of the goal line and the likelihood of a score occurring.
4. I would allow the defending players positioned opposite the support players to bind and drive. This effectively creates a maul as the support players are bound to the supported catcher. The support players cannot be tackled (the word “tackle” again implies taken to ground), as either the catcher has been tackled, and we have a ruck, or has remained on his feet, and we have a maul. The support players are not the ball carrier, so they cannot be taken to ground legally.
5. Forewarned is forearmed. In reality, these types of defence tend to happen so quickly, especially at national, provincial and divisional league level, that I would prefer to be quietly forewarned of the defensive intent to tackle the catcher, so to be focussed on the first contact.
6. As a referee, my over-riding element is safety. I would be very concerned seeing this defensive technique used at U19 or below. I believe the lineout, tackle and maul laws give a clear definition of what is legal and what is not.
In summary:
Forewarn the referee about controversial lineout defensive moves. He does not want to be surprised. If he is, he might penalise the wrong outcome.
You are not allowed to tackle the support players to ground. Binding on and driving them is fine, but the catcher must be on the ground before this can be done.
Many referees would be uncomfortable seeing the tactic used in junior games.
The IRB is currently assessing a number of innovations to the lineout, maul and ruck laws, each of which could affect the game profoundly. Notably, allowing lineouts to include the whole team as required, mauls to be collapsed deliberately, and players to play the ball with their hands in the ruck. We will continue to follow these matters closely and will report on them, and their implications for innovative play, as and when the new rules are finalised.
The Dangers Of The Offload
An offload is a ball that is passed after the ball carrier goes into the contact. Most commonly, a player is tackled and, as they fall over, they "flip up" the ball to a player in support.
How a good offload is supposed to work
Ideally, your ball carriers should avoid the contact. When players do take a tackle, an offload can keep momentum in the attack, but only if the ball gets to a team mate as quickly as possible.
If a defence is particularly strong, with few spaces to go through, an offload can be a powerful tool to attack behind the defensive line.
So, the offload can:
Maintain the momentum of the attack.
Help attackers find space behind the defensive line.
To be successful with the offload, your supporting players must have "good hands" and, crucially, ball carriers must present or pass the ball effectively. If there is no forward momentum, the chances of a successfully offload are diminished.
If a ruck is formed, continued possession will be with "dirty ball". The game slows down, the momentum of your attack is lost, and the opposition defence regroups.
When the offload doesn't work
Conscious offload: When a player makes the decision to pass the ball, they should be moving the ball to a player in a better position to go forward. Taking the tackle can reduce the attacking options. For example, supporting players may have less space, the ball carrier's momentum is lost, a ruck may be formed.
Contact gives the opposition the opportunity to win the ball in the contact. As Collin Osbourne, the former Zimbabwe coach and current manager of the Harlequins academy in the UK, puts it: "pass first, contact second".
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Going "over the man": The worst offload "crime" is when the ball carrier holds the ball high into the contact, hoping to get their arms over and behind the tackler's back. The idea is to then pass to a support player. However, this simply makes the ball carrier a more inviting target for tacklers. It has the added risk of the ball being dropped in contact.
Calling "offload" in a tight defence: Against tight defences, ball carriers need to be positive about two key things: that their pass is going to a team mate, and driving forward through the tackle.
When a player takes the ball into the contact against an organised, tight defence, calling "offload" is dangerous. With lots of traffic, the ball carrier can easily flip the ball to a defender. Collin Osbourne goes so far as to say that teams should ban the call "offload".
Any attempt by the ball carrier to position themselves to make a pass can also open them up to being tackled (and often very easily). Johnny Wilkinson is a good example of a tackler who particularly seems to enjoy taking on attackers attempting to go over him to pop a pass to team mates.
Offload tips
Players should not pass in the tackle unless they can see the support player.
Players should not just pass over and behind the tackler, but also in the direction of the tackle: if a player is tackled on their left hand side, they should pass right.
Support players should not run in straight lines, but angle their running line towards the ball carrier. They should try to attack the space just behind where the tackler was before the contact.
Good offloads happen when there is a "diamond" support structure.
Summary
The offload has a vital role to play in continuity. The main danger is that it is used as an alternative to a pass. Ball retention comes first in the contact, so an offload might not be possible. Consequently, momentum is lost.
When taking the contact, players must make every effort to make the tackle as difficult as possible for the opposition. They then should look to make the ball available.
Support players should not call "offload". They should rather look to put themselves in the best position to take the ball if contact is made.
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Tips for High Flyers
Jump with the ball
Since jumping applies to any player in the lineout and indeed on the outfield to catch high kicks, then improving the vertical distance achieved is well worth spending more time on for every player.
Jumping higher in the lineout
Being lifted is a bonus that the modern senior player has at their disposal. Depending on the country you are in, lifting starts from around 15 years old and above. However, locks are ‘‘jumpers’’ at the lineout, and even with the advent of lifting this is not an honorary title. It is not always the height you get, but the speed with which you get there. And that means meeting the ball at the top of your jump before the opposition has a chance to react. So your players must be aiming to improve their jumping ability all the time.
Two feet are better than one
Because the jump in the lineout or high ball is vertical, then both feet should be used to initiate the leap. In terms of teaching the players the value of this, make them hop on one leg first to see how high they can get. Then revert to two legs. A target on a post or wall helps measure their progress. See how far up they can touch.
Keeping straight legs in the air
Supporters or not, there are a number of benefits of straighter legs once the feet have left the ground. With supporters, straight legs are important to grab onto or not get kicked with (and this applies to players who need to bind on). It also helps with balance and landing. Straight legs in the air,
and then bend the legs on descent to cushion the landing. So practices should ensure that any jump should aim to get the legs straight, with a good measure of height achieved being the distance from the ground to the feet.
A tip from grizzled, battle worn locks: jump like a ballet dancer – keep your toes pointed down to keep your legs straight.
The Ancient Greeks used to long jump holding a stone in their hands. Apart from helping the momentum, it certainly kept their hands and arms working in the right direction. Taking this a step forward (or upward), a jumper for the ball should practise with the ball in both hands. Bent elbows, hands moving up and above the head should increase the control of the jump and
replicate the correct position to receive the ball. A development could be delivering the ball to a scrum half at the top of the jump.
Olympic lifts: specific fitness for jumping
The hips are primarily responsible for the success in a vertical jump. What the Olympic lifts do is teach the lifter how to use their hips explosively. A good experiment to show the benefits of an Olympic lift is to make players perform two types of jump. The first is to sit and hold for four seconds before jumping. The second is to sit as quickly as possible and then rise as quickly as possible. It should be that the higher jump comes from the
second type.
Since Olympic lifts are performed with both feet on the ground, they strongly replicate a rugby situation of the powerful jump.
Olympic lifts
It is the weightlifting you see in the Olympics, more often than not performed by some enormous Bulgarian who has sixty eggs for breakfast in a tight leotard. But putting aside that image, as long as they are performed in a safe environment with the concentration on technique before weight, then the benefits are multifarious to rugby players. The “clean and jerk” and power snatch are just two examples of lifts.
Power is for everyone
A more powerful player will be better in contact, assuming they maintain the same skill level, no matter what position they play. It also reduces the instance of injuries because players can absorb more of the stresses and strains of a physical game. It is not just pressures in the contact situation, but stresses from the changes of direction and speed that need a more athletic profile.
In a one man coaching team, who is the conditioning coach?
In this case you are. If you are serious about rugby then you need to embrace as much as possible the need for improvement in the area of strength and conditioning.
Gym work v field work
A good player will need to be in the gym covering core exercises to improve their profile. There is some debate over the difference between slow repetitions of heavy weights and quick repetitions of light weights.
First, it is important that technique comes before any thought of types of repetitions. Second, a varied diet of different regimes will build a good base and explosive power.
Third, the training pitch is not part of the proper strength conditioning.
Game fitness is different and should be worked on as a separate part of the player’s development.
“In five decades of attending major championships I have seen superbly conditioned athletes win medals with poor techniques, but I have never ever seen a poorly conditioned athlete with a superb technique win a medal.”
Max Jones, former UK National Athletics Coach.
Small Pack Do’s and Don’ts
Own scrums
Do: Get low, get tight, win the hit, get the ball in and out (channel 1), get up and away a.s.a.p.
Don't: Waste energy pushing more than you need, hold the ball in at the base, use back row moves in close.
Opposition scrums
Do: Get low, get tight, win the hit, stop initial shove, get up and away a.s.a.p.
Don't: Waste energy pushing more than you need.
Own lineouts
Do: Shorten the lineout, use lots of movement, get in front of opposition jumpers, throw to the tail as much as possible, use peel moves off the back, get
the ball away a.s.a.p.
Don't: Catch and drive, front peel.
Opposition lineouts
Do: Lift lightest forward to compete, get in front of opposition jumpers, stop the catch and drive.
Don't: Compete if you can’t, let them get a drive on.
Open play – attack
Do: Keep the ball out of contact, offload if contact is taken, support, get the ball away from rucks fast.
Don't: Maul, get isolated, create slow rucks.
Open play – defence
Do: Put the ball carrier on the deck fast, get support to the breakdown, compete for the ball legally.
Don't: Miss first up tackles, try to tackle high, allow mauls to develop.
Avoiding cold hands for more productive practices.
Though it affects the younger players far more than the older players, it is worth trying to reduce the effects of cold hands in training. Apart from the obvious use of gloves, a number of strategies are worth employing. First, keep the players on their feet as much as possible in the early parts of the training sessions. No press ups or sit ups (cold bums as well). Second, encourage players to put their hands inside their shorts or up their jumpers. Cold hands on skin gives a good warning device to warm up their hands more effectively. Finally, keep the rugby balls off the floor. A cold wet ball just adds to the discomfort.
Do we have to train in the rain?
Yes, we do have to train in the rain, because it might be like this on match day!
But how do you make the most of a session when it is raining?
Embrace the weather conditions
Enjoy the challenge, and maintain your enthusiasm. You set the tempo for the session and if you are upbeat then the team will be more likely to follow.
Practice the conditions
Areas of the game that suffer most in wet weather are: line outs, passing and ball into contact. If you are going to practice lineouts, do it at the end, because the players will be standing around to a certain extent. They may not be much good if they are cold and wet later in the session. Practice passing without pressure first, questioning the types of pass that are going to be most effective.
Getting wet in stages
Team talks and the warm up can be done under cover, the latter with a little imagination. Running on the spot in the changing rooms (with boots/cleats off) plus dynamic stretching and even some press ups and sit ups.
Once on the pitch, keep off the floor for as long as possible. Running, handling and lineouts would be best at the front end of the practice.
Getting “dirty” is best placed at the end and here the activity should be at its most intense; players on the move all the time.
Getting technical – floor ball
Wet weather means more spilled ball. This means a certain amount of time in the practice should be focused on dealing with the ball on the floor. Experiment with the players good ways to fall on the ball and/or ruck. Discuss how the ball should be presented to the scrum half. Most scrum halves will want the ball picked up and helped out, rather than digging into a muddy mess.
Kicks, rolls and recovery
Kicking takes on a new dimension. Goal kickers will find their non kicking foot less stable and drop goals and kick restarts will be more difficult. Try out kicking restarts, what are possible and not possible for your kickers.
It is also worth spending time on kicking in open play – on how to use them in attack and defence. Don’t just assume that the use of high balls are the only way. Ironically they are not always effective as trying to make opposition players pick the ball off the floor. Also in wet weather, it is worth trying to pin back opponents into their half and let them make mistakes. So a low risk option can be a low raking kick rather than the chance of misfiring a high ball (which your chasers might knock on as well).
Chasing kicks and recovering them is a skill not often explored in dry weather let alone wet weather. Players need to make decisions on when to fall on the ball and when to pick up.
Kick and chase drills under pressure with defenders and attackers can be great fun especially as sliding possibly is likely, but also good to increase the awareness of the options.
And finally
Spare a thought for the groundsman and the rest of the season. Move the practice around if possible so you do not churn up the ground. Once the training areas have turned to pure mud it is unlikely they will recover and when they go hard later, they will be very unpleasant to train on. If you have to train on the pitch, then use the dead ball area.
The art of falling over
Over 65% of rugby is now played at the breakdown. This means that it is likely that at least one player has fallen over, most probably the ball carrier. And it is what happens to the ball carrier that we are most concerned about, because good presentation of the ball is a crucial factor in maintaining possession. So how you fall makes a big difference to how well your side keeps the ball.
The art of not falling over
Rugby is a game that is supposed to be played on the feet.
Players who deliberately fall over can be penalised. So, with or without the ball, it is good to practise staying balanced as much as possible and certainly around contact.
Techniques to perfect the art of not falling over are:
Lower body position near contact with knees bent, feet shoulder width or a little more apart, head up, elbows bent, hands up to fend.
Use ladders/agility work and then confined spaces with lots of players moving about to build feet, body and space awareness. Develop the skill level so players can keep balanced by hopping on one foot, jumping with two feet together, skipping and then running normally.
Falling in style:
Perfecting the art of falling is to land on the ground in such a way
that a player:
Reduces the level of impact.
Is able to present the ball at all times as they are falling.
If they cannot pass before they hit the ground, they are able to pass from the ground or present the ball in the most beneficial way.
Learning to fall in style:
Always start in slow motion and build up the pace from there.
Learn to fall from kneeling down first.
Hip hits the floor first from a kneeling down position.
Turn shoulders towards own goal line if at all possible.
Ideally ball is always in both hands, but practice with just one hand as well.
Ball out, away from body, with elbows bent before hitting the floor (so can offload if necessary).
Ball into chest when hitting the floor (to prevent losing control).
Ball out after impact with both hands and arms fully outstretched.
Developing falling in style:
Use a tackle bag on the floor.
From a standing position, crumple at the knees and hit the hip into the bag.
Remember “ball out, ball in, ball out”.
Run to the bag, crumple, “ball out, ball in, ball out”.
Developing the drills: supporting player who can take an
offload; a supporting player who may be close by or further
away, giving the faller a decision to make; introduce a tackler.
The art of getting up:
Since the game is played on the feet, then a player on the floor has no rights. So don’t let players languish on the ground, encourage them to get up, and get back in the game.
Injury prevention
Typical injuries from poor falling are:
Injuring wrists (hand out to prevent fall).
Dislocation of A.C. joint (editor’s injury), by falling awkwardly on shoulder, elbow or outstretched arm.
Therefore good falling technique will reduce the instances of these types of injury.
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Fitness jargon:
Lactic acid – a waste residue produced after periods of intense workout. It makes your arms and legs feel like lead. You need to build up a tolerance to it by (1) having a good aerobic level of fitness and (2) by purposely working through it in training.
REMINDERS BOX
The focus on fitness is for the whole season not just for the first match – don’t lose too much valuable team training time on individual fitness. Fitness is the players responsibility
Quality right from the outset – set the standard. Start as you mean to continue
Build up the moves repertoire slowly – quality , quality , quality not quantity.
Find out if the players are feeling they are benefiting from the sessions to keep them coming back. pick two players and ask what they have learned this session
Players like to play: have a game at every session to keep motivated and start to judge the character of yourteam.
The role of the blindside flanker
When selecting the back row unit, the coach needs to blend the talents of the three players in order to produce a unit whose whole is greater than the sum of its individual parts.
1. Clarify the role – the ‘‘traditional’’ blindside
The first decision you need to make as coach is to identify the roles you expect your blindside to fulfill, over and above his basic duties. Physically, he may well be a bigger, slightly slower player than the openside. Mentally, he should relish the physical confrontations that such a role demands, but this does not mean he should be ruled by the ‘‘red mist’’!
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What type of blindside do you want?
Is he going to be a ‘‘forager’’, looking to secure possession in the rucks and mauls? Is he going to be a destroyer in defence, disrupting the opposition with his aggressive tackling and ‘‘big hits’’? Is he primarily a supporter in the lineout?
In the process, he will also be freeing up the other two members of the back row to play a more creative role in attack. If this sounds like your plan then you should see the blindside as more of a tight forward, playing somewhat closer to rucks, mauls and off the set pieces.
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An alternative
However, not all coaches differentiate in this way between open and blindside flankers. Some coaches look to play their two best runners and handlers on the flanks, the idea being to enhance continuity and ball-winning at the breakdown. In this team many of the ‘‘traditional’’ blindside flanker’s roles would be fulfilled by the Number 8.
Another option is to play left and right flankers, as France do with Magne and Betsen. The idea here is that the two players share the running, foraging etc rather than placing all the expectation on a single player. Given the increasing physical demands upon players during a game, this is perhaps a more realistic approach to back row selection.
Coaches should also consider the impact of changing from one style to another during the course of a game via a tactical substitution.
Defence from the lineout
Whatever system you chose as coach, the blindside flanker has certain key roles in defence.
From a lineout the blindside’s first responsibility is to tackle any player coming around the end of the lineout, preferably driving him back or towards touch. If the ball has been played to the backs straight away, the blindside should defend the hole between the flyhalf and the end of the lineout. If pressure forces the fly-half to cut back, or he passes/switches back inside, the blindside should be there to make the tackle.
4. Defence from the scrum
There are different arguments concerning which player should be making the first tackle from a scrum. Whatever system is chosen, the crucial element is communication – the back row should be talking to each other and the scrumhalf at every scrum. My preferences are:
On the right-hand side of the field, scrum-half takes first man round, Number 8 second and blindside flanker is there to assist both.
On the left-hand side, blindside flanker takes first man round,Number 8 second.
As with the lineout, once play moves away from the scrum, the area between the fly-half and the scrum is the blindside flanker’s responsibility. Again, if the fly-half switches play back inside the
blindside must be there to stop it.
Therefore, the blindside should not move across field from the scrum too early.Wait until the ball has moved wide enough that there is little chance of it coming back before moving across. Here it is very important that each back row player knows the roles of the others within the defensive system they are operating, so that no gaps are left.
. Defence in depth vs pressure defence
Some coaches argue that their blindside should cover behind the backs/other back row players, whereas some coaches instruct their blindside to head for where the ball is.
Both approaches have their merits – the first offers defence in depth and gives the blindside more time to read the opposition play, the second is more aggressive and increases the chances of halting an attack early and winning possession via a turnover. The decision as to which system to operate should be based on the strengths of the players available to the coach and an assessment of the opposition. Certainly, where there is little or no depth to the defence e.g. inside your 22, then the second
approach should be adopted.
As a rule I prefer the second option as it exerts more direct pressure on the opposition and may well force them to move away from their preferred playing style.
However, the player chosen at blindside has to continually assess his position and that of the opposition in order to ensure that he is not out-manoeuvred – a player who charges wildly after the ball without control is easily evaded.
Summary
What roles do you want your blindside to play – this depends not just on the team needs, but the skills of the flanker.
Defence from scrums and lineouts – a clear plan of where the blindside flanker defends, depending on which side of the pitch with scrums.
Constructive or destructive – role must blend with the rest of the back row.
